On Wednesday 31 December 2025, Abu Dhabi’s eight-kilometre Corniche waterfront is expected to host one of the emirate’s main 2026 New Year’s Eve fireworks displays, turning the area’s seafront hotels and restaurants into prime viewing spots for midnight. Families, couples, and visitors from other emirates traditionally book dinner packages here, combining multi-course menus with clear sightlines to the show over the Arabian Gulf. Most venues around the Corniche schedule their celebrations from about 8:00 pm until after the midnight countdown, with dedicated children’s options and live entertainment in many cases. However, reservations usually open weeks in advance and can sell out quickly, especially for outdoor terraces directly facing the water. Early booking is strongly advised if you want a guaranteed fireworks view.
St. Regis Corniche cluster by the waterfront
The St. Regis Abu Dhabi occupies a key position near the central Corniche, with its hotel tower, Nation Towers, and the Nation Riviera Beach Club stretching directly toward the promenade and the beach. As a result, several of its restaurants effectively share the same fireworks stage, each with a slightly different angle and atmosphere along the water. For New Year’s Eve 2025 leading into 2026, St. Regis is already promoting a coordinated set of dinners at Catch at St. Regis, The Terrace on the Corniche, Azura Panoramic Lounge, and Cabana Beach Bar & Grill, all timed around the midnight fireworks. Package prices for adults range roughly from 450 AED at the buffet restaurant to around 1,495 AED for top-tier beach packages with premium beverages, with children’s pricing or reductions in selected venues. These Corniche-side St. Regis outlets form the single biggest cluster of restaurant options dedicated to watching the waterfront fireworks.
Cabana Beach Bar and Grill on the sand
Cabana Beach Bar & Grill sits on the Nation Riviera Beach Club side of The St. Regis Abu Dhabi, directly on the private beach opposite the Corniche, which gives diners a low, open vantage point toward the fireworks over the Gulf (children/family-friendly). For New Year’s Eve 2025, the venue’s “New Year’s Eve Supper” is scheduled from 8:00 pm to 1:00 am, pairing sea-view seating with a special menu and live entertainment before and after midnight. The current plan lists packages at approximately 950 AED for a soft-beverage option, 1,250 AED with house drinks, and 1,495 AED including bubbly, with children aged six to twelve generally charged around half price. The atmosphere leans festive and beach-club casual, so families can let children move around more freely than in a formal dining room, while couples still get a romantic beachfront setting. Because seating runs along the sand, spaces closest to the waterline are usually the first to sell out.
Catch at St. Regis with skyline views
Catch at St. Regis, set just above the beachfront, combines high-end seafood with a clear outlook toward the Corniche fireworks, making it particularly attractive for couples or small groups who want a more refined dinner (suitable for couples). According to the latest festive programme, the New Year’s Eve dinner here is scheduled from 8:00 pm to midnight on Wednesday 31 December 2025, timed so guests can step out or watch the display as the clock hits 12. Packages start at around 950 AED per person for a soft-drinks option, rising to about 1,250 AED for house beverages and 1,650 AED for a premium package with sparkling wine. The menu usually focuses on seafood platters, sushi, and contemporary mains, so it suits diners looking to make the meal itself the evening’s centrepiece as much as the fireworks. This is one of the Corniche’s stronger choices if you prioritise both cuisine quality and a structured, sit-down celebration.
Azura Panoramic Lounge above the Corniche
For guests who want elevation rather than a beach-level viewpoint, Azura Panoramic Lounge at The St. Regis Abu Dhabi offers multi-tiered terraces above the Corniche with sweeping views along the waterfront (suitable for couples, small groups). The 2025–26 New Year’s Eve event is currently planned from 8:00 pm to midnight, with the upper deck priced around 1,150 AED per person and the lower deck around 750 AED, including varying beverage inclusions. From here, you look down toward the Corniche and out across the water, which often allows you to see not only the main Corniche fireworks but also parts of the display from neighbouring areas if visibility is clear. Music, lounge seating, and a lighter food offering make this more of a party atmosphere than a formal gala dinner, which suits guests who prefer mingling. Because capacity is smaller than in the main restaurants below, Azura typically books out fastest among the St. Regis rooftop options.
The Terrace on the Corniche for buffet favourites
The Terrace on the Corniche is the main all-day dining restaurant at The St. Regis Abu Dhabi, and it usually becomes the go-to buffet venue for New Year’s Eve on the Corniche (children/family-friendly). For the 2026 countdown, its New Year’s Eve dinner is advertised from 8:00 pm to midnight, with extensive buffet stations, live cooking, and indoor-outdoor seating that allows guests to step onto the terrace shortly before the fireworks. Current information suggests a three-tier pricing structure of approximately 450 AED per person for soft drinks, 650 AED with house beverages, and 850 AED including bubbly, which is relatively competitive for a five-star hotel buffet on a key night. Families often choose this option because of the broad food selection, including child-friendly dishes, desserts, and flexible seating for larger groups. Tables on the outdoor terrace with the clearest line of sight to the water are usually allocated first to guests who confirm early.
West Bay Lounge at Radisson Blu Abu Dhabi Corniche
Moving west along the Corniche, West Bay Lounge at Radisson Blu Hotel & Resort Abu Dhabi Corniche offers a casual but stylish beachfront setting with direct views of the fireworks, plus pool, beach, and cabana access around the dining area (children/family-friendly, but nightlife-oriented later). Recent New Year’s Eve promotions at West Bay have combined a five-course set menu, live band, DJ, and belly dancer from 8:00 pm to 1:00 am, with prices such as 549 AED for a soft-beverage gala dinner and around 699–999 AED for packages including house drinks or champagne. These figures are for earlier years’ celebrations, but they give a good baseline for what to expect for 31 December 2025. Guests who want to be right on the shoreline, rather than in a higher-level restaurant, often prefer West Bay’s open layout and relaxed dress code. The combination of entertainment and direct beachside viewing means the venue typically becomes extremely busy from about 9:00 pm onward.
Emirates Palace waterfront terraces near the Corniche
Although Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental sits on West Corniche Road slightly away from the central strip, its restaurants and terraces still face the same stretch of water, and guests here can usually see both the hotel’s own fireworks and much of the main Corniche display (children/family-friendly, suitable for couples). Seasonal articles and hotel announcements routinely highlight New Year’s Eve dinners at venues like Hakkasan Abu Dhabi, Martabaan, and the hotel’s beach-adjacent lounges, with pricing often running from roughly 900 AED per adult up into the 1,600 AED range depending on the menu and beverage package. The palace setting, landscaped grounds, and private beach create a more resort-style backdrop than the urban feel of central Corniche restaurants, which some families and couples prefer for a slightly quieter, more controlled environment. Because the hotel is large, several vantage points exist, from lawns to terraces, but only certain reserved areas are dedicated to New Year’s Eve diners. If you choose Emirates Palace, it is essential to confirm whether your chosen restaurant’s terrace directly overlooks the fireworks area before you book.
Arriving from Dubai, Sharjah and other emirates
Many people travel from Dubai, Sharjah, and other emirates to spend New Year’s Eve on Abu Dhabi Corniche, so planning the trip carefully can save a lot of stress (children/family-friendly, suitable for couples, solo). If you are driving from Dubai on Wednesday 31 December 2025, it makes sense to aim to arrive in Abu Dhabi by late afternoon, park near your chosen hotel or restaurant, then move mostly on foot afterward. Public information from recent years suggests that surface parking around major celebration areas often becomes free on 1 January and that Darb toll gates sometimes suspend charges for the public holiday, although rules can change closer to the date. Long-distance buses between Dubai and Abu Dhabi will likely follow weekend or holiday timetables, with extra services at peak times, but onward taxis from Abu Dhabi bus station to the Corniche may be in very high demand right before midnight. Whichever emirate you start from, you should avoid arriving within the last hour before the fireworks because traffic congestion into the Corniche area tends to be heavy.
Weather, clothing, and New Year’s Eve safety warnings
Late December in Abu Dhabi usually brings mild evenings, with typical overnight temperatures somewhere in the mid-teens to low-twenties Celsius, low humidity, and only a small chance of rain, although conditions for Wednesday 31 December 2025 will only be confirmed closer to the date. Light layers, a wind-resistant jacket for the waterfront breeze, and comfortable shoes for walking between parking, restaurants, and viewing spots are sensible choices. Because Corniche roads can experience rolling closures and crowd control measures around the fireworks area, you should expect slow traffic from about 7:00 pm, limited drop-off zones, and very busy taxi and ride-hailing queues after the countdown. Public buses generally operate on holiday or weekend schedules, so they remain an option for residents, but they may not stop directly at your chosen restaurant’s door. Prices mentioned above for New Year’s Eve dinners at Corniche-side restaurants and lounges are based on current or very recent announcements and earlier seasons, so they should be treated as approximately correct rather than fixed. Make your reservation before it’s too late! According to recent round-ups prepared by editors at sites such as www.few.ae, checking each venue’s latest festive brochure and reconfirming times, dress codes, and fireworks visibility by phone or email remains the safest way to ensure your chosen Corniche restaurant delivers the New Year’s Eve experience you want.
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