For the average individual, New Year’s Eve is a celebration – a time you look around for the best party to knock back a few cocktails and dance until the early hours of the morning. Yet, for the DJ, New Year’s Eve is the prime time to knock back a weekend’s worth of gigs.
Essentially, the week before New Year’s Eve is filled with various pre-holiday parties in practically any major city. A big-name DJ, in this case, might travel from one coast to the other over that period. Although some of these early parties might be a good chance to catch a performance from your favorite producer, it’s an entirely different sensation as you party through the ball drop into another year.
Because of its celebration seen across the world, New York, in the U.S., is the hub of all New Year’s Eve parties. Nevertheless, growing markets for electronic dance music also offer a pretty decent selection of New Year’s Eve celebrations, particularly the up-and-coming Strip area of Las Vegas. On the other hand, New York, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles aren’t the only happening places. Even Denver and Philadelphia have their own EDM New Year’s Eve events.
Aren’t sure where to hit? Read our list below:
Pre-NYE Parties
New York
Benny Benassi – Pacha NYC (December 26)
Dash Berlin – Lavo Nightclub (December 27)
Steve Aoki with Nervo – Pier 94 (December 27)
Madeon – Webster Hall (December 28)
Laidback Luke – Pacha NYC (December 28)
Atlantic City
Sebastian Ingrosso – HQ Nightclub (December 27)
David Guetta – Borgata Events Center (December 28)
Axwell – HQ Nightclub (December 28)
Alesso, with Otto Knows – HQ Night Club (December 29)
California
Arty – Sutra, Costa Mesa (December 27)
Zeds Dead – House of Blues, San Diego (December 27)
Aly & Fila – Voyeur, San Diego (December 27)
Aly & Fila with John O’Callaghan – Exchange LA, Los Angeles (December 28)
Skream – Avalon Hollywood, Los Angeles (December 28)
Zeds Dead and Adventure Club – The Warfield, San Francisco (December 28)
Chromeo – Exchange LA (December 29)
Gareth Emery – Sutra (December 29)
Wolfgang Gartner – The Yost Theater, Santa Anna (December 29)
Cazzette – Avalon Hollywood (December 29)
Steve Aoki – The Warfield (December 29)
Laidback Luke – Avalon Hollywood (December 30)
Benny Benassi – Sutra (December 30)
December 31
Atlantic City
Life in Color, with Steve Aoki, Tommy Trash, Adventure Club, David Solano – Bader Field
Tiesto – Ovation Hall at Revel
Chicago
Meet and Greet with Porter Robinson and Mat Zo – Congress Theater
Denver
Decadence with ATB, Wolfgang Gartner, Krewella, Zeds Dead, Mimosa — Colorado Convention Center
Detroit
The Bang, with Skrillex, Boys Noize, and Flosstradamus – Palace of Auburn Hills
Las Vegas
Photek – Beauty Bar
Avicii – XS Nightclub at Encore
Eric Prydz – Surrender Nightclub at Encore
Benny Benassi – Marquee Nightclub
Los Angeles
Zedd with Nicky Romero – Club Nokia
Sasha and Adam Beyer, Exchange LA
Markus Schulz, Avalon Hollywood
White Wonderland with Above & Beyond, Avicii, Bingo Players, Dannic, Darin Epsilon, Dash Berlin, Ferrry Corsten, Hardwell, Madeon, Sebasian Ingrosso, and Tritonal – Anaheim Convention Center
Miami
Carl Cox – Mansion
Kaskade – Amnesia
Calvin Harris – LIV Nightclub
Nervo – Poolside at the James Royal Palm
Alesso – WET at The W Hotel
Otto Knows – Wall
Montreal
Nicole Moudaber – December 31 Stereo
New York
Dada Life with Deniz Koyu and Bassjackers – 15 Rewe Street, a Warehouse space transformed into Dada Life Compound, in Brooklyn
Sander Van Doorn — Pacha NYC
Jacked NYE with Afrojack, R3hab, Shermanology, Quintino and Bobby Burns – at Pier 94
Boris – 4Sixty6
Tommy Trash – after hours at the Webster Hall
Armin Van Buuren – Pier 36
Pretty Lights – Roseland Ballroom
The Disco Biscuits – the Theater at Madison Square Garden
Manufactured Superstars – Gansevoort Park
Apocalypse with Danny Tenaglia and Victor Calderone – after hours at Pier 94
Luciano – after hours at Pier 36, not confirmed
Philadelphia
Michael Woods, R3hab, Funkagenda – SoundGarden Hall
San Francisco
DJ Dan and Morgan Page – Ruby Skye, San Francisco
Seattle
W& W — Wamu Theater
