This New Year’s Eve, bundle up the family and head to Sir Winston Churchill Square to usher in 2026 at the City of Edmonton’s New Year’s Eve Downtown Festival and Fireworks.
Date: Wednesday, December 31, 2025
Programming: 6pm-midnight
Fireworks: 8pm and midnight
Location: City Hall, Sir Winston Churchill Square and City Hall Plaza
Cost: Free!
Watch the fireworks live on CBC
Join CBC Edmonton in Churchill Square as part of Live Cross-Canada Countdown. 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.
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 Stanley A. Milner Library.
Enjoy an evening of free activities and entertainment inside City Hall and outdoors in Churchill Square, including live music, cultural performances, skating, food trucks, fire twirling by Flowarrior and more.
Warm up inside City Hall with crafts, activities, and music by Next Stop, Otago. Join emcee Kevin Flesher out on Churchill Square as he kicks off the evening with some great beats, followed by live music by vocalist and songwriter Robyn Ashley, JUNO nominated Métis fiddler Brianna Lizotte, Métis/Cree fiddler and singer-songwriter Zach Moostoos-Willier and our special headliner, pop-rock alt band The Royal Foundry.
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.) Take in the festive décor as you explore the new art installation by iHuman and then warm up in one of the warming geodomes.
Purchase a warm meal or snacks from a variety of on-site food trucks including Big Wayne's Mini Treats, Spaghetti Cone, Soners Donair and Kebab, Squirrely Squirrel, Flipside BBQ and Canadian Maple Shack.
Join Councillor Anne Stevenson for the fireworks show at 8pm, and Mayor Andrew Knack in the countdown to the fireworks at midnight.
Arrive early for some pre-event fun!
Stop in at the Stanley A. Milner Library from 9am to 5pm for free activities, storytelling, interactive games, a movie and more! The fun at the Royal Alberta Museum starts at 10:30am (regular admission applies), where kids 8 and under can create their own noise maker, take part in a number of hands-on activities, and explore the museum’s many fascinating displays. Ring in the new year at noon with a bubble wrap countdown dance party.
The Hallway Café in City Hall will stay open until 6pm on December 31 to serve those looking to purchase food or drinks.
L’Espresso Café will be open from 5pm until midnight serving hot drinks, food and desserts.
Fun in the Downtown Arts District
There’s loads of family fun in the Arts District on New Year’s Eve including free activities and entertainment at the Art Gallery of Alberta starting at 6pm, and at the Winspear Centre starting at 6:45pm.
Check out the fun at the Citadel Theatre beginning at 6pm with crafts, face painting, balloon artistry, a family-friendly dance party featuring DJ Sea Glass, and more! Purchase a snack and a hot drink at GhostLight. The Citadel’s first 200 guests will receive a free cookie and glow stick.
The Entertainment District on Rice Howard Way
The Entertainment District on Rice Howard Way will be packed with excitement from 6–11:45pm. Enjoy live performances from Funk the Matriarchy, Bitters, DJ Suzanne Summers, Joe Nolan, King of Foxes, Adam Holm and DJ Yelrihs. Enjoy roving performers, Olivia Flows – LED Hula Hooping and a Winter Fairy from Hula Hoop Circus. Take in the sights and sounds of Rice Howard Way with a special New Year’s Eve postcard craft designed by local visual artist Jade Rickey, light installations from Freebird Entertainment, fire pits, and more! Buy yourself a drink from a participating business and take it out into the street to soak in the vibrant atmosphere.
Celebrate Downtown
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.
Please note: High winds or severe weather may result in the cancellation of some outdoor activities. Check this page for the most up-to-date event information.
Road and Sidewalk Closures
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, 2026:
December 30 at 10:30pm
Full closure of 99 Street, from 102 Avenue to 102A Avenue (including the bike lane)
December 31 at noon
Full closure of Rice Howard Way, between 100 Street and 100A Street
December 31 at 5pm
Full closure of:
- 99 Street, from 101A Avenue to 102 Avenue
- 100 Street, from Rice Howard Way to 102A Avenue
- 102 Avenue, from 99 Street to 100A Street, including the south sidewalk
- The sidewalk on the north side of Judy Padua Way, from 99 Street to 100 Street
100 Street southbound at 103A Avenue will be restricted to one-lane traffic, with a forced turn right at 102A Avenue. Please consider using other routes.
Parking
Please note: The Stanley A. Milner Library parkade will be closed to the public at 5pm on December 31. No public parking or access will be available during the event, as the area falls within the fireworks safety zone. Vehicles already inside the Stanley A. Milner Library must be removed by 4pm. No parking sessions in the parkade will be started or existing ones extended during that time.
Parking is available in the Canada Place Parkade via the 97 Street entrance, and in the City Hall Parkade via 102A Avenue for $5 per hour ($10 maximum from 5pm-1am). Both of these parkades have elevators for accessibility.
On-street EPark zones will be available with no maximum time restrictions after 5pm, except for the following locations in the areas around the fireworks zone. Please obey all signage.
- 99 Street between 102 Avenue and 102A Avenue
- 102A Avenue from 97 Street to 99 Street
- 102A Avenue, from 100 Street to 101 Street
- Jasper Avenue, from 100A Street to 102 Street
- 100A Street, from 102 Avenue to 101A Avenue
- All parking zones on Rice Howard Way
Free Public Transit
Edmonton Transit Service is pleased to get you where you need to go, safely and conveniently. Start the New Year by taking transit to and from New Year’s Eve celebrations. Riders can board buses and LRT for free starting at 6pm on December 31, until the end of service at around 3am on January 1.
Transit service changes will be made to accommodate riders on New Year's Eve. For details, see Holiday Service Changes.
Riders can plan trips using the Trip Planner or real-time tools (such as Google Maps).
New Year’s Eve @ ICE District
Celebrate the arrival of 2026 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 Boston Bruins. Watch the game on the giant screen as you enjoy food, drinks, great tunes and epic prizes. After the game, stick around for a free rocking New Year’s Eve party headlined by Canadian country music star Own Riegling and Canadian YEEDM DJ Vavo.
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.
Fireworks Permits and Safety
Be safe and remember, permits issued by the City of Edmonton are mandatory to use fireworks within city limits. Under the City of Edmonton’s Public Spaces Bylaw 20700, any use of fireworks without proper permitting is illegal and subject to enforcement, which can include fines of up to $10,000. Criminal charges can also be laid depending on the circumstances, resulting 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
The New Year’s Eve fireworks shows are each approximately 10 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 conditions will be under constant evaluation. The public will be told about any changes or cancellations on edmonton.ca, and through the City of Edmonton’s X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook accounts. 311 will close at 7pm on New Year's Eve.
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.
