New Year's Eve is Thursday, Dec. 31. SeaWorld has fireworks; Florida law allows home fireworks Dec. 31 and Jan. 1; trash pickup runs on New Year's Day.

Last checked Oct. 9, 2026. This page is updated each year at the same address. Events are added only once the organizer announces them on its own page. Hosting a New Year’s Eve party or a midnight countdown? Send us the link.

New Year’s Eve is Thursday, Dec. 31, and New Year’s Day is Friday, Jan. 1, 2027. Most Orlando New Year’s Eve parties are announced in November and December, and few had been posted when we checked. What is already set: SeaWorld Orlando’s New Year’s Eve fireworks, Dazzling Nights at Leu Gardens running through Jan. 3, and the rules on home fireworks, trash pickup and parking below.

What this means for you

  • Fireworks at home: legal in Florida on Dec. 31 and Jan. 1, under state law.
  • Trash: the city collects garbage on New Year’s Day; Thanksgiving and Christmas are the only skipped holidays.
  • School: OCPS winter break runs Dec. 21 to Jan. 1; classes resume Tuesday, Jan. 5.
  • Emergencies: 911. Orlando Police Department, non-emergency: 321-235-5300

Events

  • SeaWorld Orlando, 7007 SeaWorld Drive, lists New Year’s Eve on Dec. 31 with fireworks and “ocean-inspired festivities,” as part of its Christmas Celebration, which is included with park admission, SeaWorld says. Its Kwanzaa kinara lightings run nightly Dec. 26 to Jan. 1, and its Three Kings celebration Jan. 3-6.
  • Dazzling Nights at Harry P. Leu Gardens, 1920 N. Forest Ave., runs evenings through Sunday, Jan. 3, 2027, with lights, falling “snow,” music, and beer and wine for adults. It needs a separate ticket; check the gardens’ event page for the nights it is open over the holiday.
  • Downtown and Thornton Park. Neither the downtown events calendar nor the Thornton Park District calendar listed a New Year’s Eve event when we checked. We will add the downtown countdown, rooftop and restaurant parties here once the venues post them.

Restaurants: we list New Year’s Eve dinners only when the restaurant announces one on its own website. Our date night guide has Orlando restaurants with their official links.

Fireworks at home

Florida law lets people use consumer fireworks on three “designated holidays”: New Year’s Eve, Dec. 31, New Year’s Day, Jan. 1, and Independence Day, July 4, under section 791.08 of the Florida Statutes. The law does not override a recorded HOA covenant that bans fireworks, but an HOA board may not make new rules to take the right away, the statute says.

  • Keep a bucket of water or a hose nearby, and soak spent fireworks before you throw them away.
  • Keep pets inside; loud fireworks scare many dogs, and Orange County Animal Services handles lost pets.
  • Never point fireworks at people, homes or dry brush.

Our Fourth of July fireworks page covers the summer displays.

What is open and closed

Thursday, Dec. 31 Friday, Jan. 1, 2027
Residential garbage pickup Normal Collected (only Thanksgiving and Christmas are skipped)
On-street parking downtown Paid 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Free if the city observes the holiday
Orange County Public Schools Winter break Winter break
Orange County Library System 2026-27 list not posted 2026-27 list not posted

The city’s observed holidays page still shows its 2026 list, which included New Year’s Day; the 2027 list was not posted when we checked. Street parking is free on Sundays and city-observed holidays, its on-street parking page says. Last season the library system closed on both New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.

School: the OCPS 2026-27 calendar has winter break Dec. 21 to Jan. 1 and a student holiday on Monday, Jan. 4, so students return Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2027.

Getting home

Plan a ride before you go out. The free LYMMO downtown circulator’s Orange and Grapefruit lines run until 8:25 p.m., the city says, so a late night downtown needs a ride share, a taxi or a sober driver. Road closures for downtown events will be on our road closures page.

Related: holiday lights and Christmas events, Christmas parade and tree lighting, Valentine’s Day in Orlando and things to do this month.

Frequently asked questions

Florida law allows consumer fireworks on New Year’s Eve, Dec. 31, New Year’s Day, Jan. 1, and the Fourth of July, under section 791.08 of the Florida Statutes.

Where can I see New Year’s Eve fireworks in Orlando?

SeaWorld Orlando lists New Year’s Eve fireworks on Dec. 31 as part of its Christmas Celebration, included with park admission. We will add other public displays as they are announced.

Is trash picked up on New Year’s Day in Orlando?

Yes. The city collects residential garbage on every holiday except Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day, its observed holidays page says.

When do Orange County Public Schools go back after winter break?

Winter break runs Dec. 21 to Jan. 1. Monday, Jan. 4, 2027, is a student holiday and teacher workday, so classes resume Tuesday, Jan. 5.