Remember old acquaintances (and maybe make some new ones) while you kiss the year goodbye. Masquerade balls, meditation sessions, a Post Malone concert — there are all kinds of ways to celebrate this New Year’s Eve. Here are our picks for an unforgettable start to 2019.
If you have Champagne taste (and a Champagne budget) . . .
Glitter in gold
Meet a mysterious stranger at the King’s Winter Masquerade at the McKittrick Hotel, longtime home to “Sleep No More.” Don your best royal gown or suit in black, gold and silver and add a mask (it’s BYOM). After a surf-and-turf feast, you’ll be treated to extravagant acrobatics and dancing to live jazz and a DJ. 21 and over. Tickets start at $150. Doors open at 6 p.m., 530 W. 27th St.; McKittrickHotel.com
Dress in disguise
The Illuminati Ball is an over-the-top, R-rated experience. Dress in something formal and creative, choose a mask from their masking room, then enter the ballroom for an initiation ceremony. Acrobats, singers and other performers will entertain you — or you can entertain yourself by wandering through several themed rooms. And yes, there’s an open bar, though you’ll have to buy your own snacks. 21 and over. Tickets start at $200. Doors open at 8:30 p.m., Weylin (the former Williamsburgh Savings Bank building), 175 Broadway, Williamsburg; TheIlluminatiBall.com
If you want to join the bands . . .
Get ready to rage
Looking for “big rings and Champagne”? Post Malone has you covered, well, “Congratulations.” The heavily tattooed “Rockstar” singer gets lit with opener Lil Pump at Barclays Center to usher in the new year. Tickets start at $60. Doors open at 9 p.m., 620 Atlantic Ave., Boerum Hill; BarclaysCenter.com
Sway into 2019
Brooklyn band the Lone Bellow brings its coffeehouse vibes to the Bowery Ballroom for a folksy, year-ending concert. Indie singer-songwriter Courtney Marie Andrews opens. 18 and over. Tickets $35. Doors open at 8 p.m., 6 Delancey St.; MercuryEastPresents.com
Rock on (and on and on)
Once again, Phish — the band that inspired a Ben and Jerry’s ice-cream flavor — returns to Madison Square Garden. Chances are, one of the extended plays will carry you right into the next year. Tickets start at $148. Doors open at 7:30 p.m., Madison Square Garden, Seventh Avenue at 32nd Street; MSG.com
Don’t say no
The House of Yes takes over Brooklyn’s Grand Prospect Hall for an evening of post-2018 recovery — in the form of dancing, performance art and “healing lounges” with tarot readings and massages. Costumes are required: Think shades of black, white and gold, the more extravagant, the better. 21 and over. Tickets start at $60. 9 p.m. to 5 a.m., 263 Prospect Ave., Park Slope; HouseOfYes.org
If you want to bring the kids . . .
Make movie magic
The third floor of this AMC movie theater comes alive during the Family Fun Fest. There’ll be screenings of holiday flicks, plus dancing to a top-40 DJ. Bring coins for arcade games and money for concession-stand munchies. But forget the booze: This is one dry party. Tickets start at $49. 7 p.m. to 2 a.m., 234 W. 42nd St.; BallDrop.com
Party hardy with the post-potty crowd
Toddlers can catch the ball drop at 12 . . . noon, that is. At the Children’s Museum of Manhattan, young ones can make their own noisemakers, craft a hat and funny glasses to wear in the photo booth, and enjoy a mini-version of the midnight happenings. Children’s DJ Ayo Nish will be spinning tunes about being yourself. Museum admission $11 to $14. 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., 212 W. 83rd St.; CMOM.org
Catch the fireworks
And you thought those rockets and sparklers were just for the Fourth of July. Head to the arch in Prospect Park for live music and a dazzling display of colorful bursts at midnight. Free. 10:30 p.m. to midnight, Grand Army Plaza, Prospect Park; NYCGovParks.org
Celebrate by the sea
Coney Island’s going all out for New Year’s Eve, with free carousel rides and some old-school karaoke. The Priceless Band, a pop and R&B group, will perform Top 40 hits from the ’70s on — and there’ll be fireworks at midnight. Free. 9 p.m. to midnight, Boardwalk and W. 19th Street, Coney Island; ConeyIslandFunGuide.com
If you want to de-stress . . .
Strut into the new year
Get high . . . above the city, that is, during Walk into the New Year. This Brooklyn Bridge ramble starts in Manhattan, with a tour guide pointing out the landmarks along this historic 1.1-mile trek. At midnight, you’ll have views of fireworks from Brooklyn, Central Park, Staten Island and New Jersey. Tickets start at $25. 10:30 p.m., 160 Broadway; NYCWalks.com
Sweat it out
Join yoga practitioners from all levels in fluid asana, or seat positions, rotations, breathing exercises and chanting right up until midnight — the start of a new healthful year. Tickets $80. 10 p.m. to 11:55 p.m., 636 Sixth Ave., third floor; NYC.LaughingLotus.com
Just say “ohm”
At the Kadampa Meditation Center, New Year’s Eve begins with vegetarian eats, desserts and non-alcoholic drinks. A guided meditation will help you usher in 2019. Tickets start at $25. 9 p.m. to midnight, 127 W. 24th St.; MeditationinNewYork.org
Pray for the planet
Celebrate harmony at the late Leonard Bernstein’s beloved Concert for Peace. A choir, orchestra and speakers will unite for an evening of music and inspiration, culminating in a candle-lit singalong of “This Little Light of Mine.” General admission free, reserved seats start at $50. 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, 1047 Amsterdam Ave.; StJohnDivine.org
Let songs guide you
The New York Philharmonic’s harpsichordist, Paolo Bordignon, will man the organ — the biggest one in the city — for a rousing program at St. Bartholomew’s Church: the “Radetzky March” (you’ll recognize it when you hear it), a Louis Vierne piece that ends with the clock chime of Big Ben, and “Auld Lang Syne” complete with a free midnight Champagne toast. Free. 11 p.m. to midnight, 325 Park Ave.; StBarts.org
If you don’t want to leave your sofa . . .
You can watch the ball drop on practically every channel. On ABC, Ciara joins Times Square staples Ryan Seacrest and Jenny McCarthy via simulcast from California to co-host “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve,” with performances from Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello. Steve Harvey hosts on Fox with musical guests Florence + the Machine and Robin Thicke. On NBC, Chrissy Teigen joins Carson Daly in Times Square. Best friends Andy Cohen and Anderson Cooper usher in 2019 on CNN.