New Year’s Eve in Venice 2026: Fireworks, Fenice and Tips

Last year, New Year’s Eve in Venice ended with fireworks at midnight over the Bacino di San Marco, opposite the Arsenale. Venice hadn’t announced its 2026 program when we checked. So below we give last year’s official details: the fireworks, the best spots to watch, La Fenice’s concerts and the rules.

Last updated: October 21, 2026. We checked the information below on VeneziaUnica, the Venice access fee portal and Teatro La Fenice’s website, and in the news reports named in each section, on that date.

New Year’s Eve in Venice at a glance

New Year’s Eve fireworks in Venice

For 2025–26, the city’s company Vela organized the fireworks for the City of Venice. They went off at midnight over the Bacino di San Marco, in front of the Arsenale, according to VeneziaUnica, the city’s official tourism portal.

VeneziaUnica listed these viewing areas along the waterfront: the area around the Arsenale vaporetto stop, Riva degli Schiavoni, Riva Ca’ di Dio, Riva San Biagio and Riva dei Sette Martiri. Notably, it also warned that you can’t see the fireworks from Piazza San Marco or the Piazzetta, so don’t wait there at midnight.

The official square party was on the mainland, in Piazza Ferretto in Mestre, from 10:00 pm. It was free, but registration was required. The city hadn’t announced the 2026 party when we checked.

Rules and crowds on December 31

Last year’s city ordinance ran from 7:00 pm on December 31 to 6:00 am on January 1, according to the Italpress news agency. It banned takeaway drinks in glass, cans or capped plastic bottles, and drinking from glass in the street. Local police could also set one-way walking routes and limit access to the historic center if it got too crowded.

Trenitalia and the Veneto Region added 16 extra regional trains for the trip home in 2025–26, according to the travel site SiViaggia. If you’re staying on the mainland, check the late trains before you go.

Drivers were affected too: private cars were diverted from the Ponte della Libertà to Tronchetto, with exemptions for residents, emergency vehicles, public transport and people with disabilities, and there could be diversions at Piazzale Roma, according to Italpress. We couldn’t confirm any vaporetto changes for the night, so check ACTV’s notices closer to the date.

A New Year’s Day swim at the Lido

On January 1, 2026, the Lido’s winter swimming club, the Ibernisti, held its 45th New Year’s dip at noon by the Blue Moon beach. Lentils and cotechino followed, as SiViaggia reported. The 2027 edition hadn’t been announced when we checked.

New Year’s concert at La Fenice

Teatro La Fenice’s New Year’s Concert has four performances this season, according to the theater’s website. They are on Tuesday, December 29, 2026, at 8:00 pm; Wednesday, December 30, at 5:00 pm; Thursday, December 31, at 4:00 pm; and Friday, January 1, 2027, at 11:15 am. Gianandrea Noseda conducts.

For the January 1 concert, the theater limits sales to four seats per buyer. We couldn’t confirm ticket prices, so check La Fenice’s official box office.

Do you pay the Venice access fee on New Year’s Eve?

No. According to the official access fee portal, the fee hasn’t applied since July 27, 2026, so day-trippers don’t pay on December 31 or January 1. In October 2026, the city council voted for 72 fee days in 2027, between Good Friday and mid-August, as Keystone-SDA reported. The full calendar wasn’t out yet, and the dates still need final approval. See our Venice access fee guide. If you stay overnight, the Venice tourist tax still applies.

Plan your New Year in Venice

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If you want to walk to the waterfront at midnight, look at places nearby early. Compare places to stay in Venice on Expedia soon and read our guide to where to stay in Venice. For another evening that week, this baroque and opera concert by I Musici Veneziani is an easy night out, and this private night tour of the Doge’s Palace and St. Mark’s is a guided evening visit.

For the rest of the season, see our guides to Christmas in Venice, New Year’s Eve in Italy and New Year’s Eve in Rome, plus our 3 days in Venice itinerary.

Sources and verification

On October 21, 2026, we checked VeneziaUnica’s New Year’s Eve page (2025–26 edition), the Venice access fee portal and Teatro La Fenice’s page on the 2026–27 New Year’s Concert. The ordinance and traffic details come from Italpress (December 20, 2025), the extra trains and Lido swim from SiViaggia, and the 2027 fee days from Keystone-SDA (October 16, 2026). We’ll update this page when Venice publishes the 2026 program.

Frequently asked questions

Are there fireworks in Venice on New Year’s Eve?

Yes. In 2025–26, fireworks went off at midnight over the Bacino di San Marco, opposite the Arsenale. The 2026 program hadn’t been announced when we checked.

Where is the best place to watch the fireworks in Venice?

Last year, VeneziaUnica named the waterfront from the Arsenale stop along Riva degli Schiavoni, Riva Ca’ di Dio, Riva San Biagio and Riva dei Sette Martiri. You can’t see them from Piazza San Marco.

Is there a party in Piazza San Marco on New Year’s Eve?

In 2025–26, the official square party was in Piazza Ferretto in Mestre, free with registration. VeneziaUnica didn’t list an event in Piazza San Marco.

When is La Fenice’s New Year’s Concert in 2026–27?

The concert runs on December 29, 2026, at 8:00 pm, December 30 at 5:00 pm, December 31 at 4:00 pm and January 1, 2027, at 11:15 am, conducted by Gianandrea Noseda.

Do I need to pay the Venice access fee on New Year’s Eve?

No. The 2026 fee period ended on July 27, 2026, so there’s no fee on December 31 or January 1.