The year 2016 is finally almost at an end, and many people are very ready to celebrate that! If you’re going to be in Jakarta on the night of December 31, 2016, then we want to help you find the right place to celebrate it in style. Some people like to be surrounded by crowds while they count down to the New Year, while others like to see the year off by watching fireworks from a rooftop or partying at the club. If any of those sound good to you, there are plenty of options to choose from.
Public festivities
It’s likely that a lot of Jakartans will be taking to the streets on New Year’s Eve, specifically Jalan Thamrin and Jalan Sudirman. It’s a holiday tradition for the government to close the main downtown thoroughfares off to vehicles on New Year’s Eve. This year’s ‘Car Free Night’ event will see Thamrin-Sudirman shut from 5pm on Saturday, Dec 31, until 2am on Sunday.
The government is also bringing entertainment stages back to downtown this year. The plan is for stages to be set up near the National Monument (Monas), in front of the Mandarin Hotel in Bundaran HI, in front of fX mall and one in front of the entrance to Jalan Bendungan Hilir, although officials said the location of the stages may change depending on conditions.
It should also be said that the usual Car Free Sunday that takes place on Thamrin-Sudirman would not take place on Jan 1 due to its proximity to the Car Free Night program.
We haven’t seen any announcements about where fireworks displays will be taking place but in the past they’ve been put on at Bundaran HI and the National Monument (Monas).
Another good bet for a family friendly New Year’s Eve is up north in Ancol. This year, SCTV is putting on ‘Gempita 2017’, a program featuring some of Indonesia’s biggest musical acts like Noah and Geisha as well as cultural performances and ‘the biggest fireworks display’.
Get to a rooftop
One of the greatest things about New Year’s Eve in Jakarta is that the whole city erupts into a massive fireworks display around midnight (actually even well before, people get impatient), providing an incredible 360 degree view of colorful explosions going off all across the capital if you’re up high enough. That’s why rooftop bars are one of the best places to ring in the New Year here.
Besides those there are also NYE events at the Kosenda Hotel’s rooftop Awan Lounge and Por Que No in Menteng. You could also try Hause Rootop, BART at the Artotel and SHY Rooftop in Kemang, although we haven’t seen any info on their NYE events yet.
Dinners, concerts and club parties
If your main concern for NYE is eating, drinking and being merry, one of these events should fit the bill:
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