We have prepared a great 2023 guide A Bright New Year in Marbella and a great 2021 guide Where to celebrate New years eve in Marbella Below you can read our 2022 edition which will also serve as a guide.
Marbella historians will one day write that 2022 was the year that, to paraphrase that esteemed English philosopher, Austin Powers, Marbs got its Mojo back.
The spectacular summer season segued seamlessly into the autumn and winter months, so if you want to bid farewell to 2022 and welcome in 2023 in an appropriate fashion, here are some of BRIGHT’s recommendations.
Article by Giles Brown
With the pandemic regulations finally relaxed, you can expect one of Marbella’s oldest traditions to make a comeback. Seeing in the New Year with a bottle of cava and lucky grapes in the Plaza de los Naranjos and kissing strangers at midnight is a tradition so ancient that even I remember doing it in the 80’s. Expect the Plaza to be packed, however, so if you are still not that comfortable around crowds, or being unexpectedly sprayed with cheap cava, then it is, perhaps, best to steer clear.
Breathe, one of the most popular nightspots close to Puerto Banús, is hosting a “NYE on Fire” themed party for the second year running. Or, perhaps, they have not stopped partying since NYE22. The night promises world-class entertainment, DJs, musical performers and an exquisite menu prepared for the occasion, including a Champagne & Oysters aperitif. Breathe has said that the event will be its most spectacular, outrageous, and extravagant event to date. When you consider that the last event I went to included waiters and bar staff in full Avatar make up and stilt walkers draped in what seemed to be half the Amazon – not forgetting a woodland nymph who did her best poison ivy pose as she wrapped herself around me for a selfie – this promises to be quite a party!
At Miss Raw, located in the Marbella Arena, New Year’s Eve will see the popular bar and restaurant, already well known for its cabaret and live music, take it up another level. Expect dancing on, around and possibly even under the tables.
Sadly, 2022 saw the death of the grande dame of Marbella nightlife, Olivia Valère. Olivia may be gone, but the party goes on and this year LOV by Olivia Valère presents “Versailles”. Promising a wide selection of royal delights, the restaurant will reflect the elegance and refinement of Versailles’ Court, while the nightclub will also be open for a party on New Year’s Eve.
One of the most opulent events will be at Nobu Marbella. The evening begins with an exciting culinary event, the chef’s curated Omakase menu. The special selection of handcrafted dishes and delicacies together with a glamorous atmosphere makes this one of the hottest tables in town for celebrating the countdown to the New Year.
The party continues at La Plaza, with live music and the best DJs, before a night of sophisticated luxury in Nobu Marbella Hotel’s sleek, minimalist accommodation. Then, for the perfect start to your 2023, enjoy a Nobu beachside breakfast. Although you might find it difficult to stagger down after the previous night’s excesses. There is always room service…
No question about it. Puente Romano is an essential stop for serious merrymaking over the festive season. So much so that perhaps they should rename it Party Romano during the last week of the year. La Plaza, at the centre of the resort, is sure to have one of the best atmospheres. Indulge in gourmet bites, celebrate with the finest cocktails, and mix with the coolest people at the hottest spot in town, as live DJ sets take the lively atmosphere to another level.
If a sit-down dinner is more your thing, then Puente Romano’s Salon Andalucía will be the venue for an elegant New Year’s Eve gala celebration. An effortlessly stylish occasion in the Puente Romano Ballroom, the night starts with exquisite canapés, followed by a five-course dinner including caviar, lobster, and beef tenderloin, all accompanied by fine wines and Bollinger Champagne.
Watching the last sunset of 2022 is bound to be a special moment, as it sets over the golden shores of the Mediterranean. Marbella favourite Sea Grill combines a spectacular beachside setting with a memorable multiple-course menu, live music, and plenty of entertaining surprises on NYE.
Elsewhere, La Sala is bound to be busy, with several live bands playing into the early hours for the always-up-for-it party crowd, while Joy’s in Puerto Banús has a comprehensive line up of the most popular acts, perfect if you want to bring in the New Year in good voice!
So, raise a glass of something blonde and bubbly – preferably with someone blonde and bubbly – and toast farewell to 2022, the Year Marbs got its Mojo Back. And to 2023, all we can say, as Austin Powers also put it so eloquently, is “Yeah, Baby! YEAH!!!!”
