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City of Austin’s New Year Celebration

The City of Austin and Visit Austin will host “Austin’s New Year” to welcome 2025 at Auditorium Shores.

Gary Emmert
3–4 minutes
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AUSTIN – The City of Austin and Visit Austin will host “Austin’s New Year” to welcome 2025 at Auditorium Shores. This grand celebration will take place on Tuesday, December 31st from 7 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. The event is free and open to the public.

CNN’s Sara Sidner, Harry Enten, and Cari Champion will be live at Austin’s countdown as part of the network’s “New Year’s Eve Live with Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen.” The evening will feature a night of entertainment headlined by Third Eye Blind, along with performances by DJ Mel, Angélica Rahe, and Gina Chavez. Attendees can also enjoy a variety of food trucks and beverage vendors, culminating in a spectacular midnight fireworks show.

Schedule of Events:

  • 7:00 p.m.: Park grounds, food trucks, and beer garden open
  • 7:00 – 11:45 p.m.: Music performances by DJ Mel, Angélica Rahe, Gina Chavez, and Third Eye Blind
  • 11:45 – 11:55 p.m.: Austin’s New Year Drone Show presented by Arca Continental Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages
  • 11:55 p.m. – Midnight: Countdown to 2025, ending with a midnight fireworks show

CNN will broadcast the Central Time Zone countdown live from Auditorium Shores starting at 11:30 p.m. For additional information, visit Austin’s New Year Event Page.

Attendees are welcome to bring blankets and chairs, but pets (except for trained service dogs) are not allowed. A variety of local vendors will provide food, non-alcoholic, and alcoholic drinks (21+ only). Some of the food truck vendors include Amy’s Ice Cream, Burro Cheese Kitchen, Garbo’s Lobster, Gelu Italian Ice, Iron Burger, Peace, Love and Burgers, RedFin Mobile, Shawarma Point, Tacobaby, The Mighty Cone, and Yapa Artisan Empanadas.

No outside alcohol, glass, fireworks, or sparklers will be allowed at Auditorium Shores. For a complete list of allowed and prohibited items, visit Austin’s New Year Event Page.

Getting to the Event:

  • Hike-and-Bike Trail: Bring a light and remember, motorized vehicles are not permitted.
  • Bike: You can ride directly to Auditorium Shores.
  • CapMetro: Free rides are available Dec. 31 after 5 p.m. on all services. Bus routes will operate regular service, and rail service is extended until 2:30 a.m. on Jan. 1.
  • Shared Mobility / Dockless Devices: Drop-off is available at the southwest corner of Riverside Drive and South First Street.

Parking:
Expect congestion in and around the downtown area. Attendee parking options include:

  • Public Parking north of Lady Bird Lake
  • One Texas Center
  • Palmer Events Center Garage
  • RiverSouth Garage at Riverside Drive and South First Street
  • City Hall Garage
  • State Garage N
  • ADA-accessible parking at Palmer Event Center Garage and One Texas Center

Road and Lake Closures:

  • Cut-out spaces along Riverside Drive in front of Auditorium Shores will be closed Dec. 29 – Jan. 1.
  • West Riverside Drive from Lee Barton Drive to South First Street will be closed Dec. 31 from 6 p.m. to 1 a.m.
  • South First Street from Cesar Chavez Street to Riverside Drive will be closed Dec. 31 from 10:30 p.m. to 1 a.m.
  • Lady Bird Lake between the railroad trestle bridge and the South First Street bridge will be closed to all watercraft from 10:30 p.m. Dec. 31 to 1 a.m. Jan. 1.

Safety Tips:

  • Stay vigilant and report suspicious activity to 9-1-1.
  • Plan for cold weather.
  • Stay with your group and have a pre-planned meeting location in case of separation.
  • Be mindful of pedestrians and other road users.
  • Keep your phone fully charged.
  • Plan for a safe ride home.
  • Download the what3words app to pinpoint and share your location.
  • Follow Austin Public Health guidelines: get vaccinated, use hand sanitizer, wash hands often, and stay home if you feel sick.

Visit Austin is the official destination marketing and sales organization for the City of Austin. An accredited member of Destinations International, Visit Austin markets Austin as a premier business and leisure destination, enriching the community’s overall quality of life.

ACE is a collaborative assembly of City of Austin departments and agencies designed to streamline special event permitting on public and private property. ACE works closely with event organizers to guide them through the special event permitting process.

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