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Most cities launch their New Year fireworks from a barge, a bridge or a park. Taipei launches them from the side of a 508-metre skyscraper. At the stroke of midnight, the bamboo-shaped segments of Taipei 101 erupt one after another, sending fountains, rings and cascades out of the building itself, until, for a few minutes, Taipei’s best-known landmark is a column of light. The Taipei 101 New Year fireworks have been a fixture since the tower opened on the last day of 2004, and they draw hundreds of thousands of people into a few square kilometres of Xinyi. Where you stand decides whether you see a spectacle or the back of somebody’s phone.
This guide covers the best viewing spots, from the plaza at the tower’s foot to hillsides and riverbanks kilometres away; when to arrive at each; how to get there and — harder — how to get home; what else happens on the night; and whether a rooftop bar or a hotel room is worth the premium. Each year’s programme is announced in December, so confirm the specifics nearer the time.
The night at a glance
| What | Detail |
|---|---|
| When | Midnight, 31 December into 1 January |
| How long | Six minutes at the most recent show, welcoming 2026 |
| Cost to watch | Free from the street, parks, plazas and hills |
| Taipei Metro | Ran non-stop for 42 hours for the last celebration, apart from the Xinbeitou and Xiaobitan branches; check Taipei Metro’s announcement for this year’s hours |
| Stations that may be skipped | Possible when crowds build; follow station notices and staff instructions on the night |
| Best free spots | Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, City Hall Plaza, Four Four South Village, Elephant Mountain, the Keelung River parks |
| Arrive | Late afternoon for the plazas; hours earlier for Elephant Mountain |
| Can’t make it? | Check Taipei 101’s official channels for how the show will be broadcast |
What you are actually watching
The show is choreographed to music and fired from launch points up the full height of the tower, so the building’s eight stacked segments light up in sequence, and the finale usually wraps the whole structure. In recent years the fireworks have been low-smoke Italian pyrotechnics, timed to original pieces by young Taiwanese composers chosen through a music competition, and the tower’s façade lights and projections form part of the display. The most recent edition, welcoming 2026, ran for six minutes under the theme “SPARK 101”, after a five-day countdown of light shows and projections on the tower that began on 27 December.
Two things follow from the way it is launched. First, you need a view of the tower itself, not just of the sky above it — a lot of the show happens at mid-height. Second, smoke and weather matter: on a still, damp night the smoke hangs around the upper floors and softens the later sequences, which is why spots slightly upwind and farther away sometimes get the clearest view. Taipei’s New Year’s Eve is often cool and cloudy, occasionally with drizzle or low cloud that swallows the top of the tower.
The best places to watch
Broadly, you are choosing between being close — noise, crowds, a neck-cricking view straight up — and being farther away, where you see the whole tower in context with the city. Here are the options, from nearest to farthest.
City Hall Plaza and the Xinyi streets
The plaza outside Taipei City Hall, a few hundred metres from the tower, is the heart of the city’s official party: a free, evening-long New Year’s Eve concert with big-name performers on a main stage, and the fireworks as the finale. Tens of thousands of people pack the plaza and the streets around it. The atmosphere is terrific; the view is good if you are in the right part of the plaza and poor if you are behind the stage rigging or a tree.
- Arrive: by late afternoon for a good spot; people stake out ground with picnic mats much earlier.
- Get there: Taipei City Hall station on the Blue Line — but on the night, trains may run straight through it once the crowds build, so plan to walk from Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall or Yongchun.
- Good for: atmosphere, music, a big-crowd New Year. Not for: small children, anyone uneasy in dense crowds.
Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall and Zhongshan Park
Our pick for most visitors. The park around the memorial hall is about three times the size of City Hall Plaza, so it takes longer to fill, and its long, open lawns and the pond give a clear, straight view of the tower about a kilometre away — close enough to feel it, far enough to see the whole thing. The hall’s main building is closed for renovation, but the park around it stays open. Photographers set up tripods early; everyone else arrives through the afternoon and evening with snacks, drinks and blankets. It is lively without being a crush.
- Arrive: mid to late afternoon for a lawn spot with a clear line of sight; evening arrivals still get a view, but farther back.
- Get there: Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall station on the Blue Line, which the metro recommends for the night.
- Good for: almost everyone, including families.
Four Four South Village
A preserved block of 1940s military housing right beneath the tower, with lawns and low buildings that frame Taipei 101 beautifully. It is close, free and photogenic, and it fills early — both because of the view and because the adjoining Xinyi streets are the centre of the crowd. Treat it as an alternative to City Hall Plaza rather than an escape from the crowds.
Lane 253, Songren Road
On New Year’s Eve the lane and the bars along it are packed shoulder to shoulder hours before midnight. The framing is wonderful; the experience, unless you love crowds, is not. Photographers who want this shot usually come another night.
Rooftop bars and restaurants in Xinyi
Some of the bars and restaurants on the upper floors of Xinyi’s buildings look out towards the tower, so ask each venue whether it runs a New Year’s Eve package. Expect an entry charge or a set menu on the night, a minimum spend, and bookings that sell out weeks or months ahead; some are fully booked by early December. It is a comfortable way to see the show with a drink in your hand, and toilets, which is not nothing. See our guide to the best rooftop bars in Taipei for the options, and book as early as you can.
Elephant Mountain (Xiangshan)
The view from Elephant Mountain, looking down on the tower from its own height with the city spread out behind, is a classic New Year’s Eve photograph, and the hill is correspondingly packed. The trail is a steep flight of stone steps from Xiangshan station, with viewing platforms on the way up, and the best spots go early. Sort out food, water and a toilet stop before you start the climb.
- Arrive: early afternoon at the latest if you want one of the platforms; later arrivals end up on the steps between them.
- Bring: a torch, water, a warm layer and patience. Coming down after midnight on steep, crowded steps in the dark takes time and care.
- Alternative: the other hills of the Four Beasts trails behind Elephant Mountain have their own viewpoints and fewer people, at the price of a longer climb. See our Elephant Mountain guide for the trails.
- Not for: small children, anyone unsteady on steps, or anyone who dislikes crowds on narrow paths.
The Keelung River parks
For the whole tower with the skyline around it, and room to spread out, head north to the parks along the Keelung River. The view is distant, but the show is designed to be seen from across the city, and on a clear night it is magnificent — and you can leave afterwards without queuing for an hour. It is the best choice for families and for anyone who wants to see the fireworks rather than be in the crowd. Bring your own food and drink; facilities are limited.
Watching on screen
Taipei 101’s official channels are the place to look for how the show will be broadcast, so check them in the days before. On a wet night, with a baby, or with jet lag, a hotel room and a screen is a perfectly respectable choice.
Which spot is right for you
| If you want… | Go to |
|---|---|
| The full big-party atmosphere | City Hall Plaza |
| A great view with space to sit | Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall |
| The classic photograph from above | Elephant Mountain — very early |
| Comfort, a drink and a toilet | A booked rooftop bar or restaurant |
| A calm night with children | The Keelung River parks, or a hotel room and the livestream |
| The easiest journey home | Anywhere away from Xinyi, within walking distance of a quieter station |
A timeline for the night
How the evening typically unfolds, and when to make your moves. Exact concert and programme times are published in December.
| Time | What is happening | What you should be doing |
|---|---|---|
| Morning | Photographers start claiming tripod spots in the park and by the river | Only if photography is the point of your trip |
| Early afternoon | Elephant Mountain’s platforms fill | Heading up the hill, if that is your plan |
| Mid to late afternoon | The plazas and lawns fill; the concert set-up is under way | Arriving at City Hall Plaza or Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall with a mat and supplies |
| Early evening | Restaurants in Xinyi are full; the concert warms up | Eating — ideally earlier, and away from Xinyi |
| Late evening | Crowds peak; stations near the tower may be skipped | In position; toilet visited; meeting point agreed |
| Midnight | Countdown and fireworks | Watching, and not only through your phone |
| Just after midnight | Everyone leaves at once | Staying put for twenty minutes, or walking away from Xinyi to a quieter station |
| Small hours | The MRT keeps running | Home, with no last train to worry about |
Eating before the crowds
Dinner on New Year’s Eve in Xinyi is a challenge: restaurants with a view are booked weeks ahead, everywhere else is full from early evening, and queues for food courts and convenience stores grow as the night goes on. The simplest plan is to eat early, somewhere else — a late lunch or early dinner in Da’an or Songshan, where Raohe Night Market is a short ride away — and then come into Xinyi with snacks and drinks for the wait. If you want a proper meal close to the action, book it well in advance.
Getting there and getting home
Getting to Xinyi is easy. Getting away after midnight is the part of the night people remember.
- Read the MRT’s New Year plan. For the last celebration Taipei Metro ran non-stop for 42 hours on every line except the Xinbeitou and Xiaobitan branches. This year’s hours are set out in its own announcement, so read that before you plan the journey home. See our MRT guide.
- Expect skipped stations. When crowds build, trains may run straight through some stations, so watch the station notices and do what staff tell you. The metro points people to Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, Yongchun, Xinyi Anhe, Xiangshan, Taipei Arena and Nanjing Sanmin instead.
- Walk before you ride. After the show, the stations nearest the tower have queues that last well over an hour. Walk fifteen or twenty minutes in the opposite direction to a quieter station and you will be home sooner.
- Forget taxis and ride-hailing in Xinyi after midnight. For the 2025/26 celebration, streets around the tower were closed to traffic from 19:00 on 31 December until 03:00, so check the city’s traffic-control notice before you book a car; see our Uber guide for how ride-hailing works.
- YouBike docks empty early in the evening and are full near the tower afterwards.
- Stay nearby. A hotel within walking distance of your viewing spot turns the worst part of the night into a stroll. Book months ahead; see our guide to where to stay in Taipei and our Xinyi district guide.
Practical tips for the night
- Agree a meeting point before you go. Mobile networks struggle under the crowds at midnight, and messages can be delayed.
- Use the toilet whenever you pass one. MRT stations and department stores are your friends; the queues get longer as midnight nears.
- Dress in layers. Taipei at midnight on 31 December is usually cool and often damp, and you will be standing still for hours. A light waterproof is worth carrying.
- Bring a mat for the parks and plazas, plus snacks and water; convenience stores near the venues sell out or have long queues.
- Drinking in public is legal in Taiwan, and plenty of people bring a few beers. Carry your rubbish out; Taipei’s streets are spotless the next morning because people do.
- Keep hold of children in the big crowds, and write your phone number on a card in their pocket.
- Charge your phone, and bring a power bank. You will film more than you expect.
- For photographers: a tripod needs an early start at Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall or a riverside park; wide lenses are essential close to the tower, and the finale is always brighter than you think.
With children
Children love the fireworks and hate the waiting, the crowds and the journey home. The parents who enjoy the night most tend to do one of three things: watch from the Keelung River parks or the far side of the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall lawns, where there is space to move and an easy exit; book a hotel room within walking distance and head out only for the last half hour; or watch the livestream from the hotel and see the tower from Elephant Mountain another evening. Avoid Elephant Mountain’s steps and the crush of Lane 253 with young children, bring ear protection for small ones if you are close to the tower, and write your phone number on a card in every child’s pocket. Our Taipei with kids guide has more on travelling with children in the city.
A photographer’s guide
The Taipei 101 fireworks draw huge crowds, and the good spots are taken by people who have done it before. A few pointers:
- Choose your framing by distance. From the foot of the tower you need an ultra-wide lens and will get explosions rather than the building. From Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, a standard zoom frames the whole tower. From Elephant Mountain, a standard or short telephoto gives you the tower with the city around it. From the riverside parks, a telephoto compresses the tower against the skyline.
- Set up before dark. Focus manually on the tower’s lights well before midnight and tape the focus ring; autofocus will hunt once the smoke arrives.
- Use a tripod and short exposures. Exposures of a couple of seconds at a small aperture and low ISO capture trails without blowing out the bursts; the finale is always brighter than the opening, so bracket and check as you go.
- Watch the wind. Smoke builds up on still nights and drifts downwind. If you can, choose a spot upwind of the tower.
- Arrive with your spot in mind. Tripods need space, and space goes early — the best tripod spots are taken in the morning.
- Come back another night for Lane 253 and the classic street framing, when you can set up in peace.
Beyond Taipei 101
The tower is the main event, but not the only one. New Taipei and other cities stage their own countdowns and fireworks; for 2026 New Taipei put on an early-evening show over the new Danjiang Bridge at Tamsui, lasting more than thirteen minutes, well before midnight. Whether it returns, and when, is announced in December — see our Tamsui guide for getting there. Across Taipei, New Year’s Day is a public holiday, and the next morning many people head to the hills or a temple for the first sunrise of the year.
Where the fireworks fit into your trip
If you are visiting in late December, the fireworks cap a month that also brings Christmas lights across Xinyi and the malls, cool clear days for hiking, and the start of hot spring season — see our guide to Taipei in December. Hotels in Taipei, and Xinyi in particular, are busy and more expensive over New Year’s Eve, and rooms with a direct view of the tower are among the most sought-after in the city. For the wider calendar, including the Lunar New Year a few weeks later, see our festivals calendar and our guide to Chinese New Year in Taipei.
What we would skip
Arriving at Elephant Mountain after dark. You will spend midnight on a staircase looking at the backs of people who arrived at lunchtime.
Lane 253 on the night itself. Come on another evening for the photograph; on New Year’s Eve it is a crush.
Waiting at Taipei 101 station after the show. Walk to a quieter station and you will be home before the queue has moved.
Paying a rooftop premium without checking the sightline. Ask exactly what the view is from the seats you are booking — “a view of 101” can mean the upper half of it past a pillar.
Going without a plan B for rain. Low cloud occasionally hides the top of the tower. Have a warm bar or a hotel room and the livestream in reserve.
Related Taipei guides
- Taipei Culture: Traditions, Festivals and Customs
- Taipei 101 Observatory
- Taipei in December
- Taipei Festivals Calendar
- Elephant Mountain Hike
- Xinyi District Guide
- The Best Rooftop Bars in Taipei
- Taipei Nightlife
- Taipei MRT Guide
- Chinese New Year in Taipei
- Where to Stay in Taipei
Frequently Asked Questions
What time are the Taipei 101 New Year fireworks?
At midnight, as 31 December turns into 1 January, following a countdown. The show itself lasted six minutes for the arrival of 2026.
Where is the best place to watch the Taipei 101 fireworks?
For most visitors, the park around Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, which has space, a clear view of the whole tower and a lively but manageable crowd. City Hall Plaza has the big party atmosphere; Elephant Mountain has the classic view from above but fills many hours early; the Keelung River parks are best for families and a calm night.
How early should I get to Elephant Mountain for the fireworks?
Early afternoon at the latest if you want a spot on one of the viewing platforms. The trail climbs steep stone steps, so go up in daylight and carry what you need for a long wait.
Is the Taipei 101 fireworks show free?
Yes, from the streets, plazas, parks and hills. Only the rooftop bars, restaurants and hotel rooms with views charge, often at a considerable New Year’s Eve premium.
Does the Taipei MRT run all night on New Year’s Eve?
It did for the 2025/26 celebration, when trains ran non-stop for 42 hours on every line except the Xinbeitou and Xiaobitan branches. Check Taipei Metro’s announcement for this year’s hours, and on the night follow the station notices: trains may pass through some stations when the crowds are heavy.
Which MRT station should I use for the fireworks?
Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, Yongchun, Xinyi Anhe, Xiangshan, Taipei Arena or Nanjing Sanmin, which the metro recommends because the two stations nearest the tower may be skipped. After the show, walk to a station away from Xinyi to avoid the longest queues.
How long do the Taipei 101 fireworks last?
Six minutes at the most recent show, welcoming 2026. The exact length, theme and music are announced each December.
Can I watch the Taipei 101 fireworks online?
Look on Taipei 101’s official channels nearer the night for the coming show’s broadcast arrangements.
Is New Year’s Eve at Taipei 101 safe?
Yes. The crowds are huge but well managed, with first-aid posts at the main stations and heavy police presence. The usual big-crowd precautions apply: agree a meeting point, keep hold of children, and do not rely on your phone signal at midnight.
Is there a New Year’s Eve concert in Taipei?
Yes. Taipei City Government stages a free, evening-long concert with well-known performers at City Hall Plaza, leading into the countdown and the fireworks. The line-up is announced in December.
Can you watch the fireworks from a hotel?
Yes, from hotels in Xinyi with rooms facing the tower, but those rooms are among the most expensive and sought-after of the year and sell out months ahead. Check exactly which rooms have the view before you book.
Are there other New Year’s Eve fireworks near Taipei?
New Taipei staged an early-evening show over the Danjiang Bridge at Tamsui for 2026, and other cities hold their own countdowns. Programmes are announced each December.
Will the fireworks be cancelled if it rains?
Light rain does not usually stop the show, but low cloud can hide the top of the tower and smoke hangs on still, damp nights. Check the forecast on the day and have a warm plan B.
The Bottom Line
Pick your spot by what you want from the night. For most people, that means the lawns around Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall by mid-afternoon: a full view of the tower, a festive crowd, and a quieter walk home. Go to City Hall Plaza for the party, Elephant Mountain for the famous view if you are prepared to give it your whole afternoon, or the riverside parks for space and calm.
Whatever you choose, dress warmly, agree where to meet, and walk away from Xinyi before you try to get on a train. The fireworks are over quickly; the memory of how you got home lasts rather longer.
Photo Credits
Taipei 101 fireworks from the riverside parks, 2021: New Year Fireworks 2021, Taipei; January 2021 (01) by wongwt, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Fireworks from the foot of Taipei 101, 2016: New Year 2016 Taipei 101 Fireworks 01 by Jirka Matousek, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Taipei 101 from Zhongxiao East Road: Taipei at night 2020 by Cheng-en Cheng, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.