There are those who plan the evening well in advance and others who would gladly skip the countdown and fireworks. Yet New Year’s Eve remains one of the few nights when, in many countries, people celebrate the same occasion: from time zone to time zone, we bid farewell to what has passed and toast to what lies ahead.
Everyone has their idea of perfect celebrations, but when it comes to celebrating abroad the names are almost always the same: Paris, London, Berlin, Barcelona. And what if this year’s toast to 2027 landed in a less-traveled square, with open-air concerts, rooftop fireworks, and traditions waiting to be discovered?
The opportunity comes from Wizz Air, which launches a flash promo valid only today, October 15, 2026, with discounts up to 15% on a selection of flights. The travel window runs from October 26, 2026 to January 31, 2027, thus covering all the celebrations from the Feast of the Immaculate Conception to Epiphany. Here are 3 unusual cities to bid farewell to 2026 in a way that’s different from the usual.
From Rome Fiumicino to Sofia
If you’re looking for a lively New Year’s Eve, but away from the most popular destinations, Sofia could prove to be a pleasant surprise. From Rome Fiumicino you can fly to the Bulgarian capital starting from €43, and once you arrive the party moves out into the streets.
On the evening of December 31, the city hosts a large free concert in Battenberg Square. When the clock strikes midnight, instead of fireworks there will be a light show. The next morning, have breakfast like Bulgarians with a warm banitsa, the pastry filled with cheese baked in ovens and sold at bakeries and stalls. It is also the dish for January 1: at home it’s prepared with small good-luck charms inside.
To burn off the celebrations, head to Vitosha Mountain, just a few kilometers from the center and often already snow-covered.
From Bologna to Cluj-Napoca
Let’s go to the heart of Transylvania, where the perfect New Year’s destination is Cluj-Napoca, a young and energetic university town. From Bologna you can fly starting from €47, and on the evening of December 31 head to Unirii Square, beneath the Gothic Saint Michael’s Church. The night is celebrated together with free concerts that accompany the crowd through the countdown and beyond.
To warm up between toasts, there’s the kürtőskalács, the chimney-shaped pastry skewered and coated with sugar. On January 1 climb the Cetățuia Hill to see Cluj from above, then treat yourself to a traditional lunch with the sarmale, the cabbage rolls with meat.
From Milan Bergamo to Warsaw
Finally, from Milan Bergamo you fly to Warsaw starting from €43. Here there isn’t a big official event: on the evening of Sylwester, as Poles call December 31, people gather spontaneously in the Old Town and in Castle Square for the countdown, among toasts and fires burning in the streets.
If you want to do like the locals, at midnight try a piece of pickled herring, which tradition says brings a prosperous year. During the holidays stroll under the Royal Route illuminations, skate around the mermaid statue in the Market Square and, in the evening, admire the light shows at the Wilanów Palace.
