The wait is over.
To no one surprise, there’s A LOT to see and do this New Year’s Eve in Chicago. Many have already checked out, and they’re ready to kick off the New Year with a bang. How do we know? Because we’ve checked out too, and we’ve been sitting around at our desks researching NYE plans and daydreaming.
The good news? Since we’ve spent so much time on it, we’ve been able to compile a pretty solid list of the best destinations. Here are the 7 Best New Year’s Eve Parties in Chicago
7) New Year’s Eve 2016 at I|O Urban Roofscape
The Godfrey hotel’s NYE celebration is back for another round, and if you took a second to peek at the video above, you know just how phenomenal that news is. High rollers can reserve tables, bigger tables, and even their own private party room with its own private balcony and fire pit. You can book a dinner on the ground floor for an all-night experience before the party starts too. It’s expensive, but it’s well worth it.
6) Big Night Chicago: NYE Gala at Palmer House Hilton
With full-stocked bars and food buffets included in your ticket price, you can rest assured that you’re getting the most bang for your buck at Big Night Chicago. The bombastic bash includes multiple party rooms, dance floors, and over 10 live bands, DJs, and performances.
5) NYE at Hard Rock Hotel
Sponsored by Playboy, this Rock-tastic event may be the only place in Chicago that truly lets you party like a rock star. Top-shelf comforts combine with a sensuous Playboy playmate masquerade lounge where you can join in on the costume photo shoot. Other features include a treasure hunt, exclusive giveaways, and the Midnight Bunny Drop Countdown.
4) New Year’s Eve at ROOF on theWit
Party 27 stories above State Street as you take on New Year’s from one of Chicago’s most exclusive, fashionable party hubs. ROOF’s glass-enclosed bar area on top of theWit hotel is worth the ticket price alone. Panoramic views of the city don’t hurt either. Prepare to be covered in confetti.
3) Chicago Scene New Year’s Eve Party at the Drake Hotel
The 16th annual Chicago Scene party has been voted the “Best Chicago New Year’s Eve Party” by Good Morning America, NBC, AOL, and Redeye Chicago – and for good reason. This extravagant outing includes over 40 bars, 5 ballrooms of live entertainment, astonishing balloon drop and midnight champagne toast. VIP tickets also include access to the VIP Grand Ballroom, a premier experience by all accounts.
2) Navy Pier Chicago Resolution Gala
Navy Pier’s 4th annual New Year’s Eve event is the cream of the crop, as they say. 30+ bars line the venue. Guests have free roam of the pier, with four distinctly different rooms to roam through. Dancing, lounging, great food, B96 DJs – it’s all here.
1) Chi-Town Rising
Of all the New Year’s Eve parties in Chicago, how can anything compare to this? Chicago’s first massive, free New Year’s Eve celebration is expected to draw triple-digit crowds while being broadcast nationally to millions of viewers at home. The epic proportions alone make this the biggest and best celebration of the year – add in the fireworks, Rising Star ceremony, a variety of events around Millennium Park and the Chicago River, and you have Chicago’s response to New York’s annual Times Square celebration.
There you have it, the 7 Best New Year’s Eve Parties in Chicago. Have any to add? Let us know!
See also: Chi-Town Rising – The Complete Schedule
