Celebrate New Year's Eve in Style in Medellin 2022

view of the city in the middle of the new year celebration

TLDR? In Medellin, you can celebrate New Year’s Eve in the Marquee or Landmark hotels in Poblado!

While a lot of the city’s moneyed locals enjoy skipping town to celebrate New Year’s Eve on the Caribbean coast in Cartagena or Santa Marta, not everyone does. And, those who prefer to stay close to home sure know how to celebrate New Year’s Eve in Medellin in style. 

Some of the best places to catch a New Year’s party in Medellin are at our very own Marquee and Landmark hotels!

This useful guide is filled with tips on how to get your end-of-year party shizzle together fast. Keep reading for what you need to know for a rocking NYE in Medellin!

How to Plan for New Year’s Eve in Medellin

Medellin streets with Christmas lights around

Like most of the world’s hottest New Year destinations, getting organized for your NYE shindig in Medellin well in advance is key to making the most of the biggest night of the year.

Medellin’s best mountain retreats, luxury vacation rentals and hotels get booked out early. That’s because every year more and more foreign visitors are choosing to skip the crowds in Cartagena to spend their New Year in the mountains.

So, you want to start planning sooner rather than later to avoid disappointment.

Likewise booking dinner at one of Medellin’s best restaurants or getting onto the guest list of Medellin’s New Year’s Eve parties can prove a challenge.

Top New Year’s Feasts in Medellin

new year dinner with friends

A fabulous meal is a wonderful way to say goodbye to what shall we say has been a challenging year. And there are some delicious, gourmet spreads being cooked up by Medellin’s top chefs.

Our favorite Medellin restaurants get booked out fast on New Year’s Eve. So, if you want your last meal of 2021 to be your best meal of the year, call us for help.

We’ll help you snag a table at one of the best places to eat in the city.

Abbiocco by Carmen

interior view of the restaurant

In this place, you’ll find a unique combination of Italian cuisine with Colombian ingredients and flavors.

Abbiocco is on the first floor of the Marquee Hotel, one of the most luxurious and expensive stays in the city. If that doesn’t scream New Year’s, I don’t know what does!

Abbiocco has a classic dinner going this year, complete with bubbly cocktails and fine dining to get your night started. Plus, since it’s located in Parque Lleras, you can easily hop over to some of the nearby clubs once you’re finished with your meal!

Website: https://marqueemedellin.com/restaurant-abbioco/
Address: Cra. 38 #9a-13, El Poblado, Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia

Carmen Restaurante

a view inside the Carmen restaurant where we see its style with a lot of wood.

Carmen’s sophisticated tasting menu and a sensational collection of craft cocktails and devilish attention to detail has helped this El Poblado culinary landmark hold off an army of upstarts for the title of best restaurant in Medellin for more than a decade.

Website: http://www.carmenmedellin.com/
Address: Carrera 36 No. 10A-27 El Poblado, Medellín, Colombia

Oci.Mde

a view inside the Oci.Mde restaurant where we see its brick walls and rustic style

Effortlessly laid-back, Oci.Mde serves up comfort food that they slow-cook to perfection. They have an award-winning architectural setting at the upper end of Provenza’s best-tasting street.

Website: https://www.ocimde.com/
Address: Carrera 33 No.7-21, El Poblado, Medellín, Colombia

Bastardo

open air restaurant with many people inside

This restaurant is located in Provenza, one of the best areas of the city, and offers signature food and cocktails.

Bastardo usually hosts a San Silvestre festival each year. There you can get ready to spend the end of the year with live music, a DJ, a New Year’s toast, and typical food!

This place is sort of like the best of both worlds, giving you a great place to party and a tasty, classy meal!

Website: https://restaurantebastardo.com/en/menus/
Address: Cra. 35 #No 8A-11, El Poblado, Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia

The Market and NAU Sushi

a mixed plate of sushi with four flavors and plaice sauce.

We give a resounding yes to receiving the year with brunch! After all, what better way to cure last night’s hangover than with mimosas and a hearty meal?

The Market and NAU Sushi announced that they will host a 2023 brunch on January 1 between 12 pm and 4 pm. It will be an event with live music, cocktails, soft drinks, and an unlimited food bar.

Whether you want a way to wind down after last night or you plan to skip the midnight shenanigans and stick to classy meals, this is a great place to swing by this year.
Address: Cl. 1a Sur #43A-83, El Poblado, Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia

Where to Watch the New Year’s Eve Fireworks in Medellin

Where to Watch the NYE Fireworks in Medellin

Unlike some New Year’s Eve destinations that encourage people to congregate in one spot like Time Square in New York, that’s not the case in Medellin.

In fact, in Medellin there’s no single answer to the question “Where to watch the fireworks in Medellin on New Year’s Eve?”

Still, there are plenty of top places to appreciate the stellar display of firecrackers lighting up the Colombian sky. That includes down by the river amidst the city’s Christmas lights or one of the trendy rooftop bars in Poblado.

If you want to check out our guide to the best rooftop bars in Medellin that’s a good starting point. Here’s a few places that are a good shout for a privileged perch to catch the New Year’s Eve fireworks in Medellin.

The Rooftop at the Marquee

a view of the city from The Rooftop bar  at the Marquee

The Marquee Hotel’s exclusive rooftop is the perfect place for anyone after an incredible New Year’s eve party. Not only can you take in panoramic views of the city, but you can do it all while enjoying the rooftop bar!

There’s also a pool out there, so if you’re lucky enough to catch one of Medellin’s warmer nights, it might just be the perfect time to take a dip.

Website: https://marqueemedellin.com/rooftop/
Address: Cra. 38 #9A-13, El Poblado, Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia

The Rooftop at the Landmark

a great view of the city from The Rooftop at the Landmark

The rooftop at the Landmark is another place for locals to check out while hanging around in Medellin. Here you can catch a view of the fireworks while lounging in (or by) the poolside. As a family-friendly hotel, there’s even an area where the kids can hang out!

Website: https://landmarkmedellin.com/rooftop/
Address: Cl. 14 #43D 85, Manila, Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia

Mosquito Rooftop

In the Mosquito Rooftop you will see a jacuzzi and a good view of the city

You can’t miss the 11-story poshtel, The Somos, with its distinctive staircase linking the basement bar and diner to the rooftop. Get there early-ish for a Gin & Tonic and a deep house sunset with an impressive 360 view of the city and Medellin’s marvelous mountain backdrop that’s perfect to marvel at the fireworks at midnight.

Website: https://www.thesomos.com/
Address: Calle 10a #40-19, Poblado, Medellin

La Deriva

bas and pool with purple lights in La Deriva.

The L-shaped jungle on the roof of the Click Clack hotel hides a pool with a party in the best possible Miami-style. A lively and lovely crowd makes Click Clack’s La Deriva rooftop bar, a fun place to dress to check out the New Year’s Eve fireworks with the option of ending up in the pool.

Website: https://clickclackhotel.com/medellin/
Address: Calle 10B #37-29, Poblado, Medellin

Top New Year’s Eve Parties in Medellin

Top NYE Parties in Medellin

To use a popular Colombian expression, Medellin’s clubs love to throw the sink out of the kitchen window on New Year’s Eve. The biggest and brashest clubs and the city’s biggest destination restaurant venues love to throw a party. 

Whether you like to get dressed up and rub shoulders with Medellin’s elites at a ritzy hotel gala evening or prefer to get proper mashed with the crazy kids at the city’s top New Year’s Eve Pop-Up Party, there’s a special New Year’s Eve guest-list with your name on it.

We’ll update this guide with links to the best parties when information is released by the organizers.  

MUTE presents: NYE with Truncate

La Estrella, is hosting what’s set to be a banging music festival on New Year’s Eve night. The area will come alive with DJs and live music, perfect for you to rock out to!

This party is a little bit farther out of the city, and is located down in Itagui. However, if you don’t mind going for a bit of a hike, it might just be a great place to swing by!

Just make sure to grab your tickets ahead of time so that you don’t miss out.

Website: https://ra.co/events/1616222
Address: Cl. 80 Sur #50-61, La Estrella, Antioquia, Colombia

Dulce Jesus Mio

If a more traditional party is what you’re after, Dulce Jesus Mio might just be the place to check out! This nightclub comes to life every Saturday, making it a fun time for anyone who walks through the front doors.

However, on New Year’s Eve the place really outdoes itself. That means December 31st might just be the perfect time to pay this place a visit!

Website: https://fondadulcejesusmio.com/
Address: Cra. 38 #19-255, El Poblado, Medellín, El Poblado, Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia

Other New Year’s Activities in Medellin

If parties aren’t your thing, don’t panic! There are plenty of other activities to engage in around Medellin on New Year’s. Here are a couple of my favorites to check out.

Take a Tour in a Chiva Rumbera

The chiva is a means of transportation widely used in the municipalities of Antioquia to transport people who live in hamlets. However, these colorful buses circulate in the city doing tours. You’ll even see people hosting celebrations and parties on them!

If you are in Medellin with a large group of people, this can be an unforgettable experience. These chiva rumberas often involve lots of alcohol, bopping music, and tours of the local Christmas lights. They’re especially popular around the holidays, making this the perfect time to climb aboard one yourself.

You choose the tour you prefer. You can even go to the Christmas lights without having to walk or get off.

Check Out the Holiday Lights

Medellin has been setting up some of the country’s best lights displays for about 55 years, and this year is no different!

If you want to see the Medellin Christmas lights on or before New Year’s eve, you’ll be able to see 3,200 elaborate figures and assemblies of 10 million led bulbs.

A few places you can spot the lights include:

  • Parques del Rio 
  • Parque Norte
  • La Playa Avenue 
  • Cerro Nutibara or Pueblito Paisa 

Likewise, you can visit the different main parks of the municipalities surrounding Medellin. These municipalities are also decorated and have very innovative shows at this time of year. A couple municipalities you can check out include:

  • Sabaneta
  • Envigado
  • Itagüí
  • Bello

New Year’s Traditions in Medellín

If you want to really get into the holiday spirit, you can also participate in some of Medellin’s holiday traditions. Here are a few Colombian traditions that you can join in on to make your Medellin New Year complete!

Wear Yellow Underwear

One fun Colombian tradition is to wear yellow underwear on New Year’s. The underwear has to be new and never worn before, and is meant to bring a year full of love, health, and money!

Eat Twelve Grapes for the Twelve Strokes of Midnight

You’re probably going to look like a hamster if you don’t chew them all at one time. But that’s what makes this tradition fun!

One Colombian tradition is to eat twelve grapes for the twelve strokes of midnight that welcome in the New Year. For each grape you eat, you get to make a wish. Just chew fast!

Store Lentils in Your Pockets

Another holiday tradition is to keep a handful of lentils in your pocket. Doing so is said to bring fortune and wealth in the coming year.

Take a Walk around the Block with Your Suitcase

As a traveler, this is one tradition you’ve got to know about. One paisa tradition is to take a walk around the block with your suitcase. The tradition goes that if you do, you’ll be destined to travel in the new year!

Burn the ‘Year-End Doll’

The ‘year-end’ is a doll that families make with old clothes stuffed with sawdust. It’s sort of like a scarecrow and is meant to represent all the things you want to leave behind from the past year.

Then, families parade them down the street to symbolize getting rid of the old year and welcoming in a clean slate. At the end of the parade, you get to burn it!

Decorate the Table with Wheat

If you decide to spend your New Year’s Eve at your accommodation or Airbnb, you may want to spruce the place up with some Medellin decorations. Locals often decorate the house with ears of wheat to symbolize a change or transformation. It’s a unique holiday tradition that makes your home look great!

Celebrate New Year’s Eve in Style in Medellin

Our team of concierges is always the first to hear what’s what. So, send us an email if you want us to keep you in the loop on the best New Year’s Eve parties in Medellin.

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