Where to see in the New Year

published 23 December 2016

London

Everybody knows London throws the best parties. So expect the streets to be thronging with revellers on the big night, out to catch a glimpse of the fireworks. Sadly, tickets to watch the display have all long sold out. But you might catch a better view further down river near Lambeth Bridge, says Ben Norum in the Evening Standard. Or head to higher ground. Hampstead Heath or Primrose Hill should do the trick. "A flask of mulled wine will do wonders at keeping the cold out, and a mince pie or three will ensure you're not flagging by the time Big Ben is chiming." For something a little more substantial, tables can still be booked for a Gatsby-themed dinner at the Sky Garden's Darwin Brasserie (SkyGarden.london) atop 20 Fenchurch Street, better known as the Walkie Talkie. A four-course dinner for two costs £165.

The Scottish capital is celebrating the 70th anniversary of its festivals with a special Hogmanay this year. Judging by the line-up of events, it promises to be one of the best. While tickets to the Concert in the Gardens, headlined this year by singer Paolo Nutini, have all been snapped up already, last-minute revellers can still dance the night away at Edinburgh's Street Party to music from The Charlatans as well as Celtic and jazz music on four live stages. Firework displays will be held every hour on the hour against the magnificent backdrop of Edinburgh Castle, culminating in the "Midnight Moment" when 2017 will be welcomed in with yet more fireworks. See EdinburghsHogmanay.com.

Over in the Swansea Valley, the New Year will be ushered in with a ritual procession involving a person covered in a white sheet, bearing a horse's skull on the end of a pole, known as the Mari Lwyd. The tradition is thought to have pagan origins, says Geraint Thomas in the South Wales Evening Post. The Mari Lwyd or "Grey Mare" is performed over the Christmas and New Year season. The Mari Lwyd goes from door to door, knocking to gain entry and refreshment then "chasing away last year's bad luck from the premises". This year's torch-lit procession will leave from the town square of Llanwrtyd Wells for the Victoria Wells Motel on the outskirts of the small town. Torches cost £3 see VisitWales.co.uk.

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Toast the New Year with style at Titantic Belfast (TitanicBelfast.com). Opened in 2012, the visitor attraction built on the site of the old Harland & Wolff shipyard, birthplace of the ill-fated RMS Titanic, was this month voted the best in the world at the World Travel Awards. For £40 a head, guests will be greeted on arrival with a cocktail, followed by dinner and a live band, before hitting the dance floor in front of a stunning replica of the grand Titanic staircase.

While the many hotels and bars will be holding parties across the city, one of the swankiest can be found at The Vermont Hotel (Vermont-Hotel.com). Its New Year's Eve Diamonds & Ice Ball consists of a "sumptuous" five-course banquet, and some live Motown music to keep the party swinging beneath the ballroom's glittering chandelier. Tickets, at £189 per person, include access to the rooftop terrace bar, the Vermont Sky Lounge & Gardens, which has stunning views across the city. It's the perfect spot from which to admire the fireworks with a glass of Champagne.

Chris Carter spent three glorious years reading English literature on the beautiful Welsh coast at Aberystwyth University. Graduating in 2005, he left for the University of York to specialise in Renaissance literature for his MA, before returning to his native Twickenham, in southwest London. He joined a Richmond-based recruitment company, where he worked with several clients, including the Queen’s bank, Coutts, as well as the super luxury, Dorchester-owned Coworth Park country house hotel, near Ascot in Berkshire.

Then, in 2011, Chris joined MoneyWeek. Initially working as part of the website production team, Chris soon rose to the lofty heights of wealth editor, overseeing MoneyWeek’s Spending It lifestyle section. Chris travels the globe in pursuit of his work, soaking up the local culture and sampling the very finest in cuisine, hotels and resorts for the magazine’s discerning readership. He also enjoys writing his fortnightly page on collectables, delving into the fascinating world of auctions and art, classic cars, coins, watches, wine and whisky investing.

You can follow Chris on Instagram.