Start the new year in Copenhagen

Celebrate New Year like the Danes

It's full speed in Copenhagen on New Year's Eve with heaps of people out on the town. Many eat at home to go out and party a little later in the evening. It is a tradition to gather in front of the TV at 6 pm on New Year's Eve to hear the Queen's New Year's speech and then kick off the party with a glass of champagne. But you might as well start with a good New Year's drink at one of Copenhagen's many bars.

Special New Year's menus

There are many restaurants that stay open but make sure to book a table well in advance. Many restaurants have special New Year's menus, just like many night clubs and music clubs offer special New Year packages with entrance, free bar as well as champagne and the traditional "kransekage" (which literally means wreath cake) when the clock strikes midnight. 

Celebrate New Year at Tivoli

The iconic Tivoli Gardens is open on New Year's Eve, between 11:00 and 00:30. The carousels are open until 21:30, while commercial sheds, shops and some restaurants close at 22:00. Other restaurants are open until 00:30. Many of the restaurants at Tivoli have special New Year's menus. If you want to eat the New Year's dinner at Tivoli then it is a good idea to book well in advance, as it is usually popular. At 23:00, Tivoli's big New Year's firework begins.

When the clock strikes 12

At 12pm, it's traditional for people to gather on the Town Hall Square, at the heart of Copenhagen, to hear the clock tower chime in the New Year. Another popular gathering spot is the bridge across the lakes to Nørrebro, Queen Louise's Bridge. 

Oh, and don't worry if you see Danes standing on chairs and jumping off them just as the clock strikes midnight, and the new year begins. It is an old tradition (and superstition) that is supposed to bring good luck and fortune in the year to come.

Celebrate all night long

There are many nightclubs in Copenhagen where the New Year's party continues far into the night. However, it is a good idea to investigate in advance which places are open. You can read more about some of Copenhagen's best night clubs here.

New Year's opening hours

Shops in Copenhagen can stay open until 3pm on December 31, whilst museums and other attractions tend to stay closed or close earlier. January 1 is a public holiday in Denmark, so many shops and attractions are closed. But don't worry, there's still plenty things to do in Copenhagen on the first day of the new year!