What Antwerp has confirmed for 31 December 2026, the Garage Klub and Ampere nights listed so far, how De Lijn’s night service worked last year and the city’s fireworks rules.
New Year’s Eve falls on Thursday 31 December 2026. The City of Antwerp has confirmed a New Year’s firework that night but has not yet said where or when, and Garage Klub and Ampere both list all-night techno events.
De Lijn’s €3 night ticket is confirmed, with lines and hours due from 2 December. This guide separates those facts from last year’s pattern. See the Antwerp nightlife guide for venues.
Facts checked on 1 November 2026. Line-ups, prices and ticket availability for 31 December keep changing through November and December, so check the organiser’s page before you buy.
The city’s page for Winter in Antwerp 2026–27 gives the Christmas market dates as 4 December 2026 to 3 January 2027, in the historic centre and on Operaplein. On 31 December both sites open from 12:00 to 18:00, and they are closed on 1 January 2027. The same page says the city will mark the new year with a firework on Thursday 31 December 2026. It gives no start time, launch point or viewing zones yet.
Until then, the 2025/26 plan is the best guide. The city fired its display at midnight over the Scheldt, named the right-bank quays between Sint-Michielskaai and De Gerlachekaai and the Galgenweel on the left bank as viewing areas. Most of the quays were car-free from 22:00 to 02:00, and visitors were sent to trams 1 and 10 (stops Bres and Kasteelplein). An estimated 120,000 people watched. None of this is confirmed for 2026/27. The Antwerp nightlife guide shows where to base yourself.
Garage Klub (Noorderlaan 72) hosts Verknipt NYE Antwerp on Thursday 31 December 2026, listed from 22:00 to 07:00 as a techno night for ages 18 and over. Resident Advisor names eight acts: Ben Techy, BØĘRY, Charlotte Preckler, KRUELTY, myu:sa, Raxeller, SANTØS and SLVL. A second listing shows seven, without Charlotte Preckler, so the line-up may still change. The listing gives no price and sends buyers to the promoter’s ticket link. Listings of the 2025 edition quoted prices between €19.19 and €43.89.
Ampere (Simonsstraat 21) lists “NYE Ampere Closing Night” on the same date, from 23:59 to 09:30, with Dave Clarke (UK) and David Vunk (NL) and more acts still to be announced. It is a techno and electro night for 18 and over, and the listing shows a price of 30 without naming the currency. Ask the club about its status before you buy. On 16 June 2026 Resident Advisor reported that Ampere had lost its city concession and gave 19 June as the end of its club season, yet later nights, including this one, are still listed.
Trix, Club Vaag and Kavka Oudaan show no 31 December entry on their calendars yet. That says little at this stage: Club Vaag’s calendar currently ends on 4 December, and the Trix and Kavka pages show only early-November dates.
De Lijn has confirmed only the outline for 2026/27. A New Year’s Eve ticket costs €3 and covers unlimited bus and tram travel, and in some cities and municipalities the local government makes travel free or €1. You always need a ticket. Where to buy it, which lines run and the hours will be published from 2 December, and the municipalities that pay for free travel are not named yet.
The 2025/26 night shows the scale. Five tram lines (3, 5, 9, 10 and 15) and 22 festive bus lines ran through the night, two fewer bus lines than the year before, and a festive tram between Zwaantjes, Eilandje and P+R Luchtbal ran until 06:00. Residents of participating municipalities travelled free from 18:00 on 31 December to 23:59 on 1 January after registering by 17:00 on 31 December and activating the ticket by text message; everyone else paid €3. Groenplaats metro station was closed from 23:00 to 02:00, with Meir as the alternative. The NMBS plan for the night of 31 December 2026 could not be confirmed on 1 November, so check the NMBS planner before you rely on a late train.
No. The city’s rules page bans setting off your own fireworks in public space or near it. From 1 October to 31 January adults may also not possess, show or hand out fireworks, or prepare to set them off, and under-18s may not buy or possess them. Caps (klappertjes) are the only exception, and wish balloons are banned as well. The penalty is a municipal administrative fine of up to €500 for adults and up to €175 for under-18s.
For New Year’s Eve 2025/26 the city repeated that setting off or carrying fireworks, including foot-crackers (voetzoekers), was banned across Antwerp. It added that police would enforce the ban strictly and that offenders could also be charged for confiscating, storing and destroying the items.
Both Resident Advisor listings carry “2027” in their page metadata while the event details say 2026; the weekday matches 2026. Buy only through the promoter’s own link and check the date on your ticket. Both nights are listed as 18+, so bring ID. The Verknipt page for 2025 said the doors closed at 03:00, so a late arrival may not get in if the same rule applies this year.
The nightlife data page lists closing times and entry prices for every NightFind city. To compare areas, read Antwerp nightlife by neighbourhood and the 10 best clubs in Antwerp.
The city says it will welcome the new year with a firework on 31 December 2026, but it has not published a time or viewing zones. In 2025/26 the display ran at midnight over the Scheldt.
Garage Klub lists Verknipt NYE Antwerp from 22:00 to 07:00, and Ampere lists a closing night from 23:59 to 09:30. Garage Klub’s listing shows no price, and Ampere’s shows 30 without a currency.
Resident Advisor reported on 16 June 2026 that Ampere lost its city concession. The club still lists nights through December, including a New Year’s Eve closing night, so ask the club before you buy.
In 2025/26 five tram lines and 22 festive bus lines ran through the night. The 2026/27 lines and hours will be published from 2 December.
It costs €3 for unlimited bus and tram travel on New Year’s Eve, and in some municipalities travel is free or €1.
No. Setting off your own fireworks in or near public space is banned, and adults can be fined up to €500.
