Where to watch New Year’s Eve fireworks around Seattle

About seven minutes before midnight on Dec. 31, 500 drones will illuminate the night sky surrounding the Space Needle, leading into the 32nd annual New Year’s at the Needle fireworks show. 

Starting at 8 p.m., come by the Seattle Center Armory for live music and head to the International Fountain for a light show at 10 p.m. For those watching the Needle, 10-minute light shows, with the iconic tower as their canvas, will run every half-hour from 10 p.m. to midnight.

The official drone and fireworks extravaganza will kick off just after 11:50 p.m. and is set to a soundtrack of musical highlights of the year, from national stars Taylor Swift and Beyoncé to Pacific Northwest artists like Black Belt Eagle Scout and Modest Mouse.

Crowds descend on Seattle Center each year for the preshow festivities and most close-up view of the fireworks, but there are plenty of other ways to experience Seattle’s brilliant New Year’s Eve.

To view the show at home, tune in to the one-hour live KING 5 broadcast, starting at 11:35 p.m. If you’re watching the live show from a distance and can’t hear the music, listen along on HITS 106.1 in Seattle. 

To watch the show live from elsewhere in the city, anywhere with a clear view of the Needle will do, but here are a few favorite spots to try. And, a pro tip: Remember that more popular parks with skyline views generally fill up quickly, so consider arriving early to lay out your blanket and settle down with a warm drink. 

Capitol Hill

Most famous for its downtown views away from nightlife-filled Broadway is Volunteer Park’s Water Tower Observation Deck (1247 15th Ave. E.). Head to the southwest corner of the park and climb the spiral staircase up the tower for the most sweeping views of Seattle’s skyline, beyond a tall row of trees. 

If the observation deck is packed, you can still spot the top of the Space Needle from the steps and benches outside the Seattle Asian Art Museum, though tall trees obscure some of the skyline. 

While not all are as well known, the area between Volunteer Park and Interstate 5 abound with viewpoints from intersections to small neighborhood parks. Lakeview Boulevard Viewpoint (967 Lakeview Blvd. E.) and Thomas Street Mini Park (306 Bellevue Ave. E.) offer sightlines to the Space Needle, but there’s plenty to explore nearby. 

Elliott Bay

Likely the most uninterrupted view you can find of Seattle’s skyline comes from being on the waters of Elliott Bay.

If you’re 21 or older and can afford to dish out $110, Argosy Cruises offers a special New Year’s Eve cruise from 10 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. with a live disc jockey and full-service bar.

For a more economical view, hop on a Washington State Ferries vessel and time your arrival or departure to see the light show on the Space Needle (though it may be difficult to time your ride with the fireworks show itself) — for example, spend some time on Bainbridge Island before hopping on the 10:30 p.m. ferry back to Seattle.

Lake Union

Already a go-to spot for watching Seafair’s Fourth of July fireworks show, Gas Works Park (2101 N. Northlake Way) also serves the same purpose on New Year’s Eve, with a partially obstructed view of the Space Needle right across Lake Union. Or you can get closer to the show on the other side of the lake at Lake Union Park (860 Terry Ave. N.). 

Magnolia

The hillside Ella Bailey Park (2601 W. Smith St.) features gently rolling slopes, picnic tables, paths for walking and jogging, and a big grassy expanse. You can see the city skyline, including the Space Needle (it’s a bit obstructed, but you still get a good shot of the top half) the Great Wheel, Puget Sound and Mount Rainier, if it’s clear.

Just about a five-minute drive south toward Elliott Bay, Ursula Judkins Viewpoint (2605 W. Galer St.), Open Water Park (2351 W. Marina Place) and Smith Cove Park (1450 23rd Ave. W.) will get you a little closer to the show.

Queen Anne

If there was ever a place to take a classic, postcard-worthy shot of Seattle’s skyline, it’d of course be the famous Kerry Park (211 W. Highland Dr.), which is known to draw a big crowd for New Year’s Eve — for understandable reasons. 

But don’t let all that hype make you miss the other viewpoints sprinkled throughout Queen Anne. At Bhy Kracke Park (1215 Fifth Ave. N.), sandwiched into a steep residential area, you can gaze down at downtown, Lake Union and Capitol Hill.

Ward Springs Park (925 Fourth Ave. N.), a neighborhood park tucked away on the corner of Fourth Avenue North and Ward Street, features both a big play set, including slides, ladders and poles, and stunning Space Needle views. 

West Seattle

This summer, Seattle Times readers voted Alki Beach (2665 Alki Ave. S.W.) as the best beach within city limits, with the views being one of its defining features. With a clear view of the Space Needle, and plenty of sandy beach for onlookers to spread out across, this West Seattle spot is certainly a great candidate for New Year’s Eve. 

Nearly anywhere you wander along the north shore of West Seattle will provide views of downtown — just continue north from the beach along Alki Avenue Southwest, which eventually becomes Harbor Avenue Southwest. At Luna Park (the previous site of an old amusement park) you can walk out on a pier over the bay as you take in the skyline while nearby Hamilton Viewpoint Park (1120 California Way S.W.) offers an elevated view. Farther down Harbor Avenue Southwest, Seacrest Park (1660 Harbor Ave. S.W.) and Jack Block Park View Point (2868 S.W. Florida St.) also offer views of downtown.