New Year's Eve in Puerto Rico 2024-2025

Puerto Ricans love to party, and New Year's Eve is an excellent occasion to experience the warmth and hospitality of this beautiful Caribbean island, known for its pristine beaches, green mountains, and lush jungles with cascading waterfalls. As the Christmas and New Year holidays are particularly busy times in Puerto Rico, it's advisable to make arrangements in advance to ensure a seamless and enjoyable celebration. Whether attending extravagant hotel parties, vibrant street celebrations, or beachfront festivities, visitors can immerse themselves in the rich culture and festive spirit that defines Puerto Rican New Year's traditions.

Traditional Celebration

In Puerto Rico, New Year's Eve is a festive occasion celebrated with family and friends, featuring traditional dishes like arroz con gandules, roasted pig, pasteles, coquito, pitorro, rice pudding, and tembleque. A unique custom involves throwing a bucket of water out of windows to drive away evil spirits. Additionally, it's customary to eat 12 grapes in the last 12 seconds of the year, one for each strike of the clock, symbolizing a prosperous year ahead. People also sprinkle sugar outside their homes for good luck, and if near the beach, they may drop backward into the waves at midnight to ward off bad spirits.

Fireworks

At midnight, people get outdoors to see the fireworks. Puerto Rico Convention Center and Condado Lagoon have the most impressive NYE fireworks displays. As you are enjoying the warm night outdoors, don't forget to try asopao rice and meat, a traditional New Year street food in Puerto Rico.

Events

Most of the island's hotels host extravagant end-of-year balls, creating an atmosphere of celebration and elegance. Restaurants, bars, and nightclubs in San Juan are typically bustling on New Year's Eve, drawing in locals and tourists alike for a night of revelry. The Puerto Rico Convention Center and Distrito T-Mobile, two of the island's premier entertainment and nightlife venues, attract the largest crowds with spectacular countdown festivities that feature a variety of live performances.

Additionally, many beaches, especially those in San Juan and other coastal areas, host lively parties that allow guests to celebrate the New Year by the ocean. The historic streets of Old San Juan also come alive, filled with street parties, live music, and festive decorations, ensuring a vibrant atmosphere throughout the island as people gather to welcome the New Year.

Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest

ABC and Dick Clark Productions have selected Puerto Rico once again as the host location for "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2024." It marks the third consecutive year that Puerto Rico will be the program's first U.S. destination to welcome the New Year. The event will take place at the Puerto Rico Convention Center and DISTRITO T-Mobile, the Caribbean's premier entertainment venue, known for its exceptional offerings in dining, art, music, and technology. Puerto Rico's countdown to the New Year will occur at 11 pm EST/12 am AST, making it the first countdown destination in the show's multi-destination broadcast.