Jelena Jovanović for Expat.rs

Just like any other year, mid-December is the time when everybody starts to feel the pre-holiday jitters. This is the time to make decisions as to where and how to spend the upcoming holidays. This year as well, Belgrade is offering a wide variety of New Year’s Eve celebrations. One of the most popular ways to meet and greet New Year is to celebrate it on the city’s streets and at its squares. The Belgrade City Assembly has been traditionally organizing New Year’s celebration.This time, however, the celebration will be more moderate than in the previous years. Only one stage is planned, with Željko Joksimović performing as the star of the night. Aside from Joksimović, the increasingly popular reggae band S.A.R.S., a Belgrade rap group Sunshine and a rock singer Đorđe David with his band called The Gang will also entertain the crowds. The show is to begin at 9:00 pm and last until 2 o’clock in the morning. The following day, on January 1st, the Belgrade Tourist Organization is hosting yet another traditional event called  the Street of Open Heart in  Svetogorska Street. This event, always popular with Belgraders, will include a concert in front of Atelje 212 theatre, street performances, children shows and charity campaigns.

When it comes to New Year’s Eve celebration indoors, Belgrade is offering pretty much the same entertainment as before. Clubs, cafe bars and restaurants all have special New Year’s programmes, and the prices are just a fraction higher than the ones last year.

When it comes to clubbing, there are several parties to be held in the city’s clubs. The Tube club (21 Simina Street) will play contemporary disco-funk, hip-hop and dance. Ben Westbech from the U.K. will be the main DJ, along with Belgrade DJs Peppe and Pookie. The tickets are being sold at 2,500 dinars each and include unlimited amounts of food and a welcome drink. Clubs like Batler and Sobarica (12 Francuska Street) will host a five-stage party on three storeys, with predominatly electric and drum’n’bass music. Semafor will also have a large party, perfect for younger clubbers, at 24 Sarajevska Street,. The music programme will include 1990s dance, folk music, karaoke, retro music and disco house and be divided into four rooms. The tickets are being sold at 2,500 dinars each and include unlimited food and drink.

A vivid Mexican club / restaurant Cantina de Frida, located at the Sava Pier is offering food, drink and music performed by the Happy Day band for 50 euros for a place near the bar, and 80 euros to be seated at a table.

For the first time ever the Supermarket concept store in Višnjićeva Street is throwing a New Year’s party. This is a location where Serbian designers sell their work, as well as a place where many cultural events take place. Supermarket is holding a large party with Belgrade DJ Marko Nastić as the main star and DJs Marko Milosavljević, Miloš Pavlović, Kobayu and Straw. The tickets are 6,000 dinars each (5,500 dinars if you buy them in advance) – food and drink included. Loco Band is playing in Bitef Art Cafe (seating 70 euros, standing 50 euros). A party is also to be held at Boat 20/44, docked on New Belgrade’s side of  the river Sava, close to the Business Centre Ušće. This is an all-inclusive event with music provided by FunkyShljiva. Tickets for this event are 50 euros per person. When it comes to the city’s top clubs, such as Magacin and Stefan Braun, the ticket price is 60 euros (for girls) and 80 euros (for guys). A new nightclub called Maximums, located  on the river Sava bank, is also throwing a huge three-stage-party. The music will be live, mostly house, with several DJ improvisations.The tickets cost 3,000 dinars.

TDI radio station has also announced a big party in Pionirski Grad (covering 2,500 square metres, located just outside Košutnjak), with a total of twelve DJs, four stages and six video beams. The tickets bought in advance cost 2,500 dinars.

Most of Belgrade’s boathouses are also offering  New Year’s parties with live music and DJs, as well as all inclusive programmes, i.e. unlimited food and drink. Amadeus Band is  playing at H20 (tickets are 50 euros). If you want to enjoy the Blaywatch boathouse party, you will have to set aside 35 euros. Another popular Belgrade boathouse called Black Panthers is offering mostly Roma music at the price of  5,500 dinars per ticket. The legendary band Black Panthers are scheduled to play.

When it comes to New Year’s Eve parties to be held in cafes located in downtown Belgrade, the tickets range from 30 to 50 euros. Sport Cafe and the Latino Corazon Club are both planning a  techno-house party at the same address (4 Makedonska Street). The Odium band is playing the music of their choice, rock-and-roll, at a rock-club called Danguba (2 Ćirila and Metodija Street), charging 2,900 dinars per person. Another New Year’s party is to be organized at a former cinema called Odeon, with some of the most famous Belgrade bands playing – Partibrejkers, Disciplina Kičme and Darkwood Dub. Tickets are being sold for 1,900 dinars.

Belgrade restaurants are also hosting New Year’s parties. If you like a somewhat calmer atmosphere and music, spending New Year’s Eve in a restaurant may be a good choice. The famous bohemian Belgrade quarter Skadarlija is always  popular and you should have reserved your place long in advance. Aside from the older Belgrade population, Skadarlija is now also frequented by younger generations who appreciate bohemian atmosphere, old folk music and typical Serbian dishes. The famous Skadarlija restaurants like ’Tri šešira’ (Three Hats), ’Ima dana’ (There are Many Days Ahead) and ’Dva jelena’ (Two Deer). The price average is 6,000 dinars per person.

Most Belgrade hotels are also having New Year’s Eve celebrations. These parties are described as glamourous, of good quality, giving out positive vibrations etc. OK Band is going to play in hotel Continental, while hotel Slavija is also having live music. The prices are 60 and 55 euros respectively. There are also many folk music parties, with the biggest and the most aggresively promoted event of this kind being the New Year’s party at the Belgrade Fair. Ceca and Grand Stars are performing there (Grand Stars is a collective title for several young, and quite popular folk singers that have all had their albums released by production company called Grand).

Many of the restaurants, cafe bars and clubs also have a rerun of the New Year’s celebration on offer for the next day, with tickets sold at a 30% reduced price.The details of celebration of so-called Serbian New Year on 13th January are to be released at the beginning of January. There are several web sites that contain detailed information about the New Year’s parties in Belgrade, with some of them even offering  reservations. As the matter of fact, mid-December is the time when most people decide where to go for New Year’s, how much money to spend, what kind of celebration they want and what appeals to them most from a wide variety of New Year eventson offer in Belgrade.