Paraguay rings in the new year in the middle of summer. Midnight on 31 December arrives on a hot night of 25°C or more, families sit down to a long dinner of roast meat, sopa paraguaya and chilled cider, and the sky over Asunción and the river towns fills with fireworks bought from December street stalls. The biggest free public party is on the beach promenade in Encarnación, the summer resort town of San Bernardino opens its season by Lake Ypacaraí, and hotels around Asunción and Luque sell gala dinners with their own midnight show.
Planning more of the trip? Start with our guide to the best places to celebrate New Year 2027 around the world.
Below you will find how Paraguayans celebrate, the best places to be at midnight in 2026, what to eat and wear, the heat and storms to plan around, and how to get there. For the country basics see our Paraguay destination page, and if you are comparing South American options, read our guide to New Year's Eve in Brazil.
New Year 2027 in Paraguay: the short version
New Year's Eve is Thursday 31 December 2026, and 1 January is a public holiday. The biggest free event is on the Costanera and San José beach in Encarnación. Asunción runs highs around 33°C and lows around 23°C, with summer storms. On the table you will find sopa paraguaya, chipa guasu, roast meats and clericó, and at midnight people eat 12 grapes for 12 wishes. The currency is the Paraguayan guaraní (PYG), and flights land at Silvio Pettirossi International (ASU) in Luque. Entry rules depend on your passport, so check with Paraguay's Dirección General de Migraciones.
How Paraguayans celebrate New Year's Eve
Paraguayans celebrate New Year's Eve at the family table. Most spend the evening at home or at a relative's house, start dinner around 10 pm, eat twelve grapes and toast at midnight, then step outside to watch and set off fireworks. Many dress in white, yellow or red, colours tied by custom to wishes for the year.
Christmas and New Year run together as one long season in Paraguay. Through December, street vendors sell fireworks, seasonal sweets and decorations, and the heat pushes social life outdoors: patios, garden tables and quinchos (covered barbecue areas) are where the year ends. Dinner usually starts late, around 10 pm, and runs past midnight. Asunción Times describes the evening as a "dress to impress" night, with white, yellow, red, green, gold and silver the most common colours, each tied by custom to a wish for the new year, such as peace, money or love.
At midnight many families follow the Spanish custom of eating twelve grapes, one for each month, with a wish for each. Paraguay has no famous clock chimes to keep time to, so people eat them at their own pace. Then come hugs, a toast with cold sidra (cider) or wine, and a rush to the street or the roof to watch the fireworks lighting up every barrio at once. Young people often leave the family dinner after midnight for parties at clubs or friends' houses that run until sunrise.
What Paraguayans eat on New Year's Eve
On New Year's Eve Paraguayans eat roast or grilled meat with two corn dishes, sopa paraguaya and chipa guasu, plus salads with mandioca and cold beef tongue in vinaigrette. Dessert is cold for a summer night: clericó, chopped fruit soaked in wine, and papaya preserve with fresh cheese, with sidra, wine or beer to drink.
The Paraguayan New Year's Eve table
| Dish or drink | What it is | Role on the night |
|---|---|---|
| Sopa paraguaya | A solid, savoury cornbread made with cheese, onion and milk (despite the name, not a soup) | Essential side |
| Chipa guasu | A moist, soufflé-like bake of fresh corn kernels and cheese | Essential side |
| Roast and grilled meats | Beef cuts, stuffed matambre, roast chicken or pork, sometimes cooked in a tatakuá clay oven | Main course |
| Lengua a la vinagreta | Beef tongue in a sharp vinaigrette, served cold | Starter or side |
| Salads and mandioca | Potato, rice and vegetable salads with boiled cassava | Sides |
| Clericó | Chopped summer fruit soaked in wine, served very cold | Dessert and drink in one |
| Dulce de mamón with cheese | Papaya preserve eaten with fresh Paraguayan cheese | Dessert |
| Sidra, wine and beer | Served ice-cold | Midnight toast |
If you are invited to a Paraguayan home, bring a bottle of cider or a dessert, arrive later than the stated time, and expect to be offered food until you firmly refuse. In the heat, mayonnaise-based salads and cold meats spoil fast, which is why local chefs advise keeping dishes in the fridge until the last moment.
Best places to celebrate New Year's Eve in Paraguay
The best place to celebrate New Year's Eve in Paraguay is Encarnación, where the free municipal party on the Costanera and San José beach has drawn around 15,000 people in recent years. Pick San Bernardino for a lakeside summer-resort night by Lake Ypacaraí, or a hotel in Asunción or Luque for a gala dinner with fireworks on site.
Encarnación: fireworks on the Costanera and San José beach
Encarnación, on the Paraná River opposite Posadas in Argentina, is often called the country's tourism capital thanks to its wide river beaches and long waterfront promenade, and New Year's Eve is when that reputation shows. The municipality organises the celebration along the Costanera and the San José beach: families arrive early in the evening with folding chairs, tables and coolers, there is live music on the promenade, and fireworks start at midnight over the water. Entry is free. Local press reported around 15,000 people at the beach event in recent years, and on 1 January the party continues with a daytime beach event that has featured DJs and activities for children.
Families, groups of friends and beach lovers get the most out of it. Get there by 9 pm if you want a spot on the sand, and stay near the Costanera so you can walk home. Hotels fill quickly in summer; book by October for 31 December. From Asunción the trip is a long day's drive or bus ride south, so most people make it a two- or three-night stay and combine it with the Jesuit mission ruins of Trinidad and Jesús nearby.
Asunción and Luque: hotel galas and rooftop views
The capital has no single official countdown, and nobody misses one: at midnight fireworks go up from every neighbourhood at once, and anywhere with height gives you a 360-degree show. For visitors without a local family to join, the practical choice is a hotel gala, which suits couples, business travellers and first-timers. Large hotels in Asunción (Villa Morra and Carmelitas are the usual areas) and in neighbouring Luque, near the airport, regularly sell New Year's Eve packages with a buffet dinner, drinks, a DJ or band and, at some resort-style venues, their own fireworks at midnight. Packages are announced in November and December and usually sell per person, with prices in guaraníes. Buy gala tickets in early December.
Before the night, spend an hour on the Costanera de Asunción, the riverside promenade behind the Palacio de López, for sunset over the Paraguay River. Avoid walking alone through empty downtown streets late at night. Pre-book a registered taxi or ride-hailing car back to your hotel, because apps surge after midnight.
San Bernardino: summer season by Lake Ypacaraí
Locals call it "San Ber": the lakeside resort town east of Asunción where city families keep weekend houses. Its summer cultural programme traditionally opens around New Year with fireworks on the shore of Lake Ypacaraí, and the town's bars, restaurants and holiday homes fill up from Christmas to the end of the season. It is a short drive from the capital, much slower in holiday traffic, and the road is heavy on 31 December and on the afternoon of 1 January. One or two nights in a lakeside posada or holiday rental gives you a relaxed, local summer-holiday feel.
One honest caveat: Lake Ypacaraí suffers from pollution, and swimming is generally discouraged. Enjoy the view, the sunsets and the lakeside promenades, and use a hotel pool for a swim. Check the municipality's announcements in December for the year's exact programme.
Paraguay weather on New Year's Eve
Paraguay is hot on New Year's Eve. Asunción averages highs of about 33°C and lows of about 23°C in December, and some afternoons climb well above that. Rain comes in short, violent thunderstorms that can roll in during the evening and pass within an hour, so light clothing and an indoor fallback both matter.
December rainfall in the capital averages roughly 140 to 160 mm, usually in short, violent thunderstorms. A storm can roll in during the evening and pass in an hour, so keep an indoor fallback for any outdoor plan and do not stand under trees during lightning. Drink plenty of water, wear sunscreen even in the evening haze, and choose light cotton or linen for the night. Air-conditioning is standard in hotels but not in every family home or bar.
In Encarnación, the beach on the Paraná river is busy from late afternoon, but the sun is strong until after 19:00, so arrive later and bring a hat. Choose a hotel room with reliable air-conditioning, since nights rarely cool below the low twenties.
Fireworks safety and local etiquette
A warning for midnight: Fireworks are let off by private households all over the country, often close to people and parked cars. Watch from a balcony or open space, keep children and pets indoors, and do not light fireworks yourself unless you know what you are handling.
Roads are busy with late-night drivers after midnight. Do not drive after drinking, and pre-book your ride home.
A few customs help you fit in. At midnight people hug everyone around them, family and strangers alike, and say "Feliz Año Nuevo". If you are invited to a family dinner, arrive with something cold to drink or a dessert, and expect the meal to run late, with the main course often after 22:00. Clericó, a white wine and fruit punch, is passed around after the toast. Expect loud music from neighbouring houses until morning, and keep pets indoors, as the noise from fireworks frightens dogs. Emergency services in Paraguay are on 911.
Getting to Paraguay for New Year
International flights land at Silvio Pettirossi International Airport (ASU) in Luque, roughly 10 to 15 km from central Asunción (20 to 30 minutes by taxi). Routes include Buenos Aires and São Paulo, Copa Airlines services from Panama City and Air Europa's long-haul flight from Madrid.
Most travellers from Asia, Africa and the Middle East reach Asunción with one connection in São Paulo, Panama City or Madrid. Seats around Christmas and New Year sell out early because of family travel across South America, so book flights and hotels well in advance; you can compare options on our flight search. Entry requirements depend on your nationality; check Paraguay's Dirección General de Migraciones or your nearest Paraguayan embassy, and see our visa section for general guidance.
A taxi from the airport to the centre is the simplest option; agree the price at the official stand. Bolt, Uber and the local app MUV also operate in Asunción. Overland, buses link Asunción with Buenos Aires and Brazilian cities, but journeys are long.
A three-day New Year plan for Paraguay
Three days covers Asunción and Encarnación over New Year: the historic centre and Costanera in Asunción on 30 December, an early drive or bus south (five to six hours) to Encarnación for the midnight fireworks on San José beach, then the New Year's Day beach event and the Trinidad Jesuit ruins on 2 January.
Asunción to Encarnación over New Year
- 30 Dec, Asunción: Walk the historic centre in the morning, sunset on the Costanera, dinner of sopa paraguaya and grilled meat.
- 31 Dec, Travel south to Encarnación: Leave early to beat the heat and holiday traffic, rest in the afternoon, then claim a spot on the San José beach for the midnight fireworks.
- 1 Jan, Beach day and Jesuit ruins: Sleep in, enjoy the New Year's Day beach event, and plan the Trinidad mission ruins for 2 January when sites are back to normal hours.
Leaving early on 31 December matters, because Encarnación is about five to six hours from Asunción by long-distance bus or car. The UNESCO-listed Jesuit mission of La Santísima Trinidad de Paraná is about 30 km from Encarnación, and the nearby Jesús de Tavarangue mission can be combined in the same morning. Encarnación sits across the river from Posadas in Argentina, linked by a bridge.
What New Year's Eve in Paraguay costs
By South American standards, Paraguay is an affordable place to spend New Year. The biggest celebration, on the Costanera and San José beach in Encarnación, is free, and food at home or at local restaurants is good value. Prices rise in the places summer holidaymakers want: Encarnación beachfront hotels and the lakeside towns around San Bernardino.
Typical spending, as of October 2026
| Item | What to expect | How to keep it down |
|---|---|---|
| Costanera and beach celebrations | Free in Encarnación | Arrive before 23:00 and bring water; nights are hot |
| Hotel nights | Encarnación and San Bernardino fill in the summer season | Book ahead, or stay in Asunción and travel by day |
| Hotel galas | Fixed packages in Asunción and Luque hotels with dinner and music | Compare inclusions and end times |
| Holiday food | Market prices for meat and clericó ingredients rise in late December | Shop before 30 December |
| Taxis and apps | Higher fares and long waits on the night | Book a return car before midnight |
Tips for New Year's Eve in Paraguay
For New Year's Eve in Paraguay, wear white, yellow or red in a light fabric, buy grapes, cider and ice the day before, carry guaraníes for street stalls and withdraw cash during the day, and book rooms in Encarnación or San Bernardino by October. Expect most shops to close on 1 January.
- Wear a lucky colour. White, yellow and red are the most popular choices. Light fabrics matter more than style on a 30°C night.
- Buy grapes early. Supermarkets get crowded on 31 December. Pick up grapes, cider and ice the day before.
- Carry guaraníes. Street stalls and small kiosks take cash. Withdraw from bank ATMs during the day, not late at night.
- Book rooms by October. Encarnación and San Bernardino are summer resorts and fill quickly over the holidays. Browse stays on our hotel page.
- Expect a quiet 1 January. It is a public holiday. Many shops, offices and some attractions close, so stock up and plan an easy day.
A Paraguayan New Year's Eve means a family-style dinner, a cold glass of clericó and fireworks from every rooftop at once. Sort out your table, your grapes and your ride home early.
Rooms and flights cost the most over the holidays, so read our guide to beating the New Year price surge before you book.
Planning a trip to Paraguay? Read our Paraguay travel guide or search flights.
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