How to Celebrate New Year’s Eve in Gulf Shores & Orange Beach

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Ring in the New Year on the Flora-Bama line! Gulf Shores, Alabama, is situated just a stone’s throw from Pensacola, Florida, and boasts some of the best NYE parties on the Gulf Coast. We’re talking daytime bubble bashes fit for the whole family alongside wild and crazy beach parties that will have you celebrating until the wee hours of 2025.Here’s what to expect when you plan a visit to Gulf Shores this New Year’s Eve.

Flora-Bama’s New Year’s Eve Bash

  • Tuesday, December 31st, 2024 at 6 PM
  • Flora-Bama Lounge & Oyster Bar | 17401 Perdido Key Dr., Perdido Key, FL.
  • florabama.com/new-years-eve

This 21and over event is the biggest party in Gulf Shores. If you’re looking for great music, a lively party, excellent food, and a large crowd to ring in the new year, this is the event for you. Tickets should be purchased in advance as they usually sell out! Your $75 ticket includes full access to the dinner buffet, three stages of live music, champagne, party favors, and, at the stroke of midnight, access to the breakfast spread as the party continues all night long.

Reelin’ In the New Year at the Wharf

  • Wednesday, January 1st, 2025, All-day
  • Main Street on the Wharf + Marlin Circle
  • alwharf.com/events

Put on by Pepsi & Miller Lite, this New Year’s Street Party is fun for the whole family. A staple of the Alabama Gulf Coast, this festival is filled with family-friendly activities in the daylight hours before shifting to a full-on White Claw-fueled party at night. Kids will love the rock climbing wall, camel rides, and a 10 AM kids confetti drop.

After dark, you can expect a full firework display, live music, and the iconic “marlin drop” that makes this unique New Year’s celebration so popular.

Lulu’s Noon Year’s Eve

Lulu’s has got you covered if you’re looking for a family-friendly countdown to New Year’s Eve celebration. There is no need to keep the kids up until midnight when the colorful beach ball drop happens here at NOON. Enjoy face painting, a sandcastle-building contest, arts and crafts, kid-safe fireworks (by which I mean bubble wrap), and more!

Flora-Bama Polar Bear Dip

Yet another spectacular event put on by the Flora-Bama crew. This “polar plunge” isn’t exactly polar bear-level frigid, but it is undoubtedly a crisp swim meant to shock the New Year’s Eve hangover straight out of you. Come frolic in the wintertime waters of the Gulf of Mexico and hang out on the sand in fun, festive costumes or your favorite swimsuit. The event itself is totally free and is a fun tradition that many locals attend every single year. It’s also a precursor to a fun, sun-filled beach party to kick off January the right way.

OWA New Year’s Eve Weekend

These are actually two events rolled into one. On Saturday night, at around 8:45 PM, the annual Sparks and Sounds kick off the NYE festivities with live bands and a spectacular fireworks show.

This lively party is for those who wish to celebrate on the weekend rather than New Year’s Day itself. Sunday is a family-friendly Bubbles and Beats street party starting at 2 PM and continuing until 5 PM. Kids will love the music and the giant bubble pools!

Ring in the New Year at a  Beachfront Rental

Whether you choose the boozy late-night bashes of the Flora-Bama Bar or the chilled-out, kid-friendly daytime activities, Gulf Shores has plenty of events to help you ring in the new year right.

Our vacation rentals perched on the silky white sands of the Gulf Coast offer the best night’s sleep in the area. This will allow you to recuperate from the late-night festivities and enjoy all the other lovely wintertime attractions on offer in the Gulf Shores and Orange Beach area.