Considering a lack of funds, however, is smart. New Year's Eve shindigs can range from $300 to $40,000, but that slice of ultraexpensive parties makes up only 1 percent of the pie. Recover from holiday debt by checking out the city's free NYE gatherings.
We wouldn't want you to ring in the new year at home, in your sweats, binge-watching Netflix, like any other weeknight. And the good news is, you don't have to.
Bashment: New Year’s Eve 2019. This Wynwood NYE event will feature dancehall DJ Silent Addy. He's got a bit of a rep: Music icons such as Diplo and Sean Paul have shown up to past parties led by the Jamaican music-maker to hear him spin beats. Disco Neil will join Silent Addy to provide the tunes that will have you grooving into 2019. And the best part is admission is free. But there's a caveat: You must RSVP and show up before 11 p.m. Expect a complimentary champagne toast and party favors at midnight. 10 p.m. Monday, December 31, at the Wynwood Yard, 56 NW 29th St., Miami; 305-351-0366; thewynwoodyard.com. Admission is free with RSVP via bit.ly/bashmentnye. Early arrival is strongly recommended.
The Love Below New Year’s Eve Party. Located just west of the wildness of Wynwood, Las Rosas prides itself on being a simple bar in a sea of otherwise trendy, flashy venues. A jukebox, pool table, and straightforward cocktails remain the core of a chill space that's doggedly faithful to the old-school dive-bar culture. It's also the home of the Love Below New Year's Eve Party, hosted by DJ Neil Armstrong. Now 3 years old, the Love Below is a weekly gathering at Las Rosas where guests groove to alternative, New Wave beats. So if you're looking to hear cool tracks and avoid $30 drinks with cute names, this is the party for you. 10 p.m. Monday, December 31, at Las Rosas, 2898 NW Seventh Ave., Miami; 786-780-2700; thelovebelowparty.com. Admission is free.
New Year More Beer. Your local "clothes-
Wynwood NYE. The annual Wynwood NYE will pull out all the stops. Fire-eaters, dancers, artists, DJs, and musicians will be on hand for this festive block party. Food trucks will be at the ready for your "
I Wanna See All My Friends at Once. Immediate points awarded for the ingenious name of this hip arts district spot's NYE event. We definitely wanna see all our friends at once on New Year's Eve, and what better place to make it happen? Another point goes to the Electric Pickle's incandescent ambiance: We could write an ode to the flavorful cocktails, the jams we've shimmied to on that tiny dance floor, and that feeling of 305 creativity echoing off those art-deco walls. Plus, there's no better reason to spend your NYE at the Pickle than the tragic fact that this will be your last chance: New Times broke the news earlier this year that the venue will close for good in June 2019. But before then, the club has invited all "Miami locals, friends, lovers, dancers, misfits, and underdogs" to go nuts in the three rooms of "music and mischief" for the last few hours of this roller-coaster year. Bonus: Admission is free for locals who RSVP and arrive before 1 a.m. 10 p.m. Monday, December 31, at Electric Pickle, 2826 N. Miami Ave., Miami; 305-456-5613; electricpicklemiami.com. Admission is free for locals who RSVP via eventbrite.com and enter before 1 a.m.
"Sea" You Next Year! New Year's Eve. Live beats, eats, cocktails, and good times are the four key components of this NYE celebration. Though tickets are available for purchase, the grand thing about this party is that general admission is free if you RSVP and arrive before midnight. If you can do both — and dress to the nines — you should have no problem getting into one of Miami's largest open-air spaces, where fireworks viewing is guaranteed to be phenomenal. The Wharf, which popped up at the beginning of 2018, is also one of the Magic City's latest additions. What was once an abandoned lot has been transformed into a large dance floor, a bar, multiple places to chow down, and space for live musical acts. 7 p.m. Monday, December 31, at the Wharf Miami, 114 SW North River Dr., Miami; 305-906-4000; wharfmiami.com. Admission is free with RSVP via eventbrite.com and entry before midnight.
Bayfront Park's New Year's Eve. Once upon a time, Cinderella was given until midnight to ride her magical pumpkin carriage home in order to avoid the wrath of her wicked stepmother. In young Ella's haste, she was forced to leave the nighttime embrace of a handsome prince, lost her shoe, and, well, the rest is fairy-tale history. Bayfront Park's New Year's Eve bash doesn't promise fairy godmothers and ball gowns crafted by talented mice, but it does offer free entry. And who's to say you won't find your own fairy tale in the crowds of glammed-up partiers? You can watch fireworks over Biscayne Bay and the ascent of the Big Orange — the Magic City's version of the iconic ball drop in Times Square. Funky Frank will fill the air with groovy tunes to jam to with your loved ones. And if you experience that epic new year's kiss, you can revel in the knowledge that you spent exactly zero on admission. 6 p.m. Monday, December 31, at Bayfront Park, 301 N. Biscayne Blvd., Miami; 305-358-7550; bayfrontparkmiami.com/NYE. Admission is free. No bottles, cans, coolers, or personal fireworks are allowed.
