Cheat Sheet for New Year’s Eve Fireworks in Las Vegas

^{Fireworks above the Las Vegas Strip as seen from the Bellagio. (Photo: courtesy of Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority)}

LAS VEGAS — New Year’s Eve in Las Vegas is a bucket list experience for many travelers. Sin City consistently ranks as one of the top destinations to ring in the new year.

A WalletHub survey recently ranked Las Vegas as the second-best city to celebrate the occasion. With world-class dining, massive parties, and headline entertainment, it's no surprise the city is so popular.

Tourism officials expect about 340,000 visitors to celebrate “America’s Party 2026” in Las Vegas. Unlike cities across the country that rely on a single countdown drop, Las Vegas marks the occasion with massive simultaneous fireworks displays on the Strip and downtown.

There is no shortage of places across the city to celebrate the occasion. One of the biggest draws is that New Year’s Eve is one of the few nights each year when vehicles are banned from the Las Vegas Strip, allowing visitors to roam freely and watch the sky light up with color and sound.

Below is a quick cheat sheet on where to watch fireworks and celebrate New Year’s Eve in Las Vegas.

Fireworks on the Strip

The Las Vegas Strip closes to vehicle traffic at 8 p.m., giving visitors full and free access to Las Vegas Boulevard on foot. The Strip will be closed from Tropicana Avenue to Spring Mountain Boulevard with close, so it's important to plan your route correctly regardless of what celebration you're attending.  

Internationally renowned Fireworks by Grucci will present the eight-minute pyrotechnic show from the rooftops of 10 casinos along the Strip.

This year’s celebration will feature fireworks choreographed to a soundtrack of classic and contemporary rock anthems. Foreigner and Styx will participate in the Coast-to-Coast New Year’s Eve Countdown to 2026, which will air on television stations nationwide. Organizers say the show will feature larger salute barrages and rapid-fire aerial shells to match the theme.

No matter where you stand on the Strip, you should have a clear view of fireworks from the following properties:

• Aria
• Caesars Palace
• Fontainebleau 
• MGM Grand 
• Palms
• Planet Hollywood
• Resorts World Las Vegas
• The Strat
• Treasure Island 
• The Venetian 

The Strip will take the display to a new level with the launch of an armada of 600 drones joining the fireworks this year. The drones will be launched from the Las Vegas Event Plaza adjacent to the Wynn, adding illuminated visuals throughout the show. The addition of drones is a fitting addition to help marking the 250th anniversary of America's independence.

The Rio and Palms may offer some of the best vantage points for the entire show given their proximity to the Strip without being right in the heart of it. Both Ghostbar at the Palms and High Steaks at the Rio feature rooftop decks with sweeping views. 

High Steaks in particular will offer a VIP-style ticketed dining experience starting at $500 per person. Tickets provide priority access to the rooftop steakhouse beginning at 9 p.m., a guaranteed elevated fireworks view, and passed cocktails and appetizers. Guests will also receive a complimentary Telmont Champagne toast at midnight and get to taste Louis XIII cognac. This is a high-end option, but great for those looking for a guaranteed view of the fireworks with impressive dining.

Top Shows on the Strip

Las Vegas venues will be packed with concerts, DJ sets, and parties as the calendar turns to 2026. Here are five of the best shows to see on New Year’s Eve in Las Vegas:

• Backstreet Boys at The Sphere
• Bruno Mars at Park MGM
• Jennifer Lopez at Caesars Palace
• Jelly Roll at The Cosmopolitan
• Kings of Leon at The Venetian

These shows are considered underplays, offering uniquely intimate Las Vegas experiences. The performances take place in smaller venues than the massive arenas the artists typically headline elsewhere in the U.S.

For those who prefer nightlife over concerts, nightclubs on the Las Vegas Strip certainly ramp up the quality of its headliners and price points. 

One of this year's most notable nightclub bookings is RÜFÜS DU SOL at XS Nightclub, a DJ duo that rarely appears in Las Vegas outside of major EDM festivals. A Wynn representative told us that backstage tickets have already sold out for the event, and they continue to receive emails from guests begging for access and offering up exorbitant amounts just to get backstage entry for this event.

Returning Vegas headliner Tiësto will perform at Omnia inside Caesars Palace, while Steve Aoki returns to Hakkasan at MGM Grand.  John Summit at LIV Las Vegas at Fontainebleau, who is one of the club's biggest headliners since its opening in 2023. Ashanti will also take the stage at the club the day prior, offering a great New Year's Eve pre-party with a legacy R&B artist who rarely performs major shows. 

AREA15, just northwest off the strip, will be hosting a rave-style, masquerade New Year's Eve event with three different stages throughout the venue. DJ ALLEYCVT will be headlining for anyone looking for a variety of EDM offerings and a festival-like experience. 

Downtown Las Vegas Fireworks

Downtown Las Vegas offers two distinct types of fireworks experiences at the Plaza and the Fremont Street Experience. 

Plaza Hotel & Casino hosts the only live fireworks show downtown, launching above the property at midnight.

The show can be viewed from outside the casino on Main Street. Legacy Club atop Circa offers one of the best vantage points for the show. 

New Year’s Eve is the only night of the year when the Fremont Street Experience closes to the general public. Guests 21 and older can purchase tickets to Countdown Under the Canopy.

Las Vegas Mayor Shelley Berkley will host the event, which begins at 9 p.m. The lineup includes Robin Thicke, CeeLo Green, Common Kings, Chingy, Pertinence, and additional performers across multiple stages.

For those who prefer to stay under cover, a digital fireworks show will light up the Viva Vision canopy screen at midnight.