A magical New Year’s Eve in Copacabana (Travel Diaries Day 7)

The moment had arrived: time to experience NYE in Copacabana!

To be honest, I was feeling pretty nervous about it. First of all, the numbers are wild - two million people on the beach?! That’s basically the entire population of Milan. How is that even possible??? Secondly, I’d heard all kinds of warnings both online and from locals about crime during NYE in Copacabana. Stories about pickpockets, phones getting stolen in the blink of an eye, and repeated advice to leave anything valuable behind. But I really wanted to take a photo during the fireworks! In the midst of all this uncertainty, we didn’t have much of a plan until the morning of NYE, which was pretty unlike me - I’m usually a planner!

The big question was: party on the beach with the crowds or go for a ticketed event at a quiosque or bar? In the end, we leaned toward the latter because it felt like a safer bet. So, we booked the party at the restaurant in our hostel. It wasn’t exactly cheap, but we felt it was worth it to have the peace of mind and a safe base while being in the middle of the festivities in one of the world’s biggest NYE celebrations!

For the occasion, we both went all white, as is the custom in Brazil for New Year’s Eve: wearing white symbolizes peace and renewal for the year ahead! Once dressed, we grabbed dinner at our restaurant. I’d say that the food was okayish, but caipirinhas were better! After a couple of those we decided to wander down to the beach to see just how crazy a party of 2 million can become.

We braced ourselves for chaos, expecting shoulder-to-shoulder crowds and an overwhelming crush of people. But to our surprise (and relief), it wasn’t like that at all! At least not where we were, toward the southern end of the beach. Of course, it might have been much busier closer to the center, near the Copacabana Palace, where the main concert stage was set up. But where we were, it was perfect. Families, friends, and couples were on the beach, just chilling in plastic chairs, sipping drinks, listening to music, and soaking up the festive vibes. It was lively but relaxed. Also, there was police stationed at every corner, which contributed a lot to our safety perception.

That said, we did notice a few pickpockets working the crowd. They were pretty easy to spot: young, alone, not dressed in white, and more interested in people’s pockets than the fireworks. 

As midnight approached, we made our way closer to the water to take part in another NYE tradition: jumping over seven waves at the stroke of midnight. The anticipation was building, and at this point the crowd had definitely thickened. Families, kids, groups of friends, even dogs, were buzzing with excitement.

Five minutes to midnight, the energy was electric. We noticed that there wasn’t an official countdown going on, so Reid and I pulled up a timer on Google and started counting down ourselves. 10! 9! 8! 7! 6! … BOOM! Before we could even hit “5,” the fireworks exploded into the night sky!

Happy 2025!

Reid and I shared a kiss, feeling so grateful to be in this magical place together for such a special moment. Then we turned to the show: 12 minutes of spectacular fireworks painting the sky in red, purple, orange, gold. People were cheering, jumping into the waves, and capturing the moment with photos. It was pure joy all around.

Hand in hand, we took our seven jumps in the water. Reid tried to push me for a full-on swim, but the water was really cold! Finally we strolled along the beach, soaking in the music, the laughter, and the celebration. It was vibrant, colorful, and unforgettable. A perfect way to welcome the new year.

In the end, we barely spent any time at the hostel party, if not for dinner, as the rest of the evening was spent on the beach. In hindsight, we would have totally skipped the hostel party and only stayed at the beach. But without knowing what to expect, booking the party was the best decision at the time.

Next, time to relax: after all the chaos and busyness of Rio, we’re headed for tropical bliss in Ilha Grande!

Here’s to an amazing 2025!