New Year’s Eve is here, and there are many reasons to look forward to the next trip around the sun. And you can bet there are plenty of live performances, drinks, and good company to be found within each one of these options.
Here you will find different venues where you can cut loose and experience the Omaha nightlife – everything from the affordable to the extravagant, from chill to highly energetic. Read on ten things to do in Omaha for New Year’s.
Queer Nite: New Year’s Eve at The Sydney
- The Sydney: 5918 Maple St |(402) 932-9262
- $10 |10 p.m. start
An extra rad New Year’s Eve version of Queer Night will take place at The Sydney this year. Attendees must be aged 21 and up to attend, as there will be plenty of boozing.
Purris Stilton and Ziggy Quinn will be hosting to keep the event lively and moving along so that everyone can blow the roof off. The evening will include a lineup of live electronic and dance acts. The performers include DJ Grazy, Academixxx, Alana Viviana, Celeste Starr Quinn, Danii Sevyn, Diablo, Milö Nova, and Plain Jane.
The Sydney opened in April 2012, recently celebrating its tenth anniversary. The venue has recently hosted successful amateur drag shows. New Year’s Queer Nite is a way to celebrate inclusivity and ring in the new year that you envision the right way!
Damien McCarthy at the Dubliner Pub
- Dubliner Pub: 1205 Harney St |(402) 342-5887
- $5 |9:30 p.m. start
The Dubliner Pub is no stranger to extravagant Irish events, but the venue is in for a special treat this New Year’s Eve: Damien McCarthy performs.
Damien McCarthy, hailing from Limerick, Ireland, is a session musician and singer-songwriter who has been on tour for 20 years. Known for having a one-of-a-kind style and approach to covers, McCarthy adds his flavorful touch to each song, with a fine-tuned approach to vocals and a fiery approach to the guitar.
There is already a lot to celebrate with McCarthy’s accomplished 20 year career, including touring the world and fronting many versions of his enduring solo project. But all the dope session players that he has jammed alongside has made him, as a standalone performer or as a member of a fluid Irish rocking group, very entertaining.
McCarthy’s music loves an audience, and the audiences love his music. Why not start the New Year with a night of Irish music and drinks as he tours the nation solo?
New Year’s at The Down Under
- The Down Under: 3530 Leavenworth St |(402) 933-3927
- 9:30 p.m. show |$8:30 p.m. doors
- $10-$15
The carefree, passionate vibe of The Down Under will see Las Cruxes and other rad bands take the stage this New Year’s for the DU’s annual sendoff. There will even be giveaways and a champagne toast at midnight.
After releasing an EP in 2017, an album in 2018, and consistent singles, Las Cruxes continues to share their awesome tunes live along the way. Alkyvad, Big AL band, and Jar will also take the stage.
The DU stage will be a sweet arena for the stacked lineup. The Down Under is a 2022 Readers Recommend winner, and its open mic on Wednesday nights, which has been running strong for years and is well-known throughout the city’s music scene, is worth checking out if you haven’t yet.
Tickets to this shindig are $10 if you buy them in advance. Otherwise, they are $15 at the door before fees.
ECKO at Two Fine Irishmen
- Two Fine Irishmen: 18101 R Plaza | (402) 933-3990
- $10 |8 p.m. show
- VIP starting at $100
Versatile Omaha cover band ECKO (also known as Eckophonic) will tune Two Fine Irishmen into a classic night of hanging out and dancing to great music. Rock out to your favorite hits, spanning generations and genres of musical artists, and play pool, darts, or arcade games. Stroll out to the awesome patio, and repeat.
Single entry for the evening costs $10, and with that comes a glass of champagne at midnight. If you want to enhance your experience, you can reserve tables: For $100, reserve tables for four, with champagne, dessert, and waived entry fees. Reserve tables for six for $150, and get two champagne bottles, two desserts, and waived entry.
Enjoy a classy and memorable New Year’s Eve-nin’ solo or with your favorite group of friends and loved ones. The band has more than earned its reputation, and the classic Irishmen venue and bar will make a great companion.
NYE Bash at Reverb Lounge
- Reverb Lounge: 6121 Military Ave |(402) 884-5707
- Doors at 9 p.m. |10 p.m. show
- $15 before fees
Reverb Lounge is throwing a New Year’s Eve Bash that rivals other celebrations in sheer tenacity. The special celebration at midnight will help punctuate an evening of awesome, shamelessly heavy/hardcore bands that will set the mood right.
Midwest melodic hardcore band, Wither, Decay will be headlining the show. They recently released a single, “Moonlight,” which you can stream on most platforms. But before Wither, Decay performs, talented supporting bands will take the stage.
Downhearted is an Omaha hardcore five-piece that is reuniting for the show, and their last song, “Morning Light,” was released a year ago. Given is a five-piece that just released their first single, “Moonwater.” Neo Sol is a melodic groove metal band that released their first single, “Let Go,” about nine months ago.
The Reverb show will be a great way to close out the year!
Comedy Trifecta at Funny Bone
- Funny Bone: 17305 Davenport St |(402) 493-8036
- $20 | 7, 7:30, and 10 p.m. shows
After a year of a ton of diverse comedy events, three more nights of live comedy will make for four total shows at the Funny Bone this New Year’s weekend.
Steve Gillespie, Justin Smith, and Gabe Biel are all on the bill to bring you a hilarious New Year’s Eve. It will be one for the books, so come solo or with a group to toast the new year in laughter and style.
There will be four showings. On December 29-30, arrive at 6:45 p.m. because the show starts at 7:30 p.m. on both nights. Following, on December 31, the first show begins at 7 p.m. with doors at 6:15 p.m. And for the second showing, arrive at 9:30 p.m. for the doors, and the show commences at 10.
Tickets include a celebratory toast of champagne and party favors. Purchase tickets and find additional information on Funny Bone’s site. Note you must be 21 and up to enter the laugh-inducing trifecta!
Three Bar Karaoke at Moe and Curly’s
- Starts at Moe and Curly’s: 1011 Capitol Ave (Three bars total)
- Free entry |8 p.m. – 2 a.m.
- Optional open bar and VIP: $95-$380
Moe and Curly’s and its surrounding bar establishments will host another exciting New Year’s bash featuring clutch drink specials, karaoke, and more.
There is no cost to enter the party. Try your best at nailing or butchering your favorite song or cheering someone else on! Just going for it is a timeless part of any decent celebration. And whether you’re single or in a team, sing your heart out!
Open bar and VIP table options vary. Individuals can purchase a $95 package that includes half off of all premium and top-shelf drinks. For $195-$380, you can make reservations for two or four, which guarantees those VIP discounts plus complimentary champagne.
The open bar will stay active from 8 p.m. – 2 a.m., and you can make reservations for these options online. To do so, visit their website.
Masquerade party at Maloney’s
- Maloney’s Irish Pub: 1830 N 72nd St | (402) 884-5411
- Starts at 1 p.m.
If you want an uplifting bar night with a built-in karaoke party to attend, and if you enjoy masquerade parties, then you are in luck because karaoke meets masked mingling, making for a good time at Maloney’s this New Year’s Eve.
If your mask and disguise are convincing, you may win the best-dressed contest. And if you are into the tradition, you will receive a glass of complimentary champagne for the celebratory toast at midnight!
And if you are drinking, tequila shots are $2, and apple pie shots are $4, thanks to the menu special.
Maloney’s has been voted Best Irish Bar from 2020-2021, and they recently held a successful run of their unique bar Olympics during the fall. And if you want to try your hand at shuffleboard, go for it. They open early but remember to pace yourself out there.
NYE at Krug Park, presented by Drips
- Krug Park: 6205 Maple St | (402) 932-0038
- 9 p.m. – 1 a.m.
Whether you want to express yourself in a low-key or extravagant style or your unique dash of eclecticism that lands somewhere in between, all are welcome to party at Krug Park.
Krug Park, located in Benson, is known for its wide variety of beers and unmatched Bloody Marys. The acclaimed Benson bar created a special drink menu for the party and will even serve non-alcoholic options for those enjoying a sober NYE.
W. Groves and Lowercase Tres will DJ the event to bring you the best house music and atmosphere for a vibing New Year’s Eve gathering so that you can kick back to the chill electronic music and countdown to midnight. Drips Botanical Elements, a prominent nursery in town, will assist in presenting the event.
There is no cover, but you must be 21 to attend.
NYE at The Slowdown
- The Slowdown: 729 N 14th St |(402) 345-7569
- 9 p.m. show |Doors at 8 p.m.
- $20-$30 before fees
The Slowdown is hosting a New Year’s Eve bash in the main room with DJs, a champagne toast at midnight, and dancing during the evening. It will be another of many memorable celebrations since the venue first opened in 2007, but it is likely to stand out as one of the most needed after the last few years.
So, come for a memorable night of New Year’s celebration and delicious drinks. And whether you bring a crew or come alone, wear your dancing shoes and be sure to hit the dancefloor, as there will be some fantastic music blasting on the Slowdown’s thunderous speaker system!
Entrance into the event has proven to be a hot commodity, as options for VIP are currently unavailable/sold out, but general admission tickets are still available.