With London in Tier 4, looks like we’re all going to be stuck at home this New Year’s Eve. Sure, you can take a turn around the local park with a glass of champers in hand, but if you don’t fancy the cold, stay at home and dial into one of these great online events…

Lead image: Edinburgh’s Hogmanay (photo by Liam Anderstrem/Airborne Lens)

1 Edinburgh Hogmanay Online
28 December-1 January
Well, the one advantage of a virtual New Year’s Eve is that you can honour the traditions of far-flung destinations, like Edinburgh’s Hogmanay. Sure, Edinburgh is hardly the other side of the world, but it might as well be if you’re locked into Tier 4 (*sad face emoji*). Edinburgh’s Hogmanay, one of the world’s leading new year celebrations, will move entirely online this year for the first time in its history. Produced by Underbelly on behalf of the City of Edinburgh Council, the free series of shows promises visually-spectacular, never-seen-before moments created using multisensory creativity and pioneering technology crafted, and streamed every evening from 28 Dec through to 1 Jan. Hogmanay 2020 will be hosted and narrated by a powerhouse of Scottish talent including David Tennant, award-winning poet Jackie Kay, Celtic fusion band Niteworks and Scottish actors Lorne MacFayden and Siobhan Redmond.
Watch online at edinburghshogmanay.com

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2 The Hungry Heart NYE Party
31 December
Hungry Heart, the one and only bumper-to-bumper Bruce Springsteen disco, is back with its 21st Live Stream House Party, and this time it’s a New Year’s Eve biggie. The first ever Hungry Heart NYE Party – which rightfully ought to have been a huge IRL Boss bash somewhere in London – will be a full-on house party mix of tracks beamed right into your living room, along with your usual supply of Brucie bangers, live gems dug out of the archives, brilliant B-Sides and the odd festive tune or two… There will also be a bunch of prizes to be won, so fire up your laptop or get Twitch on your TV and ring in 2021 with Springsteen fans from across the globe. Tune in at 7.55pm for an 8pm kick off. It’s free but you can send a tip via PayPal to help keep this unique indie going.
hungryheartevents.com

3 Rave to the Moon
31 December
Rave To The Moon is shooting for the stars as New Years Eve’s biggest virtual event – ever. Leaving no moonstone unturned, the organisers have even recruited Nicole Stott, the 10th woman ever to travel through outer-space, to prepare for blast off with a NASA-style countdown. Livestreamed via global music community Mixcloud Live and streaming partner Royal Albert Hall, and created by world-record-breaking beatboxer and festival mainstage staple, SK Shlomo, global stars including Rob Da Bank, Mr Scruff, Arielle Free, Ellie Prohan, DJ Yoda, Utah Saints, Basement Jaxx’ Felix Buxton and Vula, Beardyman and Heartless Crew will beam electrifying virtual DJ sets live into homes worldwide. The free online party is the world’s first charity rave-a-thon, with a star-studded DJ line-up joining forces to raise thousands for charity. The aim – as well as having a good time – is to stomp the distance to the moon with the collective steps of ravers across the world, which will be counted in real-time using the free app Sweatcoin. 8pm-1am.
ravetothemoon.tv

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4 La Petite Mort
31 December
Looking for something a little saucier, more seductive and perhaps a little more 60s Soho this New Year’s Eve? The House of Vixens, a production company dedicated to an exploration into the world of erotic storytelling, has just the thing: La Petite Mort. A Death Ritual for 2020, the online luxury immersive film experience has been created by professional artists and dancers, a number of whom work, or have worked, as strippers, dommes and cam-girls, with a series of cinematic vignettes, all focusing on erotica and female liberation. House of Vixens makes a firm assertion that visual erotica can be created for far more than the male gaze – making work for people of all genders to experience and explore sexuality and eroticism. All tickets will provide you with warm up and afterparty playlists, exclusive discount codes for a variety of luxurious erotica, and House of Vixen’s special Elixir recipe, should you wish to imbibe more alchemic delights as the night goes on. Log in at 11pm for an 11.30pm showtime. Tickets £27.
houseofvixens.com

La Petite Mort by the House of Vixens is a Death Ritual for 2020 (photo courtesy House of Vixens)

5 Digital Murder Mystery Co
Any time
The Digital Murder Mystery Co is offering a great alternative to the standard New Year’s Eve celebration, with off-the-peg, download-ready murder mysteries, or bespoke immersive experiences available. Choose from themes such as Studio 54, 1920’s Paris, 1930’s Nile Cruise, Vintage Circus, Alice in Wonderland, the Grand Horror Hotel and more. One thing remains constant throughout the themes – somebody won’t make it through the night, and it’s your job to find out whodunnit! Each mystery is set up for 12 players, with the option to buy more characters for £5 each. All characters are non-gender specific and you receive party-planning tips from resident expert Charlotte Ricard-Quesada of La Fête, character profiles, mini-scripts, clues for the action and custom playlists to help get everyone in the mood. From £69.
digitalmurdermystery.com

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6 Polar Beat
31 December
Polar Beat, the world’s largest live concert with world-famous Sigur Ros and Kaleo, is offering something most NYE parties (and indeed IRL trips to Iceland) can’t – a guaranteed Northern Lights experience. Music artists and celebrities, who will be transformed into avatars for the night, have joined forces with Icelandic tech innovators OZ and Snapchat to host the free virtual global concert like no other. You too can transform yourself into a 3D avatar and dance the night away alongside the globally renowned bands and Icelandic celebrities. For all those who have dreamt of spending New Year’s Eve in Iceland under the spectacular Northern Lights and legendary fireworks, this is the opportunity to do so, albeit virtually. The entire experience will be broadcast on Iceland’s national TV network RUV and streamed on newyear.is and the sign-up process is free – but you’ll need a Snapchat account to participate. From 11.30pm.
newyear.is