We have prepared a great 2023 guide A Bright New Year in Marbella and a great 2022 guide Marbella’s 2022 New Year Eve Parties. Below you can read our 2021 edition which will also serve as a guide.
Marbella might be a little light on mistletoe and seasonal snow, but you can’t beat the coast at Christmas. Maybe it is something to do with our enviable climate and the fact that, rather than shivering in the sleet in Slough, Marbella often basks in winter sunshine, allowing you to enjoy Christmas lunch on the terrace. With a cosmopolitan international community, we enjoy a feeling of goodwill to all men all year round, but you might have to put that down to the wine, mulled or otherwise.
Article by Giles Brown
The post pandemic situation might be a little more secure than it was 12 months ago, but celebrations during the time of COVID-19 still mean that many people are wary of large gatherings. Seeing in the New Year with a bottle of cava in the Plaza de los Naranjos and kissing strangers at midnight might not be the best idea right now. Celebrating in a more controlled atmosphere is a safer option, and many hotels, clubs and restaurants have adopted protocols to ensure that we can still enjoy a memorable night.
Breathe, one of the most popular nightspots close to Puerto Banus, is hosting a “NYE on Fire” themed party. Their rooftop bar, Air, enjoys fabulous views across to Marbella, and is the perfect place to let your hair down. With live DJ sets from resident DJ So&So, plus special guest DJ Juanma Sanchez, you are sure to be able to dance away the stresses of 2021. Live entertainment through the night allows you to take a breather, sit back and toast 2022 with a glass of Tattinger.
Puerto Banús itself is bound to be busy on New Year’s Eve with bars such as Sinatra, Portside, La Habana and News Café always popular. For a cosy atmosphere amidst the port madness, head to the legendary Los Bandidos Restaurant, which has been the port’s landmark for over 30 years. There you could celebrate with a sumptuous New Year’s menu that includes homemade foie gras, fresh lobster and exotic sherbets.
One of Marbella’s most beautiful settings, Boho Club is celebrating New Year’s Eve with a Disco party that promises to be a tantalising mixture of music and gastronomy. (I have had the pleasure of eating there on several occasions and Executive Chef Diego del Rio never fails to amaze). Offering a special tasting menu, DJ set and surprises, you can bring in 2022 in brilliant bohemian style.
Speaking of themed parties, the grande dame of Marbella nightlife, Olivia Valere, will be celebrating with a joyful Dolce Vita theme complete with a truffle-sprinkled dinner menu, a DJ set and a live show which will honour the twelve-grape countdown tradition.
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 be one of the best atmospheres on January 31 with gourmet bites, from caviar to wagyu beef, outstanding cocktails and an impossibly cool party crowd celebrating to the live DJ sets throughout the night.
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. Promising an evening of ‘sparkle and wonder’ 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.
For a light and joyful start to the night at Puente Romano, you might want to consider heading to Lobito de Mar – Dani Garcia’s local hotspot. Having just scored two Michelin stars for his new Madrid restaurant, Smoked Room, the spirit of decadent celebration is bound to be present at all of Garcia’s venues.
Kempinski Hotel Bahia goes back to the Roaring 20s this year, with two parties to choose from – The ‘Jazz Speakeasy’ or ‘The Great Gatsby’. As you might expect, The Great Gatsby is a more decadent affair, featuring a six-course meal in the Alminar restaurant, live music, grapes at midnight, a champagne toast, and fireworks. The ‘Jazz Speakeasy’ party in the Baltazar Bar & Grill will also have live music, a more relaxed atmosphere and ends at midnight with a champagne toast and fireworks. Afterwards guests from both parties can move to the 20s themed Black Rose bar with dancing into the early hours.
Bar Six, located on the busy Aloha strip in Nueva Andalucía’s Golf Valley, is sure to be popular. With fabulous views over the nearby Las Brisas golf course, celebrations will include live music as well as DJs.
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 many locations all along the coast put on wonderful firework displays for New Year’s Eve. So if you don’t feel like eating gourmet food or partying this year, simply take some champagne to the beach and enjoy the fireworks!
Wishing all our readers a wonderful New Year. The future is BRIGHT!
