We've got you covered for New Year's Eve parties this year in Sri Lanka – mostly Colombo. From hotel dinner dances (Hilton, Kingsbury) to EDM parties, there's quite a few options this year.
Here's our round-up of the NYE events for 2015/2016.
| Party | Place | Cost | Number | Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fireball | Galadari | 12,500 | 2 544 544 | Live band Flame, gala dinner buffet, complimentary wine and spirit, breakfast and special night’s stay package on offer |
| Ticket To Melbourne | R&B | 3,000 (Gents), 2,000 (Ladies) | 772 435 815 | DJ's from Melbourne, DJ N8 and DJ Jabez playing R&B and Hip Hop |
| NYE at Zephyr Mirissa | Zephyr Mirisa | 3,000 | 777 502 222 | DJ's Muku, Flatboys and Rev |
| Kingfisher ThirtyOne | Kingfisher Unawatuna | 3,000 | 773 408 405 | DJ Wyth (Serendipity, London), Tim Tim and Carl Muller on the decks |
| New Years Eve 2016 | Cafe Francais | 13,000 | 114 502 602 | 7-course dinner, global music by DJs |
| Gala Dinner Dance | Cinnamon Grand Oak Room | 25,000 | 112 497 470 / 773 136 778 | – Music by Heat and Black, for every 10 tickets, one free |
| How Deep Is Your Love | Kingsbury Poolside | 10,000 (Adult, 1,500 (Kids) | 777 576 646 | Hosted by Disciples, with breakfast |
| NYE 2015 | Taprobana Wadduwa | 5,500 (Adult, 1,500 (Kids) | 115 769 500 | Free corkage. 80’s music and today's chart toppers by live band and DJ |
| Throwback | Steuart & Co | 9,500 | 775 720 908 | 70's and 80's retro vibe, funkiest costume wins |
| Champagne & Oyster Soiree | Kingsbury Sky Lounge | 20,000 | 766 900 642 | Free flowing champagne and oysters, breakfast buffet, DJ Wendell |
| Retro Fusion 2015 | Kingsbury | 15,000 | 770 134 912 | Annesley & The Super Chimes and the band “Doctor” will be performing |
| Rhythm of Legends | Hilton Colombo | 22,500 | 772 331 331 | Marians & Gypsies will be performing |
| Poolside | Hilton Colombo | 8,000 | 772 331 331 | DJ Kapila and Bonnie, gala breakfast and dinner |
| Dinner Dance | Taj Samudra, Samudra Ballroom | 15,000 (Adult), 9,000 (Kids) | 112 446 622 | |
| Harbour Trail 2015 | Grand Oriental Hotel | 6,500 | 773 441 425 / 771 093 388 | Sam The Man on sax |
| Dinner Dance | Ramada | 7,000 / 11,000 | 112422001 | Kings & Anno Domini |
| Amuseum NYE | Taj Samudra, North Lawn | 12,000 | 777 785 440 | DJ Danushka, Jayy Vibes, VJ Prasan, DJ Rami |
| Casa Colombo NYE | Casa Colombo | 6,000 – 30,000 | 773 659 981 | Dinner and drinks at their lovely boutique hotel, or poolside |
| 2016 Countdown | Colombo Courtyard | 6,000 / 10,000 (Couples) | 770 050 607 | COSMOGYRAL, DJ Tharindu and discounts on dinner |
| The Party | Hilton Residencies | 12,000 | 115 344 644 | Dinner dance with band Glory and DJ Nowshad, unlimited food and drink |
| NYE Glow ON14 | OZO (ON14 Bar) | 2,900 (party only) / 5,500 / 10,500 | 770 535 222 | Rooftop party with lobster dinner, breakfast, music by DJ Nick, DJ Glitch and DJ K3V |
| Black & White Ball | Loon Tao, Mount Lavinia | 4,900, 2,400 for kids (5-10) | 112 722 723 | Beachside dinner dance. Kid friendly. |
| Restaurant with a Dancefloor | Waters Edge | 8,000 | 777 251 775 | Music by Manilal & Uppekha plus DJ |
| NYE '16 | Floor By O! | 3,000 (Gents), 1000 (Ladies) | 779 544 422 | Redeemable ticket price, live music by SONIC JOURNEY and DJ |
| Colombo Dutch Hospital NYE | Taphouse By RnR | 40,000 (for eight) | 773 773 844 |
Slipping Chairs playing |
| NYE Gala | Chapter One | 7,000 (All Inc), 2000 (Dance only) | 0775040494/ 0112053330 | Live music by Super Pink & Purple, Fireworks |
| New Year's Eve | Galle Face Hotel | 25,000 | 772 663 469 | Grand ballroom, live music by Ricky and Legacy, open bar, breakfast and dinner |
| The Verandah | Galle Face Hotel | 8,000 | 772 663 469 | Dinner buffet and live music by Mintaka |
| Six On The Beach | Maya Beach, Talpe | 5000 | 777 397 818 / 770 298 926 | DJ's Asvajit, Sunara, Ben, Sajay, Nigel, Alexxo and breakfast |
| A Midnight Spell | Mount Lavinia Hotel | 19,900 | 112 711 711 | Shisha, cigars, karaoke, cognac and a stellar firework display |
The Hotel Event Parties
Every hotel does their take on the 31st night party. Smart casual or formal dress code is the usual, but it's safest to go with the latter so that you don't turn up under-dressed. This year doesn't have as much variety, in terms of theme.
Most of the parties that cost above Rs. 15,000 are all inclusive, which includes dinner and breakfast, but some of the less expensive ones charge a corkage fee between Rs. 1000 – Rs. 3000.
NYE Glow ON14
Rs. 2,900 / 5,500 / 10,500: If you're just looking for a party, ON14 has a great deal with the option of party only, party dinner and breakfast or party and breakfast. The DJ's will be spinning electro, deep house and hit songs.
A Midnight Spell
Rs 19,900: If you're looking for a decadent finish to 2015, Mount Lavinia Hotel is offering just that. From shisha to cigars, karaoke to cognac, and a stellar firework display, there's plenty to indulge in.
Champagne & Oyster Soirée
Rs. 20,000 (All Inclusive): Kingsbury are throwing their Champagne and Oyster Soirée, again. With the rooftop view from the Sky Lounge and music by DJ Wendell, it's likely to be decadent. Expect a free flow of champagne, spirits, oysters and canapes throughout the night as well as a breakfast buffet.
Retro Fusion @ The Kingsbury
Rs. 15,000: Retro Fusion is a local twist on NYE. Annesley and the band Doctor will perform both English and Sinhala hits.
Grand Oriental Hotel
The most laid back of the hotel parties, the Grand Oriental Hotel has Sam The Man on the sax and their usual lovely view of the Colombo Port. And you could win Harbour Queen 2015.
The Ramada – Kings & Anno Domini
Low-Key Dinners
Cafe Francais NYE
Rs. 13,000: Cafe Francais by Pourcel is throwing their own NYE with a 7-course dinner. Duck, lobster and veal. Plus the bar and diner are open to anyone, and there's DJ music through the night.
Colombo Courtyard NYE
Rs. 6,000 – Rs. 10,000: TNL is on board with Cloud Cafe for NYE, this year. So you can expect a performance by Onstage winners Cosmogyral and DJ Tharindu. Apart from the buffet dinner and breakfast, there's also discounts on dinner at Scarlet room and treatments at Amber Spa. Book a table of 10 and they'll throw in a bottle of scotch, a bottle of vodka and two chasers.
&Co (The Steuart)
Rs. 9,500 per person, with dinner buffet, two bottles of spirits (brown and white), two bottles of wine and chasers to a table of ten, Sri Lankan breakfast, and dance music through the 70's and 80's. Also, the funkiest constumes can expect prizes.
The Bar/Club Parties
Amuseum and Taphouse are having their own NYE events. Amuseum's is by far the biggest, taking up the Taj North Lawn.
How Deep Is Your Love @ The Kingsbury Poolside
Rs. 10,000: Hosted by Disciples, corkage is Rs. 2000 for spirits and Rs. 1500 for wine/champagne. The gig is presented by Kama but it's taking place at the Kingsbury, and it's meant to bring the feel of Paradise Beach Club in Mykonos.
Amuseum @ Taj Samudra
Rs. 12,000: This one is all about club music with DJ John Revox, DJ Danushka, Jayy Vibes, VJ Prasan and DJ Rami. They also offer a complimentary breakfast to work off the booze.
Taphouse By RnR
Taphouse has got The Slipping Chairs performing this year, again. This year you can get tables for eight people for Rs. 40,000, inclusive of a bunch of drinks and chasers.
Ticket To Melbourne @ R&B
Rs. 3000 for guys, Rs. 2000 for girls: R&B are bringing down two DJ's from Melbourne to deliver a taste of Melbourne night life. They'll be transforming R&B, taking on Melbourne's graffiti and signature landmarks.
Other
These are some parties a bit further out of Colombo.
Loon Tao Dinner Dance
Rs. 4,900: If you're looking for something kid-friendly and basically just want to eat, Loon Tao offers a buffet for Rs. 4,900 which is half price (Rs. 2,400) for kids and free if they're below five. They've got a black and white theme going on this year.
NYE 2015 at Taprobana Wadduwa
Rs. 5,500: The Taprobana beach resort is chilled out and not too far out of Colombo. There's an international dinner buffet and kiri bath at dawn. Tickets for kids age 6 to 15 are at Rs. 1,500, and kids under 6 walk in free. Tables of ten receive a complimentary bottle of Johnnie Walker Black Label and Smirnoff. The music is 80’s to today's chart toppers performed by the live band and DJ.
Kingfisher ThirtyOne
Rs. 3000: Ladies walk in free until midnight, and then it's Rs. 1000 after. Kingfisher, in Unawatuna, is generally good for parties, so this one is bound to be fun with DJ's like Tim Tim at the decks. They've also got a DJ down from London.
NYE at Zephyr Mirissa
Rs. 3000: Deeper down south, there's Zephyr in Mirissa. Muku, who played at Peacock, will be DJing among others. Pretty much a rave.
Six On The Beach
Rs. 5,000: With the sole aim of producing a hangover worth nursing, 41 Sugar and Sugar Bistro and Wine Bar will be taking charge of the food and drink, so there ought to be plenty. They've got six of the grooviest DJ's in town on their line-up with curated music – lot of lounge, deep house, soulful house, jazzy funk. Thalpe is a great place to be in this season and this should be one of the more civilized and hip spots this year. We'd suggest trying out the pizza at Wijaya Beach the next day.
Heads up, this is not a comprehensive list, and there will be updates. We're not sure why some of these parties don't have their fliers out and word spreading, but when they do, we'll add them.
