New Year’s Eve Drops, Festivities and Fireworks to Dazzle Florida Keys Revelers

At the Bourbon Street Pub complex, 724 Duval St., drag queen Mulan Alexander stars in the Red Shoe Drop festivities, descending during the countdown to midnight from the club’s balcony in a super-sized red high heel toward the cheering crowd below. Alexander was selected in a nationwide search for a new “queen” to ride the iconic shoe down to Duval Street. Spectators can enjoy scheduled performances prior to the drop by notable female impersonators and other local and national talents on a street-side stage. Street viewing of the Bourbon Street Pub entertainment and drop is free and open to the public. A limited number of tickets for a VIP balcony party overlooking the stage are available each year. Call 305-293-9800 for VIP ticket availability. 

Nearby at 828 Duval St., home of Bobby’s Balls Bar, a new kind of drop event debuts this New Year’s Eve — the lighthearted Chicken Drop, featuring a huge chicken figure on a large boom honoring the plucky spirit of Key West’s iconic free ranging roosters and hens. 

On lower Duval Street, partiers can watch the drop of a gigantic manmade conch shell, the symbol of the Florida Keys, to the roof of Sloppy Joe's Bar, 201 Duval St. Festivities begin at 10 p.m. including music from the roof by a DJ and dancing in the street. Inside the bar you can watch the live feed of the conch shell drop on the Sloppy-Tron. No reservations or tickets are needed for the popular event. 

In the Key West Historic Seaport, New Year’s Eve merriment is centered around the Schooner Wharf Bar, 202 William St., celebrating the island’s colorful seafaring heritage with “Rigging in the New Year” festivities. Just before midnight, a “pirate wench” is lowered from the top of a majestic tall ship’s mast — completing her descent as the clock strikes midnight and cannons boom to welcome 2026. Festivities take place throughout the day and evening, beginning with live music at 11:30 a.m. and continuing all day and into the evening with dancing and party favors. 

Revelers can ring in the New Year in vintage glam style at the ticketed Great Gatsby-style party at First Flight Island Restaurant & Brewery, 301 Whitehead St., whose historic building is known as the birthplace of Pan Am. Party goers can enjoy live music, open bar, and food stations leading up to the “landing” of a flight attendant in a section of a replica aircraft. 

Key West partiers can start their New Year’s Eve countdown clock a day early with the annual Fireworks and Glow Party Dec. 30 at Key West’s Beachside Resort, 3841 N. Roosevelt Blvd. The family-friendly event is free to attend and there will be free glow item giveaways. Attendees can dance to live music from a DJ starting at 6 p.m. until the fireworks show at 9 p.m. 

Also on Dec. 30, the public is invited to Blue Flamingo Resort (across the road from Beachside Resort) for a fun-filled celebration from 6 to 9 p.m. with live music by Mike Stack & Friends and a view of the Beachside fireworks. 

Elsewhere across the Florida Keys island chain there are many other ways to welcome 2026.

In the Middle Keys, Havana Jack's Oceanside Restaurant at 410 East Ocean Drive in Key Colony Beach invites revelers to boogie into the new year with dinner and live entertainment starting at 6 p.m., leading up to a midnight toast. Reservations required. havanajacksoceanside.com. 

Marathon Community Theater stages an unforgettable night of intrigue, elegance and high-stakes excitement, welcoming guests to an interactive murder mystery dinner experience set in a luxurious casino straight out of a Bond film. Dress to impress in your finest formalwear and be prepared to help solve a shocking crime, with clues surfacing throughout the evening. marathontheater.org.

Guests staying at Isla Bella Beach Resort can enjoy midnight fireworks with best viewing from guest rooms and the Beach Bar. A New Year’s Eve buffet dinner is available for both guests and the public at Pelican Point with reservations required. islabellabeachresort.com

Hawk’s Cay Resort at Duck Key invites members of the public and guests to a refined dining experience and New Year’s Eve celebration by reservation only at restaurant Salt + Ash. hawkscay.com/festive/saltash-nye