In partnership with
Welcome to this special New Year’s Eve edition of Milwaukee City Lights.
Featured (Spotlight Venue)
At Random (Bay View)
Step-back-in-time New Year’s Eve table packages in midcentury cocktail-lounge style, with multiple reservation windows (Cocktail Hour, Evening Celebration, Year End Extravaganza, and a late “Send-Off Spectacular” that includes a midnight toast). Cocktail Hour starts at 5 going all the way through the 2025 Send-Off Spectacular from 10:30PM to 1:30AM. Limited space and reserved-table format.
Event page:
https://www.atrandommke.com/newyearseve
Prominent Picks
Uptowner (Riverwest)
BARFEST 3, Milwaukee hip hop night. 9:00 PM start. Going all night!
Room Service (Bay View)
Open late on New Year’s Eve; post mentions last seating at 10:15 PM.
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1090993962806809Reservations: https://www.roomservicebayview.com/reservations
Get the 90-day roadmap to a $10k/month newsletter
Creators and founders like you are being told to “build a personal brand” to generate revenue but…
1/ You can be shadowbanned overnight
2/ Only 10% of your followers see your posts
Meanwhile, you can write 1 email that books dozens of sales calls and sells high-ticket ($1,000+ digital products).
After working with 50+ entrepreneurs doing $1M/yr+ with newsletters, we made a 5-day email course on building a profitable newsletter that sells ads, products, and services.
Normally $97, it’s 100% free for 24H.
Full List
At Random (Bay View) – NYE reserved packages (multiple time slots)
- https://www.atrandommke.com/newyearseveUptowner (Riverwest) – BARFEST 3 (hip hop night)
- https://www.instagram.com/p/DS0qrtbETRZ/Wiggle Room (Bay View) – “New Years Eve w/ LARGE PROFESSOR!!!” (8:00 PM)
- https://wiggleroommke.com/Room Service (Bay View) – Open late, last seating 10:15 PM (per post)
- https://www.facebook.com/p/Roomservicebayview-61556678340928/ facebook.comDeer District (Downtown) – New Year’s Eve fireworks (listed as 10:00 PM)
- https://deerdistrict.com/event/nye-fireworks/Milwaukee Downtown – NYE events roundup (includes Deer District fireworks listing)
- https://www.milwaukeedowntown.com/bid-events/new-years-eve-eventsMilwaukee County Zoo – Wild Lights Zoo Year’s Eve
- https://milwaukeezoo.org/visit/upcoming-events/wild-lights-zye/The Jazz Estate (East Side) – 2 x NYE shows with the Sam Catral Trio
- https://www.tix.com/ticket-sales/thejazzestate/6755/event/1453584 - - https://www.tix.com/ticket-sales/thejazzestate/6755/event/1453585The Cooperage (Harbortown) – Gather Them NYE
- https://www.eventbrite.com/e/gather-them-nye-tickets-1968507014471Mad Planet (Riverwest) – NYE Bash 9PM to 4AM!
Mad Planet's annual NYE Bash takes place on Wednesday, Dec. 31st starting at 9 PM, and we will dance our way into the new year, UNTIL 4 AM!!DJ Don Black will be spinning 80s, 90s, and 00s music all night. We will have a complimentary champagne toast at midnight!
- https://www.facebook.com/events/1616623809719149Last Rites (Walker’s Point) – 11PM - Last Rites NYE Party - A night of house music and good vibes that don’t stop until the AM! Come ready to dance, vibe, and celebrate with friends old and new!!
- https://www.facebook.com/events/840849588691166High Dive (Riverwest) – High Dive NYE 8PM to 4AM
Out with the old in with the new! Let's boot 2025 out the door and welcome 2026 in together at High Dive! The 3MANYDJS Crew aka Asher Gray, Greyhound and Richard Galling will be playing hypnotic underground heaters from House to Techno, to Disco and back all night long.Free Champagne Toast and Balloon Drop at Midnight along with free breakfast in the early AM hours.
- https://www.facebook.com/events/1447405706952850/ArtBar (Riverwest) – 9PM to 2AM - New Year’s Eve Dance Party
It's the ART★BAR NEW YEAR'S EVE DANCE PARTY!!!
with LIVE Music by the FUNK SUMMIT BASS TEAM
- https://www.facebook.com/events/25637390152553362/
- https://www.artbarwonderland.com/Bradley Symphony Center – “The NYE Xperience”
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-nye-xperience-tickets-1769356897109The Lynq – “Ultimate R&B New Year’s Eve”
You asked for an amazing R&B New Year's Eve Party and we heard you LOUD and clear! R&B LIVE MKE hits the stage at midnight!
- https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ultimate-rb-new-years-eve-tickets-1849421913729The Outsider (Third Ward) – “Champagne Supernova”
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/champagne-supernova-nye-in-the-sky-at-the-outsider-tickets-1972849954321
Family-friendly and “celebrate early” options
Lakefront Brewery: Swedish New Year (3:30 pm to 7:00 pm)
- https://lakefrontbrewery.com/events/swedish-new-year-2Milwaukee County Zoo: Wild Lights Zoo Year’s Eve (5:30 pm to 9:00 pm)
Ring in the new year with us by selecting a special Date Night ticket package below. Tickets include 2 admissions and parking (a $15 value).
- https://shop.milwaukeezoo.org/#/SpecialEvents/WILDLIGHTSZYEThe Little Village Play Cafe (Tosa) - We're bidding farewell to 2025 & celebrating the new year. Join us for:
Balloon drop & NYE countdown
Time capsule making
Sensory & craft stations
Events change fast on NYE. Use the links above to confirm cover charges, set times, and capacity.
In 2025, Milwaukee City Lights went from a simple idea to a real weekly rhythm. A new Beehiiv home base, a growing Master Venue list, and a steady cadence of Tuesday Spotlights and weekly guides built one goal into a habit: make it easier to say “yes” to Milwaukee. We got our first subscribers, started shining light on neighborhoods we love, and proved that small, consistent publishing can actually build momentum. Thanks for being part of year one.
Now let’s close out 2025 the right way!
Happy New Year, and I’ll see you in the new year,
Greg