How to spend your New Year's Eve 2026 in Bologna

Still not sure what to do on New Year's Eve?

Don't worry. 

The following guidelines will provide you with an overview of the many possibilities awaiting visitors during the most glittering period of the year in Bologna.

From exhibitions to theatres, from food stands to dance floors, the desire to celebrate is always guaranteed. 

Have fun!

EXPERIENCES AND PLACES TO VISIT

Waiting for midnight on December 31, experience the magic of Palazzo Pepoli at Via Castiglione 10, open from 10am to 2pm. In the heart of Bologna, let yourself be surprised by the majesty of this palace, recently reopened to the public. Inside, in the Covered Courtyard, you can enjoy a moment of relaxation at the refreshment corner and shop for unique souvenirs and gadgets in its bookshop. Don’t forget to purchase the entrance ticket to the Museum of the History of Bologna, housed inside, where you will be literally catapulted into the history and true identity of the city — a journey between the ancient and the modern.
An unmissable opportunity to spend the time before midnight in a place that perfectly blends art, history and modernity.

➝ Purchase your ticket on the Palazzo Pepoli official website

What do you know about the ancient University of Bologna? If your answer is “not much”, then a visit to the Palazzo dell’Archiginnasio and the Anatomical Theatre is an absolute must. You can choose between a guided tour or explore the entire palace with the audio guide, packed with cultural insights that make your experience truly fascinating.

And if that’s not enough, before celebrating the wild New Year’s Eve night, make sure to book an activity among culture, art, food, and much more — in the city or beyond the centre — choosing from Bologna’s vast range of experiences.

➝ Discover all the available activities in Bologna

INTO THE MUSEUMS OPEN FOR THE OCCASION

Take some time to visit or rediscover Bologna’s city museums, open on 31 December with special hours, and pay attention to certain closures scheduled for the first day of the year.

➝ Check the opening hours of museums, attractions and tourist infopoints so you won’t be caught unprepared!

IN PIAZZA MAGGIORE

The traditional New Year's Eve celebration in Piazza Maggiore is awaited to welcome 2026 with special initiatives and events. 

New Year's Eve in Bologna always features the burning of the "Vecchione" at the heart of the program: this year the subject will be an oviparous Gremlin, an artist's Vecchione designed by DEM (Marco Barbieri) and created by the women's cooperative ATTOSECONDO. This surreal creature, built with natural materials and characterized by a nest-torso with a red egg, symbolizes the horrors of wars and collective negativity; its purifying bonfire in Piazza Maggiore invites reflection on individual responsibility in countering evil.

The evening will transform the Crescentone into a dancefloor, animated by DJ sets by La Funky, with its global beats rhythms, and Bassi Maestro, who after midnight will lead the party with a selection of funk, disco, and hip hop classics. The ritual thus merges the ancient rural tradition of bonfires with a modern urban musical celebration to welcome the new year.

DINNER AND DANCE

• Savhotel Aemilia
• Grand Hotel Majestic
• Garganelli Restaurant at Savoia Hotel Regency
• Palazzo di Varignana
• UNA Hotels Bologna - San Lazzaro di Savena
• Admiral Park Hotel Bologna
• Palazzo Gnudi
• Hotel Falco d'Oro - Tolè
• Relais Bellaria Hotel & Congressi
• The Sydney Hotel
• Living Place Hotel
• Boutique Hotel Calzavecchio

many others yet to be scheduled