New Year’s in Paris 2023
Paris is one of the most popular places in the world to spend “Le Reveillon” (New Year’s Eve in French). New Year’s Eve in Paris will be even more special this year, as we will welcome the year of the Summer Olympics in Paris.
Generally speaking, winter in Paris is considered the low season. Still, if you visit Paris during the Christmas holidays, you will find the city really busy, and you can expect long lines everywhere. Except for New Year’s Day, everything is open and beautifully lit with Christmas decorations.
How to spend New Year’s Eve in Paris 2023? Whether you’re looking for a big party, a fancy dinner, or a change of scenery, there are many ways to welcome the New Year in Paris. Below are some fun ideas for your Paris New Year’s Eve celebration.
Where to Stay to Celebrate New Year’s Eve in Paris
In general, we recommend staying central, ideally not far from where you plan to welcome the New Year in Paris.
If you decide to watch the Paris NYE show at Arc de Triomphe, then look for a place within walking distance of the monument. That evening, the metro stations around Arc de Triomphe will be closed for security reasons.
Check out the map below with the available accommodation for NYE in Paris, where we have pinpointed the most popular places to celebrate New Year’s in Paris.
Getting Ready for the New Year in Paris
1. Get the Right Outfit
Are you looking for something fancy to wear for your Paris New Year’s Eve 2023? Or perhaps you want to renew your wardrobe for 2024?
Paris is a synonym for fashion and an excellent place for a shopping day. Shopping in Paris is very easy, and the city has something for everyone, with world-renowned brands and labels on every corner, small insider boutiques hidden in up-and-coming neighborhoods, and big outlet malls located just outside the city.
People looking for a luxury shopping experience will head to the Golden Triangle in Paris 8 (Avenue Georges V – Avenue Montaigne – Champs Elysées), while the best place for vintage clothing is Le Marais. Without forgetting the grand shopping malls along the Grands Boulevards!
If you are dying for a bit of shopping in Paris, but fashion is not your forte, or you don’t want to struggle with language barriers, consider this Paris shopping tour, led by an English-speaking fashion expert. They will adapt the itinerary to your unique needs and style, introducing you to the best shops and fashion brands.
2. Craft your Perfume for 2024
We are sure you are unique, so why not have your personal perfume for 2024? In Maison Molinard (est. 1849), you can learn the basics of perfume-making – the raw materials, the extraction methods, and the perfume’s structure – before creating your perfume. Then, it will be time to practice: you will select your essences, create your top note, the heart note, and the base note, to concentrate all this in your own perfume.
This top-rated perfume workshop in English lasts 1 hour, and you will get a 50ml bottle of your new, personal perfume at the end. Also, you can take the time to visit the boutique and get a 10% discount on all the perfumes that you like.
3. Indulge Yourself with a Spa Day
A spa bath can offer the ultimate relaxation therapy at the end of a fulfilled year. Whether you have chronic aches and pains that need soothing or just like the idea of indulging yourself, a spa bath is a wonderful retreat, even if it is only for the last day of the year.
In Paris, the most beautiful spas are installed in equally beautiful hotels, so if you are visiting Paris for a mix of fun, sightseeing, and relaxation, we recommend booking a full-pack hotel + spa – Click here for the best spa-hotels in Paris
Things to Do in Paris for New Year’s Eve 2023 (Paris NYE Events & More)
Many Parisians have dinner at home or friends’ houses and then go afterward to walk around, and there is a general atmosphere of partying and fun in the city. Indeed, on New Year’s Eve, Paris is a moveable feast!
Here’s a list of fun things to do in Paris for New Year’s Eve 2023. From a good dinner in a fancy place to something special afterward, there are many activities for New Year’s in Paris.
1. Paris New Year’s Eve 2023 in a Parisian Cabaret
If you are looking for a fun and festive New Year’s Eve in Paris, a Parisian cabaret is THE place to go.
Parisian cabarets are one of the most popular things to do in Paris at night. Indeed, bars and nightclubs exist everywhere in the world, but where else can you find such a choice of quality cabaret shows?
Most of the best cabarets in Paris offer special shows for Christmas and New Year’s, so you will be guaranteed a glamorous and unforgettable Paris New Year event out in Paris. The Moulin Rouge and the Crazy Horse are the most popular cabarets in Paris. On the Seine’s Left bank, the Paradis Latin is our favorite. Cabarets offer cancan dance, great food, and lots of bubbles.
Book your Cabaret Show for a fun New Year celebration in Paris
2. Paris NYE 2023 on a Seine River Cruise
The Seine River is the most beautiful avenue in Paris, and a festive dinner cruise along the Seine can be a great way to welcome the New Year in Paris 2024 in style.
Enjoy the most beautiful monuments of Paris illuminated and from a different point of view and welcome the New Year in Paris while savoring a gourmet dinner followed by live music on board.
There are different Seine River Cruises offering an NYE dinner cruise with live music. Here are our favorites:
- New Year’s Gourmet Dinner Cruise by Bâteaux Parisiens. Departure near the Eiffel Tower
- New Year’s Special Dinner Cruise by Diamant Bleu. Departure near Gare d’Austerlitz
- New Year’s Romantic Dinner Cruise by Eiffel Croisières. Departure near the Eiffel Tower
- New Year’s Eve Dinner Cruise by Paris Canal. Departure near the Orsay Museum
3. Eiffel Tower New Year’s Eve 2023
Contrary to popular belief, there’s nothing special around the Eiffel Tower on New Year’s Eve. Indeed, the Eiffel Tower only holds fireworks for the 14 July – National Day.
Despite the absence of an official celebration and Eiffel Tower fireworks (the last time was in 2000), Champs de Mars is always a gathering point for people who want to spend New Year’s Eve in Paris, waiting to shout “Bonne Année!” (=Happy New Year) to friends and family.
Of course, the Eiffel Tower will be specially lit up for the occasion 🙂
GOOD TO KNOW: To ensure that the Paris New Year’s Eve 2023 goes as smoothly as possible, glass bottles are prohibited from 8 pm to 5 am on the Champs-Elysées, Trocadéro, and Champ de Mars. Also, the takeaway sale of any alcoholic drink or drink in a glass container is prohibited between 8 pm and 5 am in these sectors.
4. Champs Elysées New Year’s Eve 2023
If you want to watch New Year’s fireworks in Paris, Champs-Elysées is the place to go. This is the official celebration organized by the City of Paris and is free for everybody.
The soirée usually starts at 7 pm with a concert by a French DJ. However, the most important moment of this Paris New Year celebration is a dazzling spectacle of lights projected onto the Arc de Triomphe, followed by a countdown and fireworks. This fireworks display is not comparable to the fireworks fired from the Eiffel Tower on 14 July. In Paris, New Year’s Eve fireworks only last 8 minutes.
This year, 2023-2024, the “video mapping” on the Arc de Triomphe will be about “Olympism.”
5. Montmartre New Year’s Eve 2023
The square in front of the Sacré-Coeur Basilica in Montmartre is another popular place to bid farewell to the current year. If the weather is good, you can enjoy one of the most beautiful views of Paris at night.
Like the Champs Elysées or Trocadéro, Montmartre is another place that sees the crowds in Paris for New Year’s Eve, but there are plenty of bars, cabarets, and clubs where you can get lost afterward.
6. Disneyland Paris for New Year’s Eve 2023
Get ready for the most magical party of all! On 31 December 2023, from 8 pm to 1 am, Disneyland Paris will be dazzled by exciting New Year’s Eve delights, with all the Disneyland Paris rides open until just after midnight! Meet Mickey, Minnie, Cinderella, Donald, and the rest of the Disney gang and soak up the enchanting atmosphere of these festive days in Disneyland Paris.
This is one of the many special Christmas events at Disneyland Paris! It may only be for one night, but the Disneyland Paris New Year’s Eve Party will give you magical memories that’ll last forever and ever! – Click here to buy your tickets to Disneyland Paris
If you are looking forward to a magnificent fireworks show in Paris, forget the Champs Elysées and head to Disneyland Paris! Starting at midnight (weather permitting), Disneyland Paris’ New Year’s Eve fireworks promise to be spectacular.
If you are traveling with kids, book a room at one of the Disneyland Paris hotels and extend the magic until the first day of the year.
7. A Gourmet Restaurant with a View
For the last dinner of the year, go for a gourmet meal with a view. The meals in these restaurants may be pricey, but the combination of exceptional views of Paris and award-winning food is incredible, especially for a New Year’s Eve in Paris. Book your table well in advance.
» Kong, in Paris 1: located on the 5th floor of a Haussmann building, every window boasts a different view, with the Pont Neuf, the Samaritaine shopping mall, Art Nouveau architecture, the Seine River, and more.
» Georges, in Paris 4: situated on top of the National Museum of Modern Art, soak up a full view of the Eiffel Tower at sunset.
» La Tour d’Argent, in Paris 5: this restaurant is on the pricier end of the market, but with such an enchanting setting and spectacular views of the Seine and Cathédrale Notre Dame, La Tour d’Argent is the perfect place to celebrate that special occasion in style.
» Le Jules Verne, in Paris 7: this restaurant is inside the Eiffel Tower. This classically French restaurant is a great place to dine and look across Paris.
» Les Ombres, in Paris 7: the rooftop of Les Ombres is directly in front of the Eiffel Tower. You’ll be hard-pressed to say which is better: the fantastic food you eat or the majestic Eiffel Tower.
8. Clubbing in Paris
Paris has a handful of legit clubs and bars for dancing and partying the night away. Here’s the list of our favorite places to go clubbing in Paris before or after midnight:
» Les Bains, in Paris 3: this place was Paris’ answer to NYC’s Studio 54 and welcomed everyone from David and Bowie to Princess Grace on its dancefloor and in its (adjacent) swimming pool.
» L’Heritage, in Paris 8: a night at this venue, located just a few minutes away from Champs-Élysėes, promises a unique clubbing experience at once sophisticated and classy.
» Le Baron, in Paris 8: this tiny (there is limited room inside) and exclusive club hosts both some of the city’s best DJs as well as featuring live music acts, and stars like Bjork and Sofia Coppola have frequented this hot spot.
» Le Carmen, in Paris 9: set in a former private mansion, which once housed the apartment of French composer Bizet (and, according to rumor, a high-end ‘maison close’), this trendy all-night bar is worth visiting for the exquisite surroundings alone.
» Le Bus Palladium, in Paris 9: located in the heart of Pigalle, stands apart from other clubs in the city as a resolute rock venue with DJ sets, live music, and improvisations of all kinds. There are occasional forays into hip-hop and electro on the ground floor.
» La Java, in Paris 10: La Java is a historic place dedicated to alternative, underground, and emerging new music talent. Its eclectic programming offers the opportunity to discover unique musical talent before they go live to the world. La Java also regularly hosts LGBT evenings that are incredibly popular.
» Wanderlust, in Paris 13: le Wanderlust has been a favorite on the nightlife scene since it opened in 2012. The club has a 1,600 square-meter terrace where you can dance under the stars when the weather is good in summer and a 386 square-meter space with a club area and restaurant.
» La Machine du Moulin Rouge, in Paris 18: the former boiler room of the iconic cabaret has been transformed into an underground dance floor, which links with Le Centre one floor up, a club night and concert space accommodating up to 1,000 revelers
» La Bellevilloise, in Paris 20: enjoy a trendy indie clubbing experience with two levels, a terrace, and sofas to snuggle into with friends.
Paris New Year’s Eve 2023 – How to Get Around
By Metro
There are so many things to do in Paris on New Year’s Eve that you will probably want to try more than one! If you need to move around Paris, the metro is always a good choice, also during New Year in Paris.
The metro of Paris (and public transportation in Paris and Ile de France in general) is free from Saturday, 31 December 2023, at 5 pm until Sunday, 1 January 2024, at 12 pm. Just beware that on 31 December, certain metro stations around the Arc de Triomphe, Champs-Elysées, and the Eiffel Tower will be closed for security reasons. Check out the ratp.fr site for the list of closed metro stations.
Private Transportation
If your Paris holiday is finishing on 1 January and you must head to the airport or any railway station early in the morning, we recommend using private transportation.
Free, non-stop Metro and RER service may sound fantastic, but perhaps you want to avoid the crowds – and (let’s face it) the people who drank too much – for your last journey to the train station or airport, with all your luggage.
Same for arrivals to Paris in the afternoon-evening of 31 December 31. You want to be sure to have the time for a quick shower before the party starts!
We like (and recommend) Welcome’s transfer services, with good cars and the best English-speaking drivers in Paris. Their flight monitoring means their drivers are always on time. You may have a terrible hangover, but Welcome’s hotel pick-up service and patient drivers will ensure that you will take your train or flight back home 😉 – Click here to book your Paris Airport or Railway Transfer with Welcome
Just beware that on 31 December, certain metro stations around the Arc de Triomphe, Champs-Elysées, and the Eiffel Tower will be closed to car traffic for security reasons.
New Year in Paris – Things to Do on January 1st
What to do in Paris on January 1st? Apart from long walks in the gardens of Paris or a Seine River cruise, several Paris museums open on January 1st.
This year, however, January 1st falls on a Monday, the usual rest day for many Paris attractions. All those museums that usually are open on January 1st but have the weekly closure on Monday will also be closed this year.
- The Eiffel Tower
- Musée Grevin
- Musée Dali
- Montparnasse Tower Observation Deck
- Musée de Montmartre
- Musée du Luxembourg
- Basilique du Sacré Coeur in Montmartre
- Musée du Quai Branly
- Musée d’Orsay (not this year, as it is usually closed on Monday)
- Musée Maillol
- Château de Versailles (not this year, as it is usually closed on Monday)
- Domaine de Chantilly (Château + Horse Museum)
- Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte (not this year, as it is usually closed on Monday)
- Centre Pompidou
- Grand Palais (not this year, as it is under restoration)
And there you have it, the best ways to spend New Year’s Eve Paris has to offer to welcome the New Year in Paris in style!
