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This New Year’s Eve, bundle up the family and head to Sir Winston Churchill Square to usher in 2025 at the City of Edmonton’s New Year’s Eve Downtown Festival and Fireworks.
Join CBC Edmonton in Churchill Square as part of Canada Live – Countdown 2025. It’s going to be a celebration that brings together Canadians from coast-to-coast-to-coast, with familiar faces and a few surprise guests. Watch free on CBC Gem or wherever you stream CBC.
Date: Tuesday December 31, 2024
Programming: 6pm-midnight
Fireworks: 8pm and midnight
Location: Sir Winston Churchill Square and City Hall Plaza
Cost: Free!
This year’s New Year’s Eve celebration will include an early fireworks show at 8pm for families, as well as a traditional midnight fireworks display. The fireworks shows, which will be approximately 10 minutes in length, will be launched into the skies over the pyramids of City Hall.
Enjoy an evening of free activities and entertainment, including live music, cultural performances, fire twirlers, skating, food trucks, fire pits and more. Explore the beautiful art installations, created by the Winter City Festival Group to celebrate and promote Edmonton’s winter festivals.
Emcee Kevin Flesher will kick things off with some great beats, followed by performances by Next Stop, Otago!, Sauvage Plain, Selfish Bodies, and Rule of Nines, and exciting fire performances by Flowarrior.
Bring your skates and get your groove on as you take a spin around on the City Hall Plaza ice rink*. Free skate rentals and skate aids will be available on a first-come, first-served basis, and the skate change room will be open from 6pm to midnight. (*Weather and ice conditions permitting.) Warm up in one of three Warming Domes.
Purchase a warm meal or snacks from a variety of on-site food trucks, including Spaghetti Cone Food Truck, Big Waynes Mini Treats, Canadian Kettle Corn, Flipside BBQ, Soner Donair, and Canadian Maple Shack, who will give the first 1,000 people a free maple stick!
Join Mayor Amarjeet Sohi in the countdown to the fireworks at midnight.
The fun starts at the Stanley A. Milner Library (7 Sir Winston Churchill Square) with a free screening of The Princess Bride from 2:30–3:45pm.
Before 6pm, check out the beautiful holiday décor inside City Hall and experience the Hear Our Voices display.
The Hallway Café in City Hall will stay open until 6pm to serve those looking to purchase food or drinks.
Explore the free family fun in the Arts District. Enjoy performances by Asiah Holm, Eric Kane, Jed and the Valentine, and take part in a craft at the Art Gallery of Alberta. Boogie down at the Citadel Theatre Family DJ Dance Party, with winter crafts, hot drinks by GhostLight, stickers, bubbles, glow sticks and more. But get there early — the first 200 people will receive a free cookie! But get there early — the first 200 people will receive a free cookie. Immerse yourself in the interactive rhythms of Sticks and Stones Percussion at the Winspear Centre.
The Entertainment District on Rice Howard Way will be packed with excitement from 6pm to midnight. Enjoy Indigenous activities, fire pits, live performances and more! Don’t forget to grab a drink from a participating business and take it out into the street to soak in the vibrant atmosphere.
Please note: High winds or severe weather may result in the cancellation of some outdoor activities. Check back here or visit us on Twitter for the most up-to-date event information.
Before, during and after the fireworks, there will be a number of road and sidewalk closures. To maximize traffic and pedestrian flow while maintaining pedestrian safety throughout the event, the following closures will be in effect until approximately 2am on January 1, 2025:
7am - Full closure of:
1pm - Full closure of:
5pm - Full closure of:
Pedestrians wishing to access the Stanley A. Milner Library Parkade during this time should use the underground pedway system, which is accessible via:
Riders can board buses, LRT and DATS for free starting at 6pm on December 31, until the end of service at around 3am on January 1.
Routes 1A/B, 7, 120X, 131, 500X, 511, 523, 701 and 900X will be on detour from 4:30pm on December 31 to 2am on January 1, 2025.
Riders can plan their trips using real-time tools (such as Google maps), or using the Trip Planner.
For regional service information, please contact St. Albert Transit at 780-418-6060, Strathcona County Transit at 780-464-7433, or Leduc Transit at 780-986-7433.
Please note: The City Hall Parkade will be closed at 4pm on December 31. No public parking or access will be available during the event, as the area falls within the fireworks safety zone.
Celebrate the arrival of 2025 at ICE District Plaza. The evening kicks off at 6pm with a pre-game tailgate party and the Oilers watch party starting at 7pm, as the Edmonton Oilers face off against the Utah Hockey Club for the first time at home. Watch the game on the giant screen as you enjoy food, drinks, great tunes and epic prizes. After the game, stick around as ICE District Plaza is transformed into a rocking New Year’s Eve party headlined by multi-platinum artist and Album of the Year winner at the 2024 Canadian Country Music Awards, star Jade Eagleson and rising Canadian country music star, Dawson Gray. The celebration will include giant countdown screens and fireworks at the stroke of midnight.
Admission to New Year’s Eve @ ICE District is free of charge, but space is limited, so attendees are encouraged to arrive early to secure a spot.
Visit the ICE District website for full details.
Downtown will be bustling on December 31. Expect major traffic delays when leaving Rogers Place, as 103A Avenue will be closed between 97 Street and 101 Street, starting at 5pm, for the fireworks.
Avoid the traffic and take the bus or LRT! Edmonton Transit Service is offering free trips starting at 6pm on New Year’s Eve!
Downtown is the heart of Edmonton. It's where diversity and creativity flourish, and arts and culture thrive.
There are a number of great downtown venues to explore this New Year’s Eve. Check out the Edmonton Downtown Business Association to see what else is happening in the downtown core.
Be safe and remember, you must have a permit issued by the City of Edmonton to use fireworks within city limits. Under the City of Edmonton's Public Places Bylaw 14614 and Community Standards Bylaw 14600 , any use of fireworks without proper permitting is illegal and subject to which, can include fines of up to $10,000. Criminal charges can also be laid depending on the circumstances which can result in a criminal record, fines, and the possibility of jail time.
For more information, please visit Fireworks Permits and Safety or contact the Fire Prevention Office at efrsspecialevents@edmonton.ca.
The New Year’s Eve fireworks shows are each approximately 12 minutes in length.
Snow or Rain
Snow or rain will not cause the fireworks to be cancelled.
Wind
40km/h is the legal limit that we are allowed to shoot fireworks in. Anything over that will result in the cancellation of the fireworks. The direction of the wind is also a major factor. Some parts of the show may have to be cut if the winds become too high, but we would try to get as much of the show launched as possible.
Extreme Cold
Extreme cold does not affect the fireworks. However, extremely cold weather can affect the outdoor programming.
If someone or something were to infringe on the fireworks safety zone, the fireworks could be delayed or cancelled. Safety is the number 1 priority.
The High Level Bridge, Walterdale Bridge, City Hall, Muttart Conservatory, Edmonton Tower and Rossdale Power Plant will be lit in white and gold this New Year's Eve.
