New Year's Eve with friends
New Year's Eve is long, and there is plenty of time between dinner and midnight. Here are ideas that give the evening something to gather around: taste fizz blind, crown the year's best together and reveal the winners before the countdown.
- New Year's Eve 2026
- Thursday 31 December
- Best for
- 4 to 12 friends
- Time
- 15–30 minutes per idea
Updated
Four ideas for New Year's Eve
-
Blind fizz tasting
Champagne, cava, crémant and prosecco in numbered glasses. Can you tell which one is the expensive bottle?
BubblesAromaTasteFor midnightRead the guide → -
The year's awards
Everyone nominates the year's best film, meal or moment. Everyone rates, and the winners are revealed just before midnight.
BestMost memorableWould do it againRead the guide → -
The potluck menu contest
Each guest makes one course. Every course is a round, and the evening's best cook is revealed after dessert.
TastePresentationCreativityRead the guide → -
Alcohol-free tasting
Alcohol-free fizz and mocktails, tasted blind. A good way to include everyone, from drivers to children.
TasteFreshnessSweetnessFestive feelingRead the guide →
How it fits into the evening
| When | Idea |
|---|---|
| When guests arrive | Blind fizz tasting or alcohol-free tasting |
| During dinner | The potluck menu contest, one round per course |
| Before midnight | The year's awards, revealed before the countdown |
Pick one or two ideas. New Year's Eve has enough going on already, and the best part is a good reveal, not a full programme.
How it works
Create an activity in Jury for each idea, and invite your guests with a link before they arrive. Each thing you rate is a round, and everyone rates on their own phone from 1 to 10.
Ratings stay hidden until you reveal them. Save the big reveal for just before midnight, then see the ranking, how far apart you were and who was the most generous judge.
Planning Christmas too? See Christmas with friends for more ideas.
Questions and answers
When is New Year's Eve 2026?
Thursday 31 December 2026.
How many ideas should we do?
One or two is plenty. Leave room for the rest of the evening.
Can children join in?
Yes. The year's awards and the alcohol-free tasting work well for all ages.
Does everyone need the app?
Yes, each guest rates on their own phone. Jury is free and has no ads.
All ideas for new year's eve with friends
Ready for the first round?
Jury is free, with no ads. Get the app, make an activity and send the link to your friends.