Things To Do for New Year’s Eve Weekend in L.A. [12-30-2022 to 1-1-2023]

Photo of New Year’s Eve at Grand Park via The Music Center

Well, that’s it. 2022 is pretty much a wrap. The good news is that there are plenty of ways to send out the year in style. The bad? It doesn’t look like weather is going to cooperate, as SoCal currently has rain predicted for most of Saturday.

Some events (especially the outdoor ones) are likely to pivot as storm clouds move in, but for now you can scan below for some great ideas for the NYE weekend ahead. Just make sure to keep your eye on that forecast. Either way, we hope you have a great start to 2023!

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Things To Do This NYE Weekend

70mm NYE Weekend -> Santa Monica’s Aero Theatre rings in the New Year in a 5-day lineup of iconic films all screened in 70. The film slate includes Lawrence of Arabia (Thursday and Friday), 2001: A Space Odyssey (Saturday), Phantom Thread (Sunday), and Malcom X (Monday). All shows are $15. More info here.

New Year’s in Pasadena Walking Tour -> This Friday and Saturday mornings, Los Angeles Walking Tours leads a 2-hour jaunt around portions of the Tournament of Roses Parade, detailing the history of float decorations, showcasing viewing spots, and providing insights on Pasadena’s most famous annual event. The route is about 1.8 miles. Tickets are $28 for adults. Both morning walks start at 9:30 a.m. Get more info here.

Be Kind Rewind at The Tiki No -> This Friday, Be Kind Rewind pops up at North Hollywood’s Tiki No for a 90s/2000s themed evening of entertainment featuring tunes from the the era, board games, and an N64 set up so you can test your Mario Kart skills. Fun starts at 9 p.m. Get more info here.

F*ck This Year -> Was 2022 just not your year? Would you love to see your worst experiences lampooned for sake of comedy as catharsis? This Friday, UCB players improvise sketches from audience stories of woe from the year that was in the hour-long F*ck This Year. Tickets are $15. Show starts at 8:30 p.m. More info here.

Grand Park New Years Eve Celebration -> Take part in Los Angeles’ flagship NYE celebration with music across two stages in Grand Park, 3D light projections and a light show projected onto City Hall. Grammy-nominated Cuban Funk artist Cimafunk and DJ Marques Wyatt headline entertainment for the evening, which is billed as the largest free New Year’s Eve event on the west coast. More info here.

Big Bar NYE -> The Los Feliz bar counts down the new year on the hour, every hour, till the clock strikes midnight. This year’s theme is decades, so with each passing hour the era shifts, starting with the 1930s at 3 p.m. Throughout the day/evening, the NYEx10 menu will feature a classic cocktail made popular for each decade, a playlist to match, and a countdown every sixty minutes. Complimentary champagne will be given out for the midnight toast. No cover. More info here.

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Angel City No Cover New Years -> Angel City Brewery will host a free New Year’s bash featuring a complimentary champagne toast at midnight, and plenty of brews on tap for purchase. Be sure to get there early as they anticipate maxing out capacity. More info here.

The Groundlings Theatre & School’s New Year’s Eve Spectacular -> Kick off 2023 with a night of comedy, live music and a midnight toast to ring in the new year. Tickets are $100 and include a hosted happy hour with drinks and hors d’oeuvres before the performance. More info here.  

Niku X -> Usher in 2023 at the most buzz worthy and yet to be officially open, modern Japanese restaurant, Niku X. The evening includes passed hors d’oeuvres created by Michelin-starred chef Shin Thompson, unlimited featured cocktails, live music and a complimentary champagne toast at midnight. Tickets cost $120 a person. More info here.

The Roots at Disney Concert Hall -> The Roots bring a grammy-winning dose of hip hop to The Walt Disney Concert Hall for New Year’s with a pair of evening performances (7 and 10:30 p.m.). Tickets still available as low as $96 at the time of publication. Get more info here.

Westside Winter Wonderland NYE Ball -> Enjoy New Year’s Eve with an ocean view at Loews Santa Monica, highlighted by glitzy winter wonderland decor, a big band 40s era performance from The Satin Dollz in the main lobby, and DJ’d tunes outside until 1 a.m. Tickets are $60 in advance or $70 the week of. Get more info here.

More New Year’s Eve Stuff -> Make sure to check out our big list of things to do for New Year’s Eve in Los Angeles for a more thorough exploration of all your options.

Disney 100 Movie Marathon -> Disney celebrates a century of animation feature films to start 2023 with a four-movie slate this Sunday El Capitan Theater. Watch Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King and Frozen all back-to-back, starting at noon. Tickets start at $40, and include a 20oz bottled beverage, Disney 100 popcorn container with popcorn, a collectible print, and reserved seating. More info here.

Oshogatsu Festival in Little Tokyo -> Celebrate the start of the new year with a Oshogatsu Festival in Little Tokyo this Sunday, put together by the Japanese Chamber of Commerce of Southern California. The family-friendly affair features traditional Japanese food, entertainment and special activities including a kimono fashion show and a shamisen (traditional three-stringed Japanese instrument) performance. The free event takes place at Weller Court and Japanese Village Plaza from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Get more info here.

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Corgi Winter Nationals -> Corgi Nationals has been postponed due to the rain. A new date has been scheduled for February 19. This Sunday, join the most competitive corgis on the field of Santa Anita Park for the cutest race you’ll ever witness. General admission cost $12, the VIP pack cost $50 and includes perks like covered parking, limited edition merch, VIP area with private tables and a bar. More info here.

Polar Bear Plunge -> Greet New Year’s Day this Sunday by ducking into the ocean at the annual Polar Bear Plunge. After a two year hiatus the annual Polar Bear swim, which dates back seven decades, and typically brings out about 800 people each year, will take place at Cabrillo Beach. More info here.

Dining & Drinking

(picks by Christina Champlin)
NYE fun at LA Ale Works. Photo courtesy of LA Ale Works.

There’s still time to make food/drink plans for New Year’s Eve, from no cover parties to flaming cocktails and a delicious tasting menu at a new gorgeous restaurant. I also have ideas for the next day. Give a look below:

New Year’s Eve Party at LA Ale Works in Hawthorne -> Los Angeles Ale Works Hawthorne location is throwing a Brew Year’s Eve party featuring live music, DJs, food vendors, something called a “keg drop” and a “beer tower filled with their new Hawthorne Reserve, 9% ABV Imperial Pilsner. The fun runs from noon to 1 a.m. More info here

Ultraviolet NYE Party at Risky Business -> The North Hollywood bar goes ultraviolet on New Years Eve, including blacklight flaming cocktail bowls on fire, blacklight billiards, a blacklight absinthe fountain, a dance floor and more. You get it. Lots of blacklight. Also… no cover. Goes from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. More info here

NYE Dinner at Hearts & Flame -> The coastal Italian restaurant in Downtown’s Arts District counts down the New Year with a five-course tasting menu, a live DJ, party favors, confetti and a champagne countdown at midnight. Reservations for $135 per person can be made through OpenTable

Little Dom’s New Year’s Day Menu -> On New Year’s Day, Little Dom’s executive chef (and New Orleans-native) Brandon Boudet whips up a black-eyed peas dish with grilled andouille and braised greens as part of a New Orleans custom that dates back to the Civil War. The story goes that eating black eyed peas and greens on New Years brings good luck and wealth for the new year (let’s hope!). The dish is available all day along with breakfast and dinner dishes such as Rice Grits & Calabrese Fried Eggs and a French Toast Souffle. 

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New Year’s Day Hangover Pajama Brunch at Benny Boy Brewing -> On New Year’s Day, beer and cider tap house Benny Boy hosts an all day hangover party with a special brunch menu of breakfast burritos, Mariscos, micheladas and cider mimosas. People who come in pajamas will get $2 off pints. More info here

New Year’s Day Brunch at Maple Block Meat Co. -> Culver City smokehouse Maple Block is serves up brunch and pouring drink specials all day. Plus, catch all the NFL action on their multiple big screens.

Dry January Mocktail List at Piccalilli -> Are you done with drinking after 2022? Downtown Culver City’s Piccalilli offers a variety of mocktails throughout the month of January. Highlights include a Persimmon Highball made with salt-preserved persimmon, tonic, and kaffir lime leaf and a Passion Fruit Lemonade. In addition to their new zero proof drinks the Piccalilli team can also recreate a selection of their signature cocktails without any alcohol, upon request.


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