Somerset House invites revellers to party the night away for the ultimate New Year's Eve celebration at the iconic London destination. Guests can enjoy enchanting encounters with members of the UK’s first queer pan-Asian performance collective The Bitten Peach and take a spin on the capital’s most spectacular ice rink to soundtracks from DJs curated by NiNE8 Collective. To welcome in the New Year, party goers can then head to Somerset House’s River Terrace to celebrate the midnight moment with magnificent views of the Mayor of London’s world-famous fireworks display.
Somerset House will be taken over for the evening by The Bitten Peach for an extravaganza bursting with cabaret, burlesque, drag, and belly-dancing performances. Groundbreaking artists from the collective include co-founder and award-winning international cabaret star Evelyn Carnate, Bollywood inspired drag phenomenon Bolly Illusion, multidisciplinary movement extraordinaire Duane Nasis, fire performer and belly dancing marvel Sunny the Snake Boy, and androgynous burlesque splendour Macho Mei. Drawing inspiration from a multitude of genres, The Bitten Peach empower the queer Asian community through their trailblazing work in the cabaret, nightlife and theatre scene.
The beloved ice rink located in Somerset House’s spectacular courtyard, presented in partnership with Virgin Atlantic Holidays, will be open throughout the night. Transformed into a glistening fairytale scene, the magnificent neoclassical courtyard provides a magical atmosphere to ring in 2025.
For those looking to dine their way into the New Year, delicious food and drink upgrade packages will be available to purchase. Pop-up legend Jimmy Garcia brings a delectable menu of festive favourites to The Chalet, including fondue feasts and a trio of indulgent desserts, with a welcome drink and canapes to enjoy upon arrival, and a glass of fizz to bring in the New Year (pre-booking essential). For a more casual bite to eat, guests can head over to The Petit Chalet, serving toasties and mulled wine and hot chocolates.
Guests can toast to the New Year whilst soaking up views of the ice rink in comfort and style at the elegant Skate Lounge by Whispering Angel, which serves Rosé as well as cocktails including Mulled Angel Rosé and the brand-new Festive Sour. Various open-air pop-up bars will also be available around the site, ensuring a New Year’s toast can be easily topped up all evening.
As the clock approaches midnight, The Bitten Peach will lead guests onto Somerset House’s River Terrace to watch the fireworks illuminating the London skyline. Set back from the crowds along the riverside, visitors can enjoy an exclusive view of the dazzling display, before heading back to continue to celebrate the new year.
After an evening of performances, skating, eating, drinking and fireworks, guests can dance the night away inside Skate Lounge and around the stunning 40ft Christmas tree with DJ sets from friends of NiNE8 collective including Buntai and US.MAN.DERE. Upgrade packages are available to purchase which include exclusive access to the East Wing with a private DJ set.
Those subscribed to Somerset House’s newsletter will have exclusive access to purchase New Year’s Eve tickets from 26 November ahead of general on-sale on 27 November. Sign up here for first access to tickets: https://my.somersethouse.org.uk/account/create/brief
Early booking is advised to avoid missing out on a quintessential London festive highlight.
NOTES TO EDITORS
Date: 31 December 2024
Time: 7pm – 2am
Ticket prices range from £60-£120
Website: https://www.somersethouse.org.uk/whats-on/skate-somerset-house/new-years-eve-bitten-peach
Press enquiries, please contact: press@somersethouse.org.uk, (+44) (0)2078454624
Images: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/ssr34dum6igm6xsgpl7tr/AANieI_ZEYXAf-x0pFU2DXw?rlkey=l714r0ev0in5bjxobkpa6kl3q&st=bpoxrfb4&dl=0
Address: Somerset House, Strand, London, WC2R 1LA
Transport: Underground: Temple, Embankment / Rail: Charing Cross, Waterloo, Blackfriars
Website: www.somersethouse.org.uk
Somerset House Facebook: www.facebook.com/SomersetHouse
Somerset House Twitter: @SomersetHouse
Somerset House Instagram: @SomersetHouse
ABOUT SOMERSET HOUSE
Step Inside, Think Outside
As the home of cultural innovators, Somerset House is a site of origination, with a cultural programme offering alternative perspectives on the biggest issues of our time. We are a place of joy and discovery, where everyone is invited to Step Inside and Think Outside.
From our historic site in the heart of London, we work globally across art, creativity, business, and non-profit, nurturing new talent, methods and technologies. Our resident community of creative enterprises, arts organisations, artists and makers, makes us a centre of ideas, with most of our programme home-grown.
We sit at the meeting point of artistic and social innovation, bringing worlds and minds together to create surprising and often magical results. Our spirit of constant curiosity and counter perspective is integral to our history and key to our future.
ABOUT THE BITTEN PEACH
The Bitten Peach is the UK’s first queer Pan-Asian performance collective and production house, featuring artists from a multitude of genres and producing groundbreaking work for cabaret, nightlife, theatre and events.
They tell Asian stories, create safe spaces, diversify Asian representation, provide platforms, and educate on racial issues. Their mission is to empower the queer Asian community through our shows, events and collaborations.
ABOUT NiNE8 COLLECTIVE
NiNE8 are a music, fashion & arts collective formed in London in 2016. Beyond their collaborative music releases, NiNE8 have organised multi-disciplinary events since their formation, from Tate Lates to film screenings and London Fashion Week showcases, underground raves to a Fabric takeover - all sharing a focus on cross pollinating subcultural, emerging talent from the UK.
ABOUT VIRGIN ATLANTIC HOLIDAYS
Virgin Atlantic Holidays is the UK’s favourite worldwide holiday company and is the largest, most successful transatlantic tour operator and market leader for travel to the USA and the Caribbean. With over 100 destinations throughout its portfolio, it offers personalised experiences for its premium leisure customers including all-inclusive package holidays, villas, attraction tickets and car hire as well as multi-destination holidays.
Founded in 1985 on the Virgin principles of excellent customer service, value, reliability, responsibility and a sense of fun, it has used its entrepreneurial heritage and passion for innovation to benefit customers and communities around the world. The brand is particularly known for the special touches it has brought to market and remains focused on creating magical moments that last a lifetime for every single one of its customers. More information can be found at www.virginholidays.co.uk
ABOUT CHÂTEAU D’ESCLANS, HOME OF WHISPERING ANGEL AND ROCK ANGEL
Château d’Esclans is situated in the heart of Provence, northeast of St. Tropez overlooking the Esclans Valley with the Mediterranean coast in the faint distance. The vision of Founder Sacha Lichine, following his acquisition of the Château in 2006, was to create the greatest rosés in the world igniting the “Rosé Renaissance”. This led to conceiving and crafting a world class rosé portfolio including The Pale, Whispering Angel, Rock Angel, Château d’Esclans, Les Clans, and Garrus: a new generation of rosés characterised by elegance, depth, richness and complexity.