New Year's Eve in Veneto 2024: what to do and where to go in the main cities

Did you know that New Year's Eve in Veneto was originally celebrated on March 25th? Well yes! In fact this was the day of the foundation of Venice, with the particularity of being also the day of the Annunciation and, according to Greek mythology, also the day of birth of the world.

The Venetian New Year's Eve became officially fixed on January 1 until Napoleon's conquest in 1797. According to this custom, the official historical documents of the Serenissima still today show dates and the wording "more veneto". “More Veneto” means “according to Venetian custom”. For example, January 1582 "more veneto" corresponded in the Gregorian calendar to January 1583.

According to Venetian customs and traditions, the celebrations for the first day of the new year - "cao de l'ano" - already began in the last week of February and continued throughout the first of March. The people went out into the calle - streets - with lids, pots and everything they found, banging and making a great racket, improvising musical instruments.

It was believed that "Battere via Marzo", singing and playing pans in the streets, could chase away the winter cold of the past year, for a propitious new year and that it would help for a lush arrival of spring: from here comes the term “Bati Marso”. In some parts of the Veneto, this ancient custom is still used today, and this nursery rhyme is sung:

Vegnì fora zente, vegnì 

Vegnì in strada a far casoto, 

A bàtare Marso co coerci, tece e pignate! 

A la Natura dovemo farghe corajo, sigando e cantando, 

Par svejar fora i spiriti de la tera! 

Vegnì fora tuti bei e bruti. 

Bati, bati Marso che ‘l mato va descalso, 

Femo casoto fin che riva sera 

E ciamemo co forsa ea Primavera! 

Vegnì fora zente, vegnì fora! 

Translation:

Come out people, come on

Come to the street to make noise,

Come and beat March with lids, pots and pans!

We must cheer nature up, shouting and singing,

To awaken the spirits of the earth!

Come out all, beautiful and ugly,

Beat, beat March, that the madman goes barefoot,

Let's make a fuss until the evening,

And we forcefully call spring!

Come out people, come on!

Music and folklore of a timeless land that have come down to us, to make the start of the new year special with auspicious wishes and luck from the past.

What to do and where to go for New Year's Eve in Veneto? We have thought of a small guide to give you some ideas, to welcome the new year with unique celebrations and emotions, to remember. People are always looking for a spectacular and unique place to spend the night of December 31st in Veneto and there are many offers and events in the region to choose from.

Spending New Year's Eve in Veneto is ideal for its territorial richness, between art, food and wine, cheerfulness and cordiality, it offers various solutions and alternatives to please everyone. The land of good wine and good food, offers unforgettable dinners, events and parties for all ages.

Numerous structures are ready to welcome you from large hotels, spa and wellness locations, bed and breakfasts or apartments for those who prefer the comforts of home or inland farmhouses for those who want to better enjoy the tradition of the local area. Whether you want to spend it with family, friends, as a couple, with children or as a single, here are some ideas to help you celebrate New Year's Eve in Veneto 2024 in the best possible way!

Here are the 8 best ideas to spend a fabulous New Year's Eve in Veneto 2024

Spending New Year's Eve in Veneto with children is a unique, colorful and magical experience.You will find here two ideas that can help you better entertain the little ones for this special day on New Year's Eve:

- New Year's Eve at the amusement park: it is certainly the option that children like most, but also adults who want to have fun! To best celebrate your New Year's Eve in Veneto with the children with a pinch of dream and imagination, Gardaland is the right place for you. The most famous amusement park in the Garda area dresses up in lights and colors on the Magic Winter theme. Dream adventure for New Year's Eve in Veneto before the park closes at 6.00 pm this year, just in time to enjoy an appetizer on the lakefront between neighboring villages such as Peschiera, Lazise and Bardolino while waiting for the traditional dinner after a great day!

- Ice rink in the city of Romeo and Juliet: If you have children or if you want to relive the thrill of performing amazing acrobatics on ice, the skating rink set up inside the gardens of Sacco and Vanzetti Square - Arsenale (VR) is the one for you! 

The rink will be open from Monday to Thursday from 10.30 to 20, Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 11 to 23. The cost of the ticket is 9 euros per hour, including skate rental. Even in the most famous cities along the Garda lake there will be skating rinks with similar times and prices. Guaranteed fun for all ages!

Would you like to explore a fairyland rich in lights, and fun and engaging performances? Take advantage of the ticket offered by Visit Italy.

A valid alternative to consider for New Year's day is New Year's Eve at the thermal baths in Veneto. Whether at the spa with children, friends, family, or as a couple, it will certainly be unique and super relaxing. You will toast while sipping by the pool, pampered by the warm thermal waters while admiring the unmissable midnight fireworks. If you're a fan of the genre, there are three places you might really appreciate:

- Terme Acquardens in Pescantina: This is the largest thermal park in Italy, which every year satisfies every type of public, particularly indicated for the whole family. The thermal water flows from the Grotta della Fonte present inside it, it has eleven outdoor and internal pools, waterfalls, caves and a Kneipp path, to stimulate the microcirculation between hot and cold water. During the year, the spa offers events and babysitting services, including on New Year's Eve, to allow adults to relax while the children play and have fun in peace and safety.

- The Euganean spas: Located in the regional park of the Euganean hills in the province of Padua, they are now famous for their spring waters with salty-bromine-iodic properties. Its source has existed for over three thousand years and is located in the pre-Alpine heart of the Little Dolomites. This unique spa town is made up of the municipalities of Abano, Montegrotto, Galzignano and Battaglia, with more than one hundred hotels and accommodation facilities in the area. Almost all of them have their own spa and offer a range of additional services such as mud baths, spas and much more, so for New Year's Eve you too can relax, leaving the stress at home, not bad, right?

- Villa dei Cedri Thermal Park in Lazise: Among the most evocative, exciting and romantic thermal baths in the Veneto there are certainly those of Villa dei Cedri, surrounded in a beautiful park of cedars and secular trees. A real natural spa, equipped with outdoor and indoor pools, where the spring water comes directly from its underground source. The center also has a hotel service, and is equipped with a spa and wellness center, offering a wide range of services for adults, couples and children for a New Year's Eve with dinner, relaxation between music and bubbles. Definitely not to be missed!

Visit Italy offers its readers a magnificent ticket to spend a marvelous day relaxing in a thermal park.

If you want to spend a romantic New Year's Eve in Veneto, the place par excellence that I recommend is definitely Venice. There are several romantic Venetian events for New Year's Eve that will accompany us on the night of December 31st and January 1st, here are a few:

- The “The kiss party” is the party that takes place in Piazza San Marco and at the same time in Piazza Ferretto in Mestre. An evening of music and open-air concerts that culminates with a big choral kiss in unison, a message of love, peace and brotherhood that has resonated all over the world from 2008 to today;

- The great New Year's concert at the Fenice is the most important in Italy, celebrated in the famous Venetian opera house of the Fenice, a magical and evocative experience, to be experienced at least once in a lifetime;

- Taking a gondola ride or booking a New Year's cruise in Venice are undoubtedly the most romantic experiences that can be had in this timeless place. Sailing on the mild waters of the lagoon, along the Giudecca Canal enjoying the specialties of the rich banquet offered in the dinner menu, to get to enjoy the fireworks at the San Marco Basin with a breathtaking. Super romantic and recommended view if you wants to amaze and make those you love feel special even for New Year's Eve!

- Taste the local culinary specialties, which makes this experience one of the most unique in the world. It is difficult to find a place where you don't eat well here;

- Admire the fireworks show in Piazza San Marco or from panoramic points in the area;

- Participating in a grand gala in Palazzo Pisani is like taking a dip into the splendor and beauty of the past. The building dates back to the 18th century and overlooks the Grand Canal, famous for having hosted the most sumptuous Venetian parties of the time. Inside, the ancient splendor of the Serenissima is rediscovered, with precious and historic furnishings but with a modern touch. It is certainly the perfect place for those looking for something refined to spend New Year's day, with history and tradition that blend with music, live DJ sets, dances and shows until the dawn of the new year. Experience not to be missed with those you love!

Treat yourself and your partner to an exclusive private gondola trip through the lagoon's picturesque canals with the ticket by Visit Italy.

Imagine, you're celebrating your Venetian New Year's day 2024 between dinner and a toast and suddenly you find yourself having to unmask a murderer - for fun of course! If you don't want boredom but love detective stories and action, this year treat yourself to a different experience, such as a New Year's Day murder mystery dinner!

You will lead the dance and be part of the game. Together with the professional actors - present throughout the event - the show will be unrepeatable and unique, to kick off the new year with an edge, in Cluedo style.

The event for New Year's Eve in Veneto 2024 will be held in Ponte San Nicolò, near Padua. Don't miss it if you want a night of suspense, laughter and adrenaline with dinner and surprise ending included!

Have you always dreamed of a Venetian New Year's Day at the castle? Feasting in the court of a Scaliger castle like the ancient Venetian nobles, celebrating the arrival of the new year? Here are a couple of ideas for New Year's Eve at the Venetian castle not to be missed:

- New Year's Eve at the castle of Malcesine: The majestic Castle of Malcesine is still today one of the most beautiful and best preserved castles in Italy. It’s a medieval castle built by the Longobards, towards the middle of the first millennium AD. Today it is a popular tourist destination, a pearl in the heart of the lake, and welcomes tourists from all over the world, with guided tours, parties, weddings and New Year's Eve. For this December 31st the medieval village will be open both day and night with continuous hours and entrance fee. Tickets are on offer and sold for the Malcesine and Brenzone area at the tourist offices or at the cable car. Dedicated to those who want to take a dip into the past, amid timeless music and dances, to relive on such a special night, the real New Year's Eve celebrations among nobles invited to the courts of the Kings.

- Celebrate New Year's Eve at the Venetian Castle Bevilacqua: Built in 1336 by Guglielmo Bevilacqua and completed by his son Francesco of the Scaligeri’s lords, the castle was created as a defense against the neighboring lordships, the Estensi and the Carraresi. Today it is a place of tourism, festivals and historical re-enactment events, such as the traditional one on December 31st. Within the walls of the Castle this year, as per tradition, the "Great Medieval New Year" is held, made up of music, games, jesters and fire eaters, all in a medieval reenactment style. The menu is rich and inviting, we recommend reserving your place as soon as possible so as not to miss this succulent opportunity! At the stroke of midnight the toast is tinged with emotions with the characteristic "fire show" which involves and enchants young and old.

A New Year's Eve to bring them all and at the supper feast!

Who said that New Year's Eve is good only as a couple?

Nowadays, spending New Year's Eve single in Veneto is no longer so difficult, there are discos, pubs, nightclubs where you can go with friends to make new acquaintances and have a lot of fun, or asking for help by some applications that allow you to participate or better organize the party for the last year tailored to your needs. If you are still undecided, I will give you a couple of suggestions:

- One of these is the famous "strangers dinner" , an increasingly popular way to "speed date" to make new acquaintances. How does it work? It's easy! You book the dinner of the relevant event and show up at the established time. Once you arrive, you are welcomed into large tables with up to 40 people, or into smaller tables of 6, maximum 8 people. It can be a good opportunity to have a chat with new people and who knows, maybe meet someone special - fingers crossed!

- If, on the other hand, you prefer a little extra planning and don't like to leave anything to chance, I can recommend a pc applications - that works well here in Italy- such as "Come Home" - the airbnb of events - which allow you to create or choose a party based on the theme, methods, age, areas of interest and much more! Good way to meet new people and not spend New Year alone, highly recommended!

If you need some ideas to better spend New Year's Eve in the mountains of Veneto, I recommend some of these activities:

- Skiing in the mountains : from Cortina, Monte Civetta, Val Comelico, Lessinia and on the Asiago plateau - always call the ski resorts, check the weather forecast to guarantee yourself a top-notch experience and have fun on the snow in peace;

- Downhill with bob and sled in places such as: the Belluno area below the Tre Cime di Lavaredo, in the Ampezzo Dolomites and in the Pelmo and Civetta group, in the province of Treviso on the Pian del Cansiglio is the San Marco slope, in the province of Vicenza in Val Formica near the refuge of the same name or in the kaberlaba slope in Asiago and in Lessinia in the locality of San Giorgio - always inquire as to whether the ski lifts are present or active;

- Trekking with alpacas in Lessinia (VR) walking in the middle of nature. It has a therapeutic and calming effect, a different and original way to spend a day that everyone will like, certainly children - it varies according to the season, more information on the websites dedicated to the activity;

- Horseback riding in Val di Zoldo, Palma: Here we organize horseback rides in beautiful villages or in the woods at the foot of Mount Civetta, accompanied by an expert guide, also ideal for children or for those who are just starting out.

- Horse-drawn carriage or sleigh ride: immersed in the snowy landscapes of the Belluno mountains, the ride lasts an average of 45-50 minutes, prices vary according to the season and the number of participants (between 60 and 120 euros);

- New Year's Eve snowshoe hike, a wonderful high-altitude experience to taste the beauty of fresh snow and the charm of extraordinary views in the Veneto mountains. There is also the possibility of making night excursions with alpine guides, including torchlight processions and fireworks, to fully enjoy the experience of the Veneto New Year's Eve on the snow in the mountains.

Activities on the snow and in the mountains, for a great New Year's Eve in Veneto!

On December 31st in Veneto, at the stroke of midnight, the sky lights up with a thousand colors of fireworks. You can admire them in some characteristic locations such as:

- The Bacino di San Marco in Venice, with plays of light on the water, an exciting fireworks display that will leave everyone speechless. The best view is from a boat or near the ACTV Arsenale stop: Riva dei Sette Martiri, degli Schiavoni, San Biagio, Ca' di Dio.

Warning: according to the site of the Venetian municipality, the fires are not visible from the Piazza and San Marco square.

- If instead you find yourself on the lakefront, from the beaches of the lake towns, the best places are: Garda, Riva, Malcesine, Bardolino, Peschiera, Lazise. If you love seeing fireworks from above - good weather permitting - I can recommend that you try to admire them in places such as Rocca del Garda and Monte Baldo. The bravest can wait for dawn to celebrate with the traditional dip in the icy waters of the lake - only recommended for the more experienced. A small general suggestion: always consult the weather forecast and the municipal websites to keep up-to-date on dates, times and places with relative regulations to spend your New Year's Eve in Veneto 2024 in the best possible way.

The latest tips: 

- Share this special day with someone dear to you, 

- Make a list of things you want to do and things you no longer want to do in the new year, 

- Listen to good music, 

- Get inspired,

- Be grateful for what you have and who is in your life,

- Let go of what doesn't make you feel well,

- Face challenges with courage, 

- Learn from your failures, 

- Don't be afraid to make mistakes, 

- Take care of those less fortunate than you, do your best, 

- Don't leave your grandparents alone, 

- Learn to do at least one new thing that you were prefixed 

- If you have a 4-legged friend, protect him from New Year's barrels.

If you liked the article, share it and also follow our facebook page Visititaly,

Happy New Year in Veneto!