GAY NEW YEAR’S EVE

GAY NEW YEAR’S EVE

Posted by

As 2011 races into a dramatic finish, it’s time to reflect on the year gone and look forward on what’s to come. 2011 was an amazing 12 months in Montreal. From Igloofest and Nuit Blanche, from Bixi bikes and summer festivals to Queer of the Year, Montreal has never been busier! While it’s easy to already be thinking ahead to another year of cabane a sucre, terraces, restaurants and parties… let’s not get too ahead of ourselves. 2011 is not technically over and we plan on going out on December 31 with one last hurrah!

RESOLUTION 2012: Whatever your New Years resolution is, it can wait until a few days into 2012. Montreal’s biggest New Years bash is Resolution12 at the Bell Center, brought to you by the same people of Bal en Blanc! This year will bring international DJs to a massive all-night rave for the celebration. Starting at 9:00PM on January 1 and going all the way to 10:30AM on January 2, the impressive array of DJs will include Gareth Emery, Axwell, Dash Berlin, and Avicii. Tickets are between $110 – $125 plus an addition $40 of VIP and are available from Evenko or Resolution.

Unity: One of the classic New Years Eve parties is at Unity. I’ve been to this party twice, and is always one of the best vibes. Everyone is partying right up till midnight, when the beautiful dancers, drag queen and DJs count down to 2012. What follows is a sea of cute boys and hot lesbians all scrabbling to find that special someone to lock lips and dance into the new year!

Royal Phoenix: Montreal’s hottest new queer bar Royal Phoenix is going all out for their first New Years Eve! Dubbed “End of the World 2012” this one is destined to be one for the history books. It will be co-hosted by Amene ta Blonde, the monthly lesbian event. Tickets are $25 and there will be an open bar from 9 to 10PM and a free glass of champagne at midnight. Find out more and where to get your tickets here.

Apollon: The newest edition to Montreal’s Gay Village is Apollon. Like Royal Pheonix, they will be ringing in their first New Year’s party with famed Montreal DJ Stephane Grondin. Tickets are $25 on sale only at the door on December 31. Beats will be pumping and balls will be dropping deep into the early hours of 2012!

MENAGE A TROIS: Three of the biggest and best outside the village gay parties will be teaming up to launch 2012. POMPe, GAYBASH and Mec Plus Ultra are organizing a massive blow out at the Belmont! The theme is “Sweepstake Superstar”, so come dressed as your best Vanna White or Bob Barker and test your luck with a few gay games and giveaways! Tickets are available in advance for $15 and $25 dollars at the door. Check out more information and where to buy tickets here.

OPERATION NEZ ROUGE: It can be easy to get carried away on New Year’s Eve, especially at all these amazing parties. New Year’s is unfortunately one of the deadliest nights on the roads, so if you plan on partying, make sure you have a safe ride home, and NEVER get behind the wheel if you’ve been drinking. In Montreal, as well as across Canada, there is an organization called Nez Rouge. This is a volunteer service providing safe rides to people throughout the holidays. If at any time you need a ride home, call (514) 256-2510 or dial *08 if you are with Rogers Wireless. It’s customary to tip the driver and 100% of those proceeds go to supporting local charities. Last year, 55,000 volunteers gave 80,000 rides and raised over 1.3 million dollars.

No matter plans you make for New Year’s, I hope you all have a blast and play safe. It’s been so much fun talking about Montreal and gay life in this city, and I can’t wait to keep on blogging about it in 2012. My resolution for 2012 is to hit even single one of Montreal’s 106 festivals. What about yours?

Happy Holidaze and have a Smashing New Years!

Top