New Year's Eve in Madrid

DJs Lucas Flamefly, Danny Verde and Manuel de Diego take charge of welcoming 2015 during one of the key nights of the We Party New Year Festival, which has been going on at La Riviera since December 26. The name they've chosen for this late-night party that promises big things is 'Gods of the Olympus'. For around €45, you can have a drink and a dance with these earth-bound gay gods. This particular Greek sky will be full of light and video shows and go-go dancers. It's bound to be one of the best sessions this New Year's Eve, with strong beats that transmit good vibes throughout the venue. The mix of popular hits and the right amount of house make up a tasty recipe to keep you cooking all night long.

If you've ever dreamed of beautiful bodies sliding down from the roof just for your pleasure while you feast on a gorgeous spread, this is the New Year's Eve party for you. Platea Madrid is not only putting on a pre-party (from 1pm) with DJs, bartenders and top cuisine, but they've also lined up a special evening for those who like to hear the midnight bells chime in a new year out of the house. Starting at 9.30pm, this luxurious dining space will host an aerial dance show and a 'Black Platea' music session to bring you back to the glamor of the 1950s. Five saxophones will argue with the grand piano over who the star of the show is on the center stage. Double bass, cello, violin, and singers accompany you throughout the evening. Can you think of a more sophisticated plan? And after dinner, at half past midnight, the Platea Madrid DJs are back at their posts to help you dance in 2015.

Luigii Nieto, Ardiya, Juan Morales and Danny DJ are at the decks to get the party going at Kapital from 12.30am. Go-go dancers, laser lights and party favours galore will give colour to the seven floors of this enormous nightclub. It's not overly expensive either – four drinks will cost you about €50, though you can also get bottle service at reserved tables. They'll be celebrating New Year's Eve in the same glamorous vein at Joy Eslava, where you will pay a bit more; it's €75 in advance, or €95 if you get your ticket on the night at the door. Big fans of indie and pure rock, head over to ThunderCat Club where you'll get a concert, party favours and a great time for just €20.

If you've had it with emptying your bank account and buying tickets to a New Year's Eve party in October, how about just heading to your favourite neighbourhood bar, where everybody knows your name? If you haven't got an established place, there are plenty in key areas of the city where it's free to get in and the drinks are flowing at reasonable prices, such as in Huertas, Malasaña and Alonso Martínez. Stop in to Cien por Cien Madrid (Santísima Trinidad, 30), for example, where the prices on December 31 are the same as any day of the year. At number 26 on the same street, Dow Ron's will also have their doors open at no extra charge. And carrying on, whether your in Santísima Trinidad or surrounding streets in Huertas, you'll find plenty of spaces where you can get in free, but of course, don't leave it too late to head out for the night or you might not be able to squeeze in.

You don't like how fast time is passing you by. We understand. That's why we suggest a trip to the past to remember the best of recent decades with the tunes that marked your childhood, adolescence and young adulthood. To get into this 'Back to the Future' party at the historic Círculo de Bellas Artes, you've got to come dressed up in clothes from your favourite time of decades past. So get on your go-go boots, tease your hair, or tear some neon T-shirts and get ready to dance. If you get there early, you can take advantage of early-bird offers and get in for just €40.

You could be eating your 12 lucky New Year grapes twice if you're at the Independance Club's party. DJs Oskar Destroy and Dani Less will be spinning tracks by the best indie, pop and rock groups, such as Franz Ferdinand, Mando Diao, Arctic Monkeys, MGMT, Icona Pop and more. Your ticket in gets you a glass of champagne, a compilation CD of the best songs of 2014, and party favours a-plenty. At 3am everything stops for the best part of the night: the grapes. And there will be churros with chocolate for everyone. The cherry on top is the price: just €15. Space will be more limited than usual, so get your tickets fast!

If you've decided to start the new year from zero and you want to debut something more than the month of January, the newly opened Zoe Inusual Club will be your first resolution completed in 2015. This impressive space opens just in time to share a luxurious New Year's Eve with its clients, including a bar full of top-shelf brands. It's ideal if your preference leans more toward the sophisticated and exclusive, even if later on you let your hair down and get a bit freaky on the dance floor with their pop music with the odd house track thrown in. Have dinner and a cocktail (around €75 with dishes including sushi, shellfish, and beef Wellington, among others), or head over after dinner and get in on the fun for €18.

Here's a plan for deluxe rockers and unconventional parents. The Hard Rock Café is getting ready for New Year's Eve with two special menus, one for adults, the other for kids. Mums and dads can try a lobster bisque, crunchy calamari, filet mignon and prawn skewers, among other dishes (there are vegetarian options); for the kids it's a choice of macaroni, hot dogs or hamburgers. Besides checking out the Hard Rock's 'museum' collection of famous musicians' instruments, clothes and more, you also get the lucky 12 grapes to eat if you're there at midnight. If you've got dinner plans at home, you can still stop by for cocktails and DJs getting you dancing after midnight.