New Year’s Eve Fireworks in St. Pete/Clearwater
Nothing marks the arrival of the New Year quite like fireworks. Happily, St. Pete/Clearwater has several fireworks displays for you to check out, stretching from bay to beach.
Fireworks explode over the downtown St. Pete waterfront.
Looking for fireworks on New Year's Eve 2023? We’re here for you with all the information you need. For other New Year's Eve events in St. Pete/Clearwater, check out our list of New Year's Eve Celebrations.
New Year’s Eve at the St. Pete Pier
The St. Pete Pier – with its restaurants, green spaces, public art and fabulous water views – is great fun to visit any time of year, but on New Year’s Eve it goes from fun to amazing. The free party at Spa Beach Park kicks off at 8 p.m., with a main stage that includes an LED wall, a huge disco ball and high-energy DJ music, as well as kids’ activities, an array of food trucks and a full bar supplied with champagne for midnight toasts. Fireworks will light up the sky at midnight.
Best viewing locations: Watch fireworks from the St. Pete Pier or anywhere else along the downtown St. Pete waterfront. Note that the booms and sparkles will be launched from Vinoy Park, on the waterfront just north of the Pier. Those 21+ can celebrate with drink specials and live entertainment and watch the fireworks from the rooftop Pier Teaki NYE 2023 Luau.
Parking: Find helpful information about parking near the pier.
Time: Festivities are from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m., with fireworks at midnight.
What to Do Before the Fireworks:
- Have your mind expanded during a visit to the Dalí Museum, open until 6 p.m. on Dec. 31. Buying timed tickets is recommended.
- Delve into Impressionism at the Rodin exhibit at the Museum of Fine Arts, open until 5 p.m.
- On the pier, enjoy dinner at Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille or the elevated-casual Teak, or head to any number of restaurants within walking distance. Note: If you decide to eat dinner out before the fireworks, be sure to call for reservations as far ahead as possible.
Award-winning Clearwater Beach is a great place to watch fireworks on New Year's Eve.
Light It Up, Clearwater
Clearwater Beach is all about sun and fun – but it also happens to be one of the best places in the area to watch fireworks on New Year’s Eve. Bring a lawn chair or beach towel, and settle down into that super-soft, award-winning sand to see the show.
Best Viewing Locations: Watch from all along Clearwater Beach, especially near the southern end. Note that the fireworks will be set off from the north end of Sand Key, across the bridge from Clearwater Beach. Sand Key Park will be closed to the public. One viewing location with several advantages isn’t actually in Clearwater Beach. Coachman Park is on the mainland in Clearwater near the bridge to the beach. The fireworks should be easily visible over that bridge and, if you're not staying beachside, viewing fireworks from the mainland could help avoid some of the traffic to and from the beach. You'll also have a chance to experience the 19-acre park which recently reopened after an $84 million overhaul. The park’s performance space, The Sound, will be dark that night.
Parking: Find information about parking options, the Jolley Trolley and the Clearwater Ferry.
Time: Midnight
What to Do Before the Fireworks:
- Meet new finned and furry friends at Clearwater Marine Aquarium, open until 4 p.m. on Dec. 31.
- Check out the nightly Sunsets at Pier 60 celebration, with artisans and street performers starting two hours before sunset, which will be at 5:47 p.m. on Dec. 31.
- Grab a famous grouper sandwich at one of three Clearwater Beach Frenchy’s locations, enjoy burgers and fish tacos at the Tiki Beach Grill at Shephard’s Beach Resort or splurge on a fine dining experience at the Sandpearl Resort’s Caretta on the Gulf. The JW Marriott Clearwater Beach Resort & Spa, directly across from the Sand Key fireworks launch site, has The Deep End, a rooftop bar-restaurant, and the Eskape - Beach Bar & Grille.
The Treasure Island fireworks show can be seen from all along the beach.
Fireworks on Treasure Island
Ring in 2024 on Treasure Island, one of America’s best beaches. Find a spot on the soft sand, and get ready to ooh and aah at the amazing fireworks display and celebrate the start of a new year.
Best Viewing Locations: On the beach near Gulf Front Park, 10400 Gulf Blvd., just south of the Treasure Island Causeway.
Parking: Find city-owned parking lots near the fireworks.
Time: Midnight
What to Do Before the Fireworks:
- Get a bird’s-eye view of the area from a parasail ride.
- Try your hand catching grouper and other prized local species on a fishing charter.
- Dine on fresh Gulf seafood (of course!) at Middle Grounds Grill, fish sandwiches with Gulf views at Sloppy Joe’s on the Beach or gastropub fare and a full bar at Ricky T’s Bar and Grille.
About Our Writer:
Terry Galvin's ties to St. Pete tourism run deep and decades-long. His grandfather was a photographer who would roam the streets of St. Pete with a big camera around his neck, taking black-and-white photos of tourists, printing them overnight with “St. Petersburg, Florida” in the margin, and delivering them next morning to their hotels. His grandparents also managed the Alexander Hotel in the 500 block of Central Avenue in the 1960s. Terry grew up on the water in Largo, where he learned to love sailing. He has worked as a writer, designer and editor for the Virgin Islands Daily News and the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. A resident of Sarasota with his wife and son, Terry enjoys sailing, rowing and bicycling.