Your Guide to New Year’s Eve Dating.
Sure, you can have fun alone on New Year’s Eve, but why not score a date? If you’re hoping for a kiss at midnight, we’re here to help make your dreams come true. We’ll tell you everything you need to know about how to get a date for New Year’s Eve (NYE). Plus, we have some great ideas about where to take your date as you ring in the new year.
1) Ask your friends to set you up.
Your friends may know someone fun they can set you up with. Reach out to everyone you know and ask if they know someone who’d enjoy spending NYE with you.[1] You might even find yourself with a new partner as you start the new year. To save time, send a group text or email.
Say, “New Year’s Eve is upon us, and I don’t want to ring in the new year alone. Do you know someone who’s single and ready to mingle? I’d love to be set up!”
You could also say, “It’s the moment you’ve all been waiting for. I’m finally ready to be set up. Hit me up if you have a single friend I should meet.”
You could also just go with one of your single friends. It might not feel like a real “date,” but you two can have fun together!
2) Look for a love connection at holiday parties.
Go to as many parties throughout December as possible. To make meeting people easier, hang out near the person who seems the most boisterous. Additionally, smile and act positive so people are drawn to you. To keep conversations going, add interesting tidbits about your life.[2] Here are some things you can say to start a conversation:
“What are your holiday plans?”
“What album did you listen to last?”
“What’s the last show you watched?”
“I like your style! Any tips I can use?”
“What would you do if the zombie apocalypse happened right now?”
“Who do you think is the most likely to spike the party punch?”
3) Make a connection through online dating.
Lots of single people are searching for someone like you. Scroll through your potential matches and chat with anyone who seems remotely interesting. Don’t worry about whether or not they’re someone you want to date long-term. When you message them, use exciting tone words like “awesome” and “exciting” to draw in potential matches and keep your conversation interesting. After a few messages, ask them if they’d like to go out.
Invite them on a date! Say, “Do you want to get a cup of coffee this week?” “Are you interested in joining me for dinner this Saturday?” or “Want to go to a party on New Year’s Eve?”
Having trouble finding matches? Ask a trusted friend to help you review your profile. They can help you remove anything that might be turning people off.
Not on a dating app? You might try OkCupid, Tinder, or Bumble.
4) Sign up for a new experience so you can meet people.
Push yourself out of your comfort zone. You’ll likely encounter some people you’ve never met before, and one of them might be available. Chat with the people you meet to find out if they’re single. If they are, ask them if they have plans for NYE. Not sure what to do? Try something like:[3]
Taking a class.
Attending a workshop.
Going to an event on Meetup.com.
Joining a local Facebook group.
Volunteering.
Joining a running club.
Auditioning for local theater.
Attending local art openings or concerts.
5) Take your dog out for a walk and talk to other dog lovers.
When people ask about your dog, try to make a connection. Start talking to them about their dog and let the conversation go from there. Look for a ring to see if they might be married, and ask about their upcoming NYE plans. If they don’t have plans, ask them if they’d be interested in a date. Say something like:
“Have any fun plans for New Year’s Eve?”
“Are you excited about the New Year’s Eve celebrations?”
“I’m going to a friend’s party, but I haven’t found a date yet. Any chance you wanna come with me?”
“I don’t have plans, yet. Since we’re both free, would you want to grab dinner?”
6) Attend a local singles event.
You’ll meet multiple potential matches at a singles event. As you mingle, ask people about their NYE plans to see if anyone is free. Chances are, some of the people you meet are looking for a date, too. Find a local singles event by searching online, checking social media sites, and asking local bars if they have a singles night or do speed dating events.
Bring up the topic by saying, “Are you looking forward to New Year’s Eve?” or “Any fun plans for New Year’s?”
If you find someone you want to ask out, say, “Since we’re both free on New Year’s Eve, do you want to go to my friend’s party with me?” or “I don’t want to spend New Year’s alone. Would you be interested in grabbing dinner that night and watching the fireworks?”
7) Meet your date for coffee before NYE.
You’ll feel more comfortable on NYE if it’s not your first date. Chatting over coffee is an easy way to meet for the first time. If there’s time, invite your date to grab a cup-of-joe during lunch, after work, or over the weekend in the days before NYE. That way, you’ll be more at ease with each other when it’s time to ring in the New Year.
Say, “Do you want to grab a coffee during lunch tomorrow?” or “Wanna chat over coffee after work?”
8) Take your date to a NYE house party.
Check with your friends to see if anyone is organizing a NYE party. Hanging with friends is a fun, low-key way to ring in the new year.[4] Plus, a house party will take the pressure off your date. You can both mingle with other partygoers instead of spending the whole night alone together, which can be awkward for a first date.
Make sure your friend knows you’re bringing a date before you show up
9) Host your own NYE party if you don’t have other plans.
Celebrate NYE at home with your date and a few friends. Invite people to your place, put out some snacks, and turn up some tunes. To make the night more fun, you might play some board games or watch a movie. At midnight, do a countdown together or watch the ball drop on TV!
Ask your friends to RSVP a week in advance so you can make sure you have guests coming. It might get awkward if no one shows up.
Keep costs down by asking guests to bring a snack or drinks.
If they’re allowed in your area, get some fireworks or sparklers to help you celebrate the new year.
10) Go out for a fancy dinner for a more upscale date.
Eating at a nice restaurant is a classic NYE experience. Choose a restaurant that feels special so your night feels like a celebration. To ensure you get a table, make your reservations in advance. Tell your date where you’re going so they can dress accordingly.
Restaurants with a view are a great option, such as a rooftop eatery or a restaurant with skyline views.
A theme restaurant could also be really fun, such as a 50’s diner.
11) Attend an outdoor NYE event.
Many communities host NYE activities, and they’re often free. Generally, these events offer live music or DJ sets, as well as a fireworks show. They might even have food and beverage vendors, depending on the size of the event. Check your city’s website to find out about events, or scroll through Facebook events to see what’s happening.
If there’s nothing happening where you live, try the city closest to you.
You might pack a picnic for the event. You and your date could snack on a cheese board and sip wine or sparkling grape juice while you listen to music and wait for the fireworks.
12) Go club or bar hopping if you want an adventure.
Most clubs and bars host special events on NYE. You’ll find some great drink specials, and some places offer live entertainment. If you and your date are both into the scene, hopping from place to place is a great way to enjoy NYE with someone new.
The downtown area of your nearest big city is the best place to go club or bar hopping.
If you live in a small town, you might check with local bars and restaurants to see if anyone is hosting a big NYE event you could enjoy.
13) Watch the fireworks together to cap off the night.
NYE is all about the fireworks. Stake out the perfect spot to watch your community’s fireworks show, or pop off a few fireworks yourself. You could also just watch a fireworks show on TV if that’s what works best for you.
If you live in a city, there’s a good chance your community will do a fireworks show.
If you live in a rural area, it’s likely okay to pop some yourself, as long as there’s not a fire warning. Check with the rules where you live to find out if it’s okay to pop fireworks.
Listen for the sound of fireworks! Lots of people are going to be popping fireworks on NYE, and you might be able to enjoy someone else’s fireworks display for free.
14) Share a kiss at midnight if you both feel comfortable.
Talk about the kiss ahead of time so you can get permission. Because of the pandemic, a lot of people are uncomfortable with kissing someone they don’t know well. At the same time, it’s pretty common for people to share a kiss to ring in the new year, so check with your date to see if that’s something they’d like before the clock strikes midnight. Hopefully, they’ll say, “Yes!”
You could always try kissing each other on the cheek at midnight or sharing a hug.
If you’re not ready for affection, you might high-five each other at midnight.
