Parties, events, fireworks and more...

New Year's Eve 2020 in Florence: what to do and see.

Florence it's a magical place for a New Year break. There are free events, great food and parties, and just picture the town under a dusting of snow! Read on for tips about how and where to celebrate New Year's Eve in Florence in 2019-2020.

Events in Florence.

New Year's Eve in Florence is a little bit more low-key than in some other cities around the world, but there's still plenty going on, with free live shows taking place in a number of the town's historic squares. Many events have yet to be finalised; however, highlights usually include a concert in the Piazzale Michelangelo with a celebrity performer. Previous years have seen a circus in Piazza Bartali with stilt-walkers and puppeteers, a special News Year's Eve party for children with live performances and DJ's, gospel music in the Piazza San Lorenzo, live jazz in the Piazza del Carmine and orchestral music in the Piazza Signoria. There's no reason to think New Year's Eve 2020 will be any less stunning.

Events for children and families tend to kick off at around 6 pm, while concerts generally start at about 10 pm, lasting into the small hours of the morning. Assuming you want to leave time for a meal, you should have no problem organising a full evening of entertainment.

Fireworks in Florence.

Come midnight, lavish firework displays are laid on by many hotels, bars and restaurants in and around Florence. So if you like to end the old year with a bang, you won't be disappointed. The town also offers some spectacular vantage points for firework-watching, whether that's by the Duomo, on the Ponte Vecchio bridge or along the banks of the river Arno. If you want to grab a photo-op at one of these prized locations, it's a good idea to turn up well before midnight, as they're usually pretty crowded by the time the countdown for New Year begins.

Parties in Florence.

If you want to see out the old year on the dance floor, Florence has several popular clubs staging New Year's Eve parties. For example, Space Disco, a large, well-established club spread over two floors and located conveniently by the Santa Maria Novello train station, is offering a mix of hip hop and salsa to keep you on your toes right up to the last stroke of midnight. There will be a roster of celebrity DJ's, and once you've had your fill of dancing, you can enjoy a cocktail at an aquarium bar filled with tropical fish.

A number of the town's top clubs such as Club 21, Blue Velvet and Full Up are based around the Piazza Duomo and Piazza della Signoria in the historic centre, so you can always make a night of it by going on a tour from one to the other. It's worth checking individual clubs' websites for the latest updates on their plans for New Year.

New Year's Eve Dinner in Florence.

The Osteria dei Baroncelli, Ristorante Rubaconte and Trattoria da Benvenuto are just a few of the many restaurants in central Florence serving up delicious Tuscan New Year's Eve feasts. It's an opportunity to warm your bones with Florentine beef fillet, white truffles, smoked duck, wild boar and artichoke flan, and of course the Chianti and Trebbiano will be flowing too. You can opt for an early dinner from around 7:30 pm before heading to the clubs, or plan for a later dinner around 9:30 pm, with the chance to step outside with a glass of wine and toast the new year before heading back for dessert. For an even more atmospheric setting, there are also gala dinners in places of historic interest such as the Pagliazza Tower, one of the most ancient buildings in the whole of Florence. It's quite something to tuck into caviar and chestnuts in surroundings that date back over 1300 years, all the way to the sixth century.

New Year's Eve Florence 2020: Planning Your Stay

GruppoUNA offers several highly attractive options for New Year visitors to Florence. There's the UNAHOTELS Vittoria Firenze, decorated in Tuscan style with a contemporary edge, and with parking and bike hire facilities for extra convenience. Meanwhile, the Leone Blu Suites | UNA Esperienze luxury apartments are located in landmark castles and palaces and come packed with antiques so that you can steep yourself in a rich sense of Florentine history.