10 great New Year’s Eve parties in Melbourne

How much? $150
For those seeking: multiple dancefloors 

Garden State is Melbourne’s go-to meeting place, a four-storey mega pub that thrums with activity every weekend. It’s spacious and filled with greenery – full trees bloom inside their central atrium and whether you seek heaving dancefloors or cosy nooks to hide in, both are here! New Year’s Eve at the Garden State is a no-brainer when you consider that you can explore a basement cocktail bar, a buzzy beer garden and public bar plus two levels of dancefloors for the price of a single ticket. For $150 you’ll also get four hours of drinks and roaming food until midnight.

How much? $300
For those seeking: a floating soirée

Nothing says ‘festive’ quite like a party on the water. Yarra Botanica is Melbourne’s newest floating bar, a ritzy, dual-storey pontoon sitting pretty on the Yarra River. They’re throwing an NYE bash for the ages, booking DJs from 6pm alongside roaming entertainers that we hear will include both a fire twirler and suave saxophonist. Arrive early to catch the year’s final sunset before four-hour food-and-drink packages kick off from 8pm. Tickets are $300 and include a welcome cocktail, beer, wine, spirits, Spritzes, a gourmet grazing table and canapés.

How much? $180
For those seeking: a rooftop party

Their secret basement bar might have put them on the map, but State of Grace’s rooftop took them to even greater heights. It’s the perfect place to herald the new year as balmy summer air and sprawling city views lift the spirits and provide a backdrop to happy snaps. For $180 you’ll get four hours of drinks, roving canapés and non-stop DJ action that lasts well into 2023. You’ll also have a vantage of the midnight fireworks, making tickets a certified bargain.

How much? $150-$180
For those seeking: a fancy dress bash in the CBD

This glitzy cocktail bar loves a little bit of Art Deco 365 days a year, but for NYE they’re turning it all the way up with a Great Gatsby-themed do that will have you partying like it’s 1922. You’re encouraged to dress for the occasion, with a welcome cocktail for every dashing arrival on the emerald carpet before 9pm and a magnum of Champagne to the night’s best dressed. Tickets are $180 and include four hours of drinks, a grazing table of snacks and a photo booth to capture the evening’s happy memories.

How much? $165-$210
For those seeking: easy access to a New Year’s Day swim

Every inch of the Espy will be open for eating, dancing and merrymaking this New Year’s Eve. The St Kilda mega venue has a party to suit every mood – plant yourself in the main bar for a DJ-fuelled dance sesh, or book into Mya Tiger for a delicious Cantonese banquet that’ll have you tossing back crab dumplings to celebrate the new year. After something a little more intimate? Head up to cocktail bar the Ghost of Alfred Felton for fancy tipples and a glass of Champagne at midnight.

How much? $170
For those seeking: riverside revelry 

There’s plenty of room to catch up with old friends and party with new ones at Hopscotch’s NYE banger, so if you want the option to both tear up the dancefloor and chill out with the crew, this is the event for you. The riverside brewpub is flinging its doors open from 7pm for DJ beats and live entertainment, with packages starting at 8pm. For $170pp you’ll be treated to hours of bottomless beverages, plus a grazing table and moreish canapés to keep you sated.

How much? $135
For those seeking: all-night beats 

Plan to ring in the new year with a big night of dancing? The Wharf Hotel has an ideal indoor-outdoor set-up to keep you breezy and cool as you throw it down. Spend the night mingling with friends and toasting alongside the Yarra River, while DJs turn up the energy till midnight and beyond. For $135 you’ll be plied with four hours of bottomless beverages and roaming canapés.

How much? $100
For those seeking: throwback vibes

Kick off the festivities early at the Hawthorn Hotel, where they’re putting on a bottomless brunch and boozy pool competition from 2pm (tickets $69). You’ll have plenty of time to recover before their evening party, which will throw it back to the noughties and teens with all the guilty-pleasure club bangers you know and love. Tickets are $100 and include four hours of beverages, canapés and a glass of bubbly to toast at midnight.

How much? $100
For those seeking: a sit-down dinner

A no-expense-spared refurb has transformed this 150-year-old pub into one of Brunswick’s most delightful places to sink a pint. For NYE they’re offering two experiences, the first being a delicious three-course dinner accompanied by bottomless drinks and acoustic music. If a sit-down dinner isn’t quite your speed, then head upstairs to the atrium bar from 9pm for canapés and a high-energy party that will have you dancing to live music all night long. Both tickets cost $100 and include three hours of drinks and food.

How much? $89
For those seeking: a disco dancefloor

With its maximalist décor, rooftop terrace and disco way of life, this former heritage bank building is where Richmond goes to party. For New Year’s Eve they’re revving up with bottomless brunch from midday, where for $69pp you’ll be awash in mimosas, Lychee Spritz jugs and smoked salmon crumpets. At night, it’s time to put your dancing shoes on for a euphoric night of DJs, live music and celebration. Tickets are $89 and include a cocktail on arrival, bottomless drinks and roaming canapés.