The city is poised for a New Year’s weekend filled with oceanfront parties, pub-crawls, theater performances, delicious dining and the colorful West Coast Ferris wheel countdown
SANTA MONICA, Calif., (December 22, 2021) – Santa Monica may be known for its laid back Southern California culture but it also knows how to celebrate the New Year with lively festivities, dining and activities that only this seaside city could create.
While Santa Monica is set to celebrate the New Year with a wide-variety of fun-filled events, it’s important to note that there will not be a fireworks show anywhere in the city and the Santa Monica Pier closes on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day at 10 p.m.
“With its eight great neighborhoods and its perfect beach location, Santa Monica is the ideal setting to ring in the New Year with friends and family,” said Misti Kerns, President and CEO of Santa Monica Travel & Tourism. “We urge partygoers to celebrate safely, be patient and respectful of others, and be kind to the employees throughout the city that are working to ensure you have a wonderful New Year’s experience.”
Spending locally for the holiday season matters. For every $10 spent at a Santa Monica business, as much as $7 stays in the community through taxes, payroll and other expenditures.
Now, get ready to setout on a New Year’s journey of fun festivities, delicious dining and awesome activities that only Santa Monica can deliver:
Santa Monica New Year’s Eve Festivities
Crawl Til The Ball Falls Bar Crawl – starting at Britannia Pub, Dec. 31 at 6 p.m. Barcrawlerz is a Santa Monica bar crawl like no other. Crawl ‘Til the Ball Falls features the best drink specials and the best bars in town. Purchase tickets.
New Year’s Eve Pub Crawl – starting at Circle Bar, Dec. 31 at 6 p.m. Ring in 2022 at some of Santa Monica’s best bars with the New Year’s Eve 2022 Pub Crawl on Main Street and Third Street Promenade. Reserve tickets.
New Year’s Eve at The Bungalow Santa Monica – Dec. 31 at 8 p.m. Enjoy a night of casino games, a premium hosted bar, small bites, dancing and more. Music by Kayper & Graham Funke. Purchase tickets.
New Year’s Eve at Bodega Wine Bar – Dec. 31 at 8 p.m. Celebrate New Year’s Eve at Bodega Wine Bar; no cover, first come first served, DJ, food available from 8 to 11 p.m.
New Year’s Eve by the Sea at Hotel Casa Del Mar – Dec. 31 at 8:30 p.m. Celebrate New Year’s Eve at the luxurious Hotel Casa del Mar in Santa Monica as they ring in the New Year with The Mixtape featuring Josefina and Blair. Purchase tickets.
New Year’s Eve Party at Santa Monica Proper Hotel’s Calabra Rooftop – Dec. 31 at 8 p.m. Enjoy Santa Monica Proper Hotel’s rooftop celebration at Calabra with DJ MikeyLife, a midnight sparkling toast and stellar ocean views. Various ticket options are available.
New Year’s Eve Party at Santa Monica Proper Hotel’s Palma Restaurant – Dec. 31 at 9 p.m. Celebrate with your closest few and reserve a VIP table at the private New Year’s dinner and party at Palma, featuring amazing champagne. Make a reservation.
New Year’s Eve Party at The Room – Dec. 31 at 9 p.m. Ring in 2022 at The Room. Special pricing VIP tables now available. VIP table reservations include line privileges until 9:30 p.m., reserved VIP seating, reduced $30 admission per person, complimentary champagne toast, and party favors.
Santa Monica Playhouse’s Annual One-Time Only New Year’s Eve Musical Revue – Dec. 31 at 6:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. It’s “on with the show!” as internationally acclaimed Actors’ Repertory Theatre presents a highly entertaining, family-friendly Rudie-DeCarlo musical revue, with door prizes, sing-a-long songs, dancing in the aisles, humor and other delights culled from five decades of beloved Santa Monica Playhouse productions. Purchase tickets.
The Victorian Santa Monica New Year’s Eve Party – Dec. 31 at 8 p.m. The Victorian Beach Club is excited to bring in the New Year with a bang as they host their Prom Night themed party. Purchase tickets.
NYE 2022 West Coast Countdown – This New Year’s Eve watch the West Coast’s countdown to 2022 in person from the bluff at Palisades Park or the beaches south of the Pier, and online or streaming from Pacific Park on the Santa Monica Pier, one of the most iconic sites in Los Angeles. The countdown on the Pacific Wheel streams live on Dec. 31, beginning at 11:30 p.m., and features fun designs, colorful displays, and a 60-second countdown in huge animated numbers followed by announcing the new year in more than 16 different languages including Spanish, Chinese, Hindi, German, French, and Japanese. Revelers can watch a livestream presentation from the Pacific Wheel’s live cam or Pacific Park’s YouTube channel.
Santa Monica New Year’s Eve Dining
Birdie G’s – Enjoy a luxuriously, fun menu celebrating California’s finest purveyors and the team’s in-house preservation projects with a five-course menu for $125 per person, fantastically fancy cocktails, a $75 wine pairing and plenty of champagne. There may be room for walk-ins at the bar and lounge with an à la carte menu. Reservations are available now through Resy.
Cassia – Family-style is the way to go at Cassia, and the team is cooking up a very generous, prix fixe menu for $95 per person, alongside cocktail specials and elegant wine pairings. There may be some room for walk-ins at the bar and outdoor patio with à la carte or prix fixe menus. Reservations are available via Resy. For parties of 10 or more, please e-mail events@cassiala.com.
Ester’s Wine Shop & Bar – On New Year’s Eve, they’re serving a full menu all-day-long, so eat, drink, be merry and shop for bubbles. They’re pouring champagne out of magnums or enjoy a $50 Cellar Tasting, also available to go, featuring pours of three fancy, rare and allocated wines. Reservations are available through Resy, but walk-ins accepted.
Meat On Ocean – Celebrate New Year’s Eve with a four-course menu for $135. Make a reservation.
Milo & Olive – Enjoy wood-fired oysters, truffle arancini, spicy crab spaghetti and more on New Year’s Eve. Reservations are available, walk-ins accepted.
Pasjoli – Enjoy a special celebratory prix fixe dinner with two seatings with early seating reservation times between 5:15 and 6:30 p.m. and a later seating with reservations beginning at 9 pm. The late seating includes an additional course and a champagne toast. New Year’s Eve dinner is prepaid and will be available by reservation only.
Rustic Canyon – Enjoy a beautiful, four-course menu intended for sharing that celebrates the season’s bounty and some cool, preservation projects. It’s $125 per person with an all-vegetarian option available, alongside cocktails specials and a fabulous $60 wine pairing. Reservations are available now through Resy.
Socalo – Ring in the New Year with delightful food and drink specials including a surf and turf dish and shrimp al mojo de ajo, plus Mexican 76 cocktails, bubbly and more. Check out the New Year’s Eve menu and reserve your spot. Regular dinner menu will also be available.
Tar & Roses – Enjoy party hats, a midnight toast, balloons, and a delicious dinner menu. No prix fixe or limited menus. Make a reservation online or call 310-587-0700.
Upper West – Two seatings are available on New Year’s Eve with the first seating from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. offers the regular menu. The second seating from 8 to 10 p.m., offers a four-course prix fixe menu with champagne toast and party favors, for $85 per person. Reserve your table online or by calling 310-586-1111.
Santa Monica New Year’s Day Activities
Huckleberry Bakery& Café – Open for dine-in, takeout and delivery on New Year’s Day for brunch that includes a roasted vegetable frittata, gluten-free grain and seed crisps and lox platter, baked apple cinnamon and cranberry French toast, mimosa kits, and more. Pre-order by Dec. 27 at 3 p.m. online through Tock, call 310-451-2311 or email catering@huckleberrycafe.com. Available for pickup on Dec. 31 and Jan. 1 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. View the full menu.
Milo & Olive – New Year’s Day brunch starts at 9 a.m. and includes skillet cornbread with fried eggs, shaved rosemary ham & arugula, crispy risotto cakes with sunny eggs, feta & baby kale, plus more. Reservations are available, walk-ins accepted.
Santa Monica residents also have the chance to enjoy a staycation or find space for family and friends at local hotels through the “Santa Monica Extra Bedroom” program running through February 6, 2022. Twenty-five participating hotels are offering discounted stays. Learn more about the program here.
Stay up-to-date on holiday events, the Extra Bedroom Program and all that Santa Monica has to offer during this special time of year by visiting santamonica.com.
Santa Monica Travel & Tourism encourages locals and visitors to travel responsibly by following current health orders, taking advantage of public transportation and bringing patience and holiday spirit when visiting local businesses.
About Santa Monica Travel & Tourism
Santa Monica Travel & Tourism (SMTT) works to strengthen our local economy by enhancing and promoting our communities as a distinctive, compelling and welcoming travel destination. For more information visit santamonica.com, email info@santamonica.com, or follow SMTT on Instagram (@SeeSantaMonica), Twitter (@GoSantaMonica) or Facebook (@VisitSantaMonica).
