How to celebrate New Year’s Eve 2025 in Switzerland’s 5 major cities

Christmas may now be behind us but there’s one thing we can all look forward to over the next few days: the arrival of 2026. Whether you’re looking for fireworks displays, a party or something a bit different, here is how the five largest cities in Switzerland plan to celebrate New Year’s Eve in 2025.

Zurich will welcome 2026 with fireworks over the lake

Zurich comes alive at New Year, with much of the city going out and celebrating Silvester. 2025/26 will be no different, with plenty of events happening in the city for you to choose from.

Between 11.40pm and 11.58pm on Wednesday, December 31, families and friends will gather to hear the ringing of the Grossmünster bells. At 00.19am, the city lights will be switched off and a magical fireworks display will follow, lasting until 00.40am and lighting up the skies over Lake Zurich.

If you prefer to kick off the party earlier, head into the city from 2pm for food, drinks, children's games and much more. There will also be three areas, Schifflände, Bürkliplatz, and General-Guisan-Quai, playing live music from 8pm until early in the morning.

Geneva to host free concert on Quai Gustave-Ador on New Year's Eve

Once again, Geneva is set to host quite the party on New Year’s Eve. Residents and visitors can join the Fête du 31 décembre in the city centre, where DJs, food, drinks and a fireworks display will turn the night into an unforgettable experience.

Located at Quai Gustave-Ador, guests can join the party from 9pm on New Year's Eve to 2am on January 1, 2026. A fireworks display will also take place at 12am, hosted by the Fairmont Hotel. Some roads in the city will be closed and public transport will run more frequently than usual until 2am. 

Basel welcomes 2026 at the cathedral

For the second year in a row, Basel will not welcome in 2026 with a public fireworks display. However, you can still head to Basel Cathedral (Basler Münster) where there will be music, singing and lots of merriment from 11.30pm. A church service will start at 12.15am.

There are plenty of other options if you’re looking to party. Places like Theatre Basel and Palazzo Colombino are putting on special events to celebrate the New Year.

Lausanne Cathedral to “burn” in New Year tradition

New Year’s Eve in Lausanne is quite a unique experience. The city celebrates with a tradition dating back to 1904 in which the Amis de la Cité, or Friends of the City, light up (or “burn”) the Lausanne Cathedral between midnight and 1am.

From 6pm to 2am, a huge silent disco will also be held at Plateforme 10 as part of the end of Bô Noël, along with a number of other events planned across the capital of Canton Vaud.

Toast at Münsterplatz in Bern or join the Achetringele in Laupen

Residents of Bern also take part in a New Year’s Eve tradition where friends, families and anyone who would like to join gather on Münsterplatz to raise a glass and welcome in the New Year. In the run-up to midnight, the church bells will be rung 12 times and celebrations will commence.

For something a little more spooky, head to the small town of Laupen where people don scary (gfürchigi) masks and parade their way through the streets. The tradition known as Achetringele hopes to drive out the evil spirits as the year comes to an end.