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Los Angeles New Year's Eve route inspiration

Los Angeles New Year's Eve

City Hall countdown, then Pasadena's parade

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3 days through Downtown Los Angeles, Pasadena.

Los Angeles New Year's Eve is a 3-day curated route with 2 destinations and 15 places to eat, see, and do. Preview stops and timing, then plan it in TripsCircle.

  1. 1
    Downtown Los Angeles on the Los Angeles New Year's Eve route

    Destination 01

    Downtown Los Angeles

    7 places

    Grand Park, City Hall and Bunker Hill; 2 nights for dinner, the countdown and a rooftop.

    • N.Y.E.L.A. at Grand Park near Downtown Los AngelesPhoto: Casfreelancer · CC BY-SA 4.0

      N.Y.E.L.A. at Grand Park

      The county's free New Year's Eve party, with live stages, food trucks and a countdown projected onto City Hall.

      Tip It is alcohol-free; arrive by 10 pm for a spot facing City Hall.

      DoCivic CenterFree4 hr8 pm – 12:30 am
    • Walt Disney Concert Hall near Downtown Los AngelesPhoto: Didier Baertschiger · CC BY-SA 2.0

      Walt Disney Concert Hall

      Frank Gehry's steel-clad hall, home of the LA Phil, holds two New Year's Eve concerts with a pop or jazz headliner.

      Tip The 10:30 pm show ends just after midnight, a short walk from Grand Park.

      DoBunker Hill$$$2 hr10:30 pm show

    • Perch

      French bistro and rooftop bar 15 floors above Pershing Square, with fire pits and open views of the towers.

      Tip On Dec 31 it runs two prix-fixe dinner seatings and a ticketed 21+ rooftop party from 9 pm.

      DrinkHistoric Core$$$2.5 hrFrom 9 pm

    • Bestia

      Arts District Italian in a converted warehouse, known for house-cured salumi and bone-marrow pasta since 2012.

      Tip Reservations open weeks ahead; Dec 30 is easier to book than New Year's Eve.

      EatArts District$$$2 hrDinner

    • Water Grill

      Seafood dining room on Grand Avenue since 1989, with a raw bar of oysters, crab and caviar.

      Tip An early New Year's Eve seating leaves time to walk to Grand Park.

      EatFinancial District$$$2 hrEarly dinner
    • Griffith Observatory near Downtown Los AngelesPhoto: Angelin Song · CC BY 2.0

      Griffith Observatory

      Art deco observatory on Mount Hollywood with free telescopes and the classic night view over the downtown towers.

      Tip Go on the evening of Dec 30; it closes at 10 pm and is busy on New Year's Eve.

      SeeGriffith ParkFree2 hrSunset to 10 pm

    • InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown

      Hotel on the upper floors of the Wilshire Grand Center, the tallest tower in the West, with Spire 73 bar on the roof.

      Tip Ask for a high floor facing east toward City Hall and the San Gabriel Mountains.

      StayFinancial District$$$$
  2. 2
    Pasadena on the Los Angeles New Year's Eve route

    Destination 02

    Pasadena

    8 places

    Rose Parade city below the San Gabriels; New Year's Day for floats, a diner breakfast and a walk.

    • Rose Parade near PasadenaPhoto: Prayitno · CC BY 2.0

      Rose Parade

      The Tournament of Roses parade of flower-covered floats, bands and horses, held on Colorado Boulevard since 1890.

      Tip The turn at Orange Grove and Colorado, where TV cameras sit, is the most crowded; east of Lake Avenue is calmer.

      SeeColorado BoulevardFree2.5 hrFrom 8 am Jan 1

    • Floatfest

      The parked floats, close enough to see the seeds, petals and bark they are covered in, on Sierra Madre Boulevard.

      Tip Use the free Tournament of Roses shuttles; there is almost no parking nearby.

      DoEast Pasadena$1.5 hrJan 1, 1:30 – 5 pm
    • Rose Bowl Stadium near PasadenaPhoto: Ted Eytan · CC BY-SA 2.0

      Rose Bowl Stadium

      The 1922 stadium in the Arroyo Seco that hosts the Rose Bowl Game, a College Football Playoff game, on Jan 1.

      Tip Game tickets sell out early; the stadium and the 3-mile loop around it are closed to the public on game day.

      DoArroyo Seco$$$$4 hrJan 1 afternoon

    • Pie 'n Burger

      Counter diner near Caltech since 1963, known for griddled burgers, pancakes and fruit pies by the slice.

      Tip It is cash only; go after the parade crowd has moved on.

      EatCaltech$45 minLate breakfast

    • Old Pasadena

      Blocks of restored brick buildings and alleys along Colorado Boulevard, with shops, cafes and bars.

      Tip The parade passes through here; shops open once the street reopens around noon.

      ShopOld Pasadena$$1.5 hrJan 1 afternoon
    • Pasadena City Hall near PasadenaPhoto: RBerteig · CC BY 2.0

      Pasadena City Hall

      Domed 1927 Spanish Revival city hall with a fountain courtyard open to visitors.

      Tip The courtyard is a quiet place to sit between the parade and Floatfest.

      SeeCivic CenterFree30 minLate afternoon
    • Colorado Street Bridge near PasadenaPhoto: Kleaphotographer · CC BY-SA 4.0

      Colorado Street Bridge

      Curved 1913 concrete arch bridge over the Arroyo Seco, with a walking path along the stream bed below.

      Tip Walk the trail under the arches from Arroyo Boulevard for a first-day stroll.

      OutdoorsArroyo SecoFree60 minGolden hour

    • The Raymond 1886

      Seasonal American cooking in the former caretaker's cottage of the vanished Raymond Hotel, with a garden patio.

      Tip Book a New Year's Day dinner; the cocktail bar in back is called the 1886 Bar.

      EatSouth Pasadena border$$$2 hrDinner

The moments that shape this trip.

Planning Los Angeles New Year's Eve.

Spend Dec 30 looking down on the city from the Griffith Observatory lawn and eating late in the Arts District at Bestia. On New Year's Eve, book a dinner downtown, then head to Grand Park, where the county's free N.Y.E.L.A. celebration ends with a countdown projected onto the tower of City Hall; Walt Disney Concert Hall and the Perch rooftop are the ticketed alternatives a few blocks away. On Jan 1 ride Metro to Pasadena for the Rose Parade on Colorado Boulevard, a classic counter breakfast at Pie 'n Burger, and a close look at the floats at Floatfest in the afternoon.

Good for Friends or couples who want a free downtown countdown and a sunny, famous New Year's morning.

When to go

Grand Park's N.Y.E.L.A. is free and alcohol-free; the 2025 edition ran 8 pm to about 12:30 am with two stages, food trucks and the City Hall projection at midnight. The LA Phil's New Year's Eve concerts at Walt Disney Concert Hall are typically at 7 pm and 10:30 pm. The Rose Parade starts at 8 am on Jan 1 (it moves to Jan 2 when New Year's Day is a Sunday; on Friday, Jan 1, 2027 it runs on the 1st) and takes about two hours; curbside spots can be claimed from noon on Dec 31 and grandstand seats are ticketed. Nights are dry and cool, around 8-10 C at midnight. Many museums, including the Norton Simon and the Huntington, are closed on Jan 1.

Getting around

Metro has run free rides on New Year's Eve in recent years (in 2025 from 4 am Dec 31 to 3 am Jan 1) with all-night service on the main rail lines; take the B or D Line to Civic Center/Grand Park station. Streets around Grand Park and the Music Center close from mid-evening, and rideshare surges after midnight. For the parade, take the Metro A Line to Memorial Park or Del Mar station in Pasadena; roads along the route close from around 10 pm Dec 31 and parking near Colorado Boulevard fills before dawn.

Tips for your crew

  • Book Perch's rooftop or a Disney Hall seat by early December; both usually sell out.
  • For the parade, bring a blanket and layers: the morning on Colorado Boulevard can be close to 5 C before the sun clears the buildings.
  • Floatfest tickets are timed and sold in advance; Jan 1 afternoon is the least crowded slot.

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