Tonight and tomorrow night are the calm before the storm. There are some smaller events happenings, but everyone is thinking about and deciding where to go on the biggest night of the year on Wednesday. When trying to untie the Gordian Knot of events that are planned for New Year’s Eve in Taipei, there are two types of people —those who enjoy being engulfed in the madness of the Xinyi District (信義) and want to see the fireworks up close, or those that realize they can watch the fireworks from far away or on Facebook as soon as the last billows of smoke fade away.
In Xinyi, the ATT4Fun complex has four or five places that will be packed with revelers, but the lingering issue there is that the police are still out in force and even got the most popular club in Taiwan, Spark ATT, to close its doors a few weeks ago. When is a better time for the police to show their might than on the busiest night of the year?
A better bet for those who want to be in the mix is Room 18 New Year’s Eve Countdown Party. Nearly 1,000 people can fit on roof of the Neo 19 building for a great view of Taipei 101’s fireworks , and while it is cold outside, the cocktails are free flowing, which should go a long way to warm up partygoers.
Photo Courtesy of Max Murphy
■ Room 18 New Year’s Eve Countdown Party is Wednesday at the Room 18 rooftop from 9pm to midnight, 88 Songren Road, Taipei City (台北市松仁路88). Admission is NT$2,000, which includes an open bar on the rooftop, two admission tickets to Room 18 or Barcode, and two complimentary drinks at Room 18 after the party. Call 0958-111-188 for reservations.
Those that have tasted the madness from close by and felt somewhat disappointed or those that do not really care about a five-minute display of fireworks on a night when everybody goes out have many options, too.
Neon is all the rage this year, with neon runs, neon yoga classes, and of course, neon bashes. For their Neon New Year’s Eve Party, the Brass Monkey encourages people to put on their brightest neon and shake their glow sticks around to pop music.
Photo Courtesy of Andrew Ford
■ Brass Monkey’s Neon New Year’s Eve Party is Wednesday from 9pm to 4am at 166 Fuxing N Rd, Taipei City (台北市復興北路166號). Admission is NT$300 for women which includes free drinks from 9pm to midnight. Admission is NT$450 for men which includes two drinks.
For those that are all about good music on New Year’s Eve, Frog in a Sock will be making a pop up club in a restaurant for The Last Minute party that doubles as a CD release party for DJ Noodles. Noodles, the first and only female finalist in the DMC world DJ competition, has been a resident at Luxy and has played all over Asia over the past decade. She is trying her hand at producing and her mix CD, Make Some Funky Noise, which will feature some popular songs as well as her own original productions.
■ Frog in a Sock’s The Last Minute Party featuring DJ Noodles is December 31 from 10pm to 5am at BAC Chocolate World (巧克力世界), 123, Bade Rd Sec 4, Taipei City (台北市八德路四段123號). Admission is NT$1,000 at the door and includes one drink.
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