The main places to celebrate New Year's Eve in Lithuania are Cathedral Square in Vilnius, which marks midnight with a light show and no fireworks, and Kaunas and Klaipėda, which have staged public fireworks. Vilnius, the capital, has welcomed the new year without a public fireworks show for several years running, putting on video projections on the Cathedral Bell Tower and a light show over Cathedral Square at midnight. If you want fireworks, Kaunas and Klaipėda have staged them. That split gives Lithuania an unusual choice: a calm, beautifully lit capital that was named European Christmas Capital 2025, or a louder night in the second and third cities.
Below is what each city does on 31 December, how to move between them, the Lithuanian food and customs around the holidays, and the cold-weather planning that a Baltic winter demands. Details reflect the most recent editions; city programmes for the night are published in December.
New Year 2027 in Lithuania at a glance
Vilnius runs Bell Tower projections from 22:00 and a light show at midnight, with no public fireworks. Kaunas (Vienybės Square) and Klaipėda (Theatre Square) held fireworks at recent editions. The Vilnius tree was lit on 28 November 2026 and the market runs to 27 December. Public transport in Vilnius was free until dawn at a recent edition. Expect temperatures below freezing, possible snow and early darkness. Lithuania uses the euro (EUR), cards are accepted almost everywhere, Schengen rules apply with visa needs depending on your passport, and 1 January is a public holiday.
Why Vilnius celebrates without fireworks
Several years ago Vilnius stopped its official fireworks, with city officials citing safety, the environment and animal welfare, and it has kept that policy every year since. The city puts on a projection show in their place. On the night that welcomed 2026, video projections lit the Cathedral Bell Tower from 22:00, and a light show filled Cathedral Square at midnight. For 31 December 2026, the city has already announced a special projection on the Bell Tower.
The result is a gentler countdown. Families with small children stay out later, the square is easier to move around, and the historic setting of the cathedral, the Bell Tower and the Gediminas Hill castle tower works well with light art. Private fireworks are still let off in the city by individuals, so expect some bangs around midnight.
The policy is now well established, and each year the city invites people to Cathedral Square for video projections and a laser show.
Where to celebrate New Year's Eve in Lithuania
In Vilnius, the celebration centres on Cathedral Square and the Old Town, with video projections on the Cathedral Bell Tower from 22:00 and a light show at midnight. For fireworks, go to Kaunas, which has held them with an open-air disco on Vienybės Square, or Klaipėda, the Baltic port about 4 hours away by train, with a concert on Theatre Square.
Vilnius: Cathedral Square and the Old Town
Everything in the capital points to Cathedral Square. The Christmas market under the tree runs from 28 November to 27 December 2026, so it will have closed by the 31st, but the tree and Old Town lights stay up into January (last season the tree remained until 6 January). Start the evening with dinner on Pilies or Vokiečių streets, walk to the square for the free projections from 22:00, and count down beneath the Bell Tower.
After midnight, bars around the Old Town and Užupis stay busy. At a recent New Year's Eve Vilnius made public transport free until dawn, which helps if your hotel is outside the centre, though a room in the Old Town or around Gediminas Avenue keeps everything on foot. For a seated alternative, the Lithuanian National Philharmonic has staged New Year's Eve concerts; tickets go on sale weeks ahead. Vilnius is the pick for a calm, atmospheric night.
Kaunas: fireworks and an open-air party
Public fireworks survive in Kaunas. At a recent edition the city held fireworks and an open-air disco on Vienybės (Unity) Square, in the modernist new town district. Kaunas is known for its interwar architecture, and Laisvės alėja, the long pedestrian avenue, links the new town to the Old Town around Town Hall Square. Fireworks lovers and groups head here.
The train from Vilnius takes about 1 to 1.5 hours, so you could visit for the day. To see the fireworks and enjoy the party, stay overnight in the New Town or Old Town: late trains back to the capital are limited on New Year's Eve.
Klaipėda: a port-city concert by the sea
About 4 hours from Vilnius by train, Lithuania's port city on the Baltic brought fireworks back at a recent New Year's Eve, with a concert on Theatre Square in the Old Town. For a seaside countdown it is the only real option. Klaipėda is also the gateway to the Curonian Spit, a UNESCO-listed sand peninsula that is quiet and stark in winter.
The coast is windy and damp in late December. Pair New Year in Klaipėda with a day on the Curonian Spit if roads and ferries are running, and check weather warnings before you set off.
Lithuanian holiday food and New Year customs
The biggest family meal of the season is Kūčios on Christmas Eve, a meatless supper of twelve dishes. New Year's Eve is more relaxed and social: friends gather for dinner, champagne at midnight and toasts. Restaurants serve hearty winter food such as cepelinai, large potato dumplings usually filled with meat, and kibinai, the filled pastries linked to the Karaim community of Trakai. For a festive dessert, look for šakotis, the tall spit-baked "tree cake" sold in bakeries.
A common wish at midnight is "Laimingų Naujųjų metų!" (Happy New Year). On 1 January, a public holiday, the city is quiet in the morning and many shops open late or not at all. Plan a walk up Gediminas Hill or a slow museum day, and check opening hours first.
Vilnius, Kaunas and Klaipėda on New Year's Eve
| City | Midnight show | Atmosphere | From Vilnius | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vilnius | Bell Tower projections and light show | Calm, family-friendly | None | No public fireworks for six years |
| Kaunas | Fireworks, open-air disco | Lively | About 1 to 1.5 hours by train | Stay overnight |
| Klaipėda | Concert and fireworks | Seaside, local | About 4 hours by train | Coastal wind and cold |
Winter safety in Lithuania: Temperatures below freezing are normal at midnight, and pavements in the Old Town get icy. Wear shoes with grip and dress in thermal layers.
Private fireworks are set off around midnight by residents even in Vilnius. Keep a distance from anyone lighting them and watch children closely.
Daylight is short in late December, with dark afternoons. Plan sightseeing for the middle of the day.
Where to stay for New Year's Eve in Lithuania
In Vilnius, stay in the Old Town or the streets just west of Cathedral Square, around Gedimino prospektas. The projections on the Bell Tower and the midnight light show are a few minutes' walk away, and the Old Town's restaurants and bars are on the same streets. The area around Užupis is a little further out and quieter, suited to travellers who want a calmer base.
If fireworks matter to you, choose your city first. Vilnius has no official display, while Kaunas has held fireworks and an open-air disco on Vienybės Square and Klaipėda a concert on Theatre Square followed by fireworks.
In Kaunas, look for hotels along Laisvės alėja, the long pedestrian avenue that leads towards the city centre and close to Vienybės Square, where the fireworks have been held. In Klaipėda, the Old Town around Theatre Square keeps you within walking distance of the concert and the seafront.
Getting home after midnight in Lithuania
Vilnius has made public transport free on New Year's night in recent years, with buses and trolleybuses running into the early morning. Expect road closures in the city centre from around 22:00 until about 1am to 2am, and some routes rerouted, so the nearest stop may be a few streets away from the Old Town. Check the city's transport organiser, JUDU, for the 2026 notice. Bolt operates in Vilnius, Kaunas and Klaipėda, but prices climb and waits lengthen right after midnight. With streets often icy, wear shoes with grip and walk if your hotel is central.
In recent years JUDU has made transport free from the evening of 31 December until the early hours, with extra night buses and trolleybuses. If the 2026 notice does not include free travel, a 30-minute ticket costs 1 euro and a 60-minute ticket 1.25 euros, the fares in force since July 2025.
What New Year's Eve in Lithuania costs
What you will spend (October 2026)
| Item | What to expect | How to keep it down |
|---|---|---|
| City celebrations | Free projections, light show, fireworks in Kaunas and Klaipėda | Eat before 22:00; outdoor food stalls queue |
| Hotel nights | Old Town rooms rise for the holiday; minimum stays common | Book by November, or stay near the train station |
| New Year dinner | Fixed menus with music and one long sitting | Ask whether the menu includes drinks and dessert |
| Party tickets | Clubs and hotel parties sell advance tickets | Buy early; door prices are higher |
| Transport | Free public transport in Vilnius at recent editions | Confirm the 2026 arrangement with JUDU |
The free side of the night is generous: the Cathedral Square projections, the Kaunas and Klaipėda celebrations and, in recent years, free public transport in Vilnius until dawn. Normal Vilnius fares are low anyway, at 1 euro for 30 minutes and 1.25 euros for 60 minutes since July 2025. The main spending goes on the hotel, the dinner and any party ticket. Lithuania uses the euro, which keeps costs easy to compare for visitors from the eurozone.
Planning tips for New Year's Eve in Lithuania
Lithuania is in the Schengen Area, and visa requirements depend on your passport, so check the official Lithuanian migration portal before booking. Vilnius Airport has connections through major European hubs; compare fares on our flight search. Old Town hotels let you walk to Cathedral Square and back, and you can compare options on our hotel search. The National Philharmonic and other venues sell New Year's Eve concerts early, so buy in November.
Lithuanian Railways (LTG Link) connects Vilnius, Kaunas and Klaipėda. Since March 2026 a non-stop express links Vilnius and Kaunas in 59 minutes, against about 1 hour 20 minutes on regular trains; check holiday timetables in advance. Pack thermal layers, a hat, gloves and waterproof boots. Vilnius averages about -4°C at night in December and -6°C in January, so standing in the square for an hour is cold work.
For more on where else to welcome the year, see our roundup of New Year's Eve destinations around the world, and check our visa page before you confirm dates.
Our guide to New Year travel prices explains minimum stays, compulsory gala dinners and when to book.
Planning a trip to Lithuania? Read our Lithuania travel guide or search flights.
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