If you’re in Florence this New Year’s Eve and don’t have plans to celebrate among friends and family, it probably means you’re wondering where to have your fill of lentils and cotechino. Here’s our guide to New Year’s Eve in Florence.
Official celebrations
Last year’s New Year’s Eve celebrations at Florence’s piazzale Michelangelo / photo from Mayor of Florence Dario Nardella’s Instagram feed @darionardella
Piazzale Michelangelo is the main venue for Florence’s official New Year’s Eve celebrations. Singers Francesco Renga and Baby K have been announced as the acts seeing in 2019, alongside Radio Bruno DJs. Free entrance starting at 9pm. Enjoy classical music in piazza della Signoria, jazz and gospel in piazza del Carmine, circus antics by Cirk Fantastik! in Anconella Park and electronic music at Manifattura Tabacchi.
Cinema
“Watch” the New Year in at Odeon Firenze Cinehall (piazza degli Strozzi, Florence) with the 10.30pm showing of The Old Man and the Gun in English with Italian subtitles. The film stars Robert Redford, who plays American career criminal Forrest Tucker. At the end of the film, the audience will be treated to bubbles and panettone at midnight. Film, plus midnight treats: 15 euro.
Over at Cinema La Compagnia (via Cavour 50R), at 9pm, check out feature documentary Studio 54 about the 1970s NYC nightclub, an epicentre for sex, drugs and disco music. At 10.45pm, view Americans recounting their random and unexpected encounters with actor Bill Murray in The Bill Murray Stories: Life Lessons Learned from a Mythical Man followed by a New Year’s toast among the audience.
Where to eat
The spectacular setting of Caffè del Verone, up on the roof of the Museo degli Innocenti, will be celebrating the arrival of 2019 with a night to remember. Welcome drinks, live jazz and a four-course fish dinner (drinks included) and a midnight toast. 60 euro for the dinner or 75 euro including an exclusive guided tour of the museum at 6.30pm.
To reserve, call or send a WhatsApp to +39 3924982559 or email caffedelverone@gmail.com.
Welcome the New Year with an exclusive dinner at the elegant Il Borro Tuscan Bistro (lungarno Acciaiuoli 80r, Florence). The menu includes: Oyster, crushed chilli and Gin Fizz foam; prawn carpaccio, buffalo stracciatella and sesame; vegetable tempura with a garlic mayo and much more. Price per person 75 euro.
To reserve, call +39 055 290423 or email tuscanbistro@ilborro.it
Head to OOO – Out of Ordinary (viale Strozzi 18R/viale Lavagnini 70-72, Florence) for the Galleria 19 New Year Party. From 7pm to 2am, pile up your plate from the artisan food corners. 85 euro includes artisan Mancini pasta, pizza, crostini, La Casera cheese, main course by executive chef Fabio Barbaglini, dessert and panettone, plus beer, wine and midnight bubbles with traditional cotechino pork and lentils.
To reserve, call +39 055 4606701 or email info@ooo.it
Modern Tuscan restaurant Osteria dell’Enoteca (via Romana 70R) rings in the New Year with a six-course gourmet menu. From foie gras to duck breast with an orange and whisky sauce, remember to leave room for the chocolate flan dessert. 100 euro per person
To reserve, call +39 055 228 6018 or email info@osterinadellenoteca.com
Enjoy a sparkling New Year’s Eve at La Chiostrina, the refined restaurant at Hotel Bernini Palace (piazza di San Firenze 29). Highlights on the five-course menu include salmon with star anise and pina colada sorbet, and an extreme chocolate dessert. 120 euro per person, includes water and one glass of Champagne.
To reserve, call +39 055 288621 or email bookinghotelbernini@duetorrihotels.com
Festivities will be in full flow at Hotel Savoy Florence with a New Year’s Eve Dinner to remember, which kicks off with a “Goodbye 2018” aperitif. Expect decadent dining: oysters, truffle, lobster, foie gras, duck and much more. There’ll be a midnight toast and a lottery. 280 euro per person, drinks not included.
To reserve, call +39 055 2735891 or email irenefirenze@roccofortehotels.com
Go glam for The Grand Winter Ball at Four Seasons Hotel Florence (borgo Pinti 99, Florence). Thousands of twinkling lights set the scene for a five-course Michelin-star meal accompanied by live music and a spectacular fireworks display. 390 euro per person, wine included.
To reserve, call +39 055 2626450 or email ilpalagio@fourseasons.com
Skating
Start 2019 actively by skating the night away at Firenze Winter Park (lungarno Aldo Moro 3, Florence), whose adjacent wooden hut eatery Il Rifugio is serving a hearty New Year’s Eve feast for 55 euro (25 euro for children under 12). Signing up for the dinner gets you a discount on the skating.
Music
Be classical as Finnish conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen leads the Orchestra and Choir of the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino through Ravel and Stravinski, plus the Italian debut of the conductor’s own piece Pollux. Tickets start at 30 euro. At Teatro del Maggio (piazzale Vittorio Gui 1, Florence).
City centre clubbing institution Yab (Via dei Sassetti 5, Florence) greets 2019 with a gala night. The dinner buffet starts at 9pm to the tune of live music and a DJ set before expanding to the 1970s through to the contemporary scene.
Expect celebrities and sports stars to put in an appearance. Tickets start at 45 euro. The largest dancefloor in central Florence, SpaceClub Firenze (via Palazzuolo 37) mixes up commercial tunes in the main room and hip hop and reggae on the floor above for 50 euro.
Go electronic at ObiHall (via Fabrizio di André, Florence) for the Insound Festival NYE, featuring Berlin-based DJ Len Faki and top Italian DJ Sam Paganini. Tickets cost 38 euro.
Fabrizio Azzarri – Ultrapulp Studio rid at Tenax
Test your stamina at Tenax (via Pratese 46, Florence) with 12 hours of non-stop music with a top lineup: Hunee, Nu Guinea, Marco Faraone, Alex Neri, Francesco Farfa, Phillip and Cole. The party starts at 10.30pm and continues until noon on New Year’s Day.
Think Fifties at Auditorium Flog (via Michele Mercati 24B) as Nedo & The Bello’s perform alongside Maghero dj and Lorenzo Vichi. Tickets cost 25 euro.
Put 2018 behind you at Rari Bistrot’s (lungarno Ferrucci 24) #Maiunagioia party, with ‘90s music. Free entrance, #Maiunagioia cocktail costs 5 euro.
