Happy New Year

9 top New Year's Eve celebrations in Dallas to ring in 2025

The fireworks at Reunion Tower is one of a number of ways to celebrate New Year's Eve in Dallas.

Photo courtesy of Reunion Tower

As the year 2024 comes to a close, Dallas is ready with all sorts of ways to celebrate New Year's Eve: from classical music to cover bands, from rooftop parties to masquerade balls. (If you're seeking dining options, try this list, and we also have some nontraditional ways to do New Year's Eve here.) Here are the nine most interesting choices to help get 2025 off to a great start.

Gaylord Texan presents Glass Cactus New Year's Eve Bash
Gaylord Texan in Grapevine will ring in the New Year at their nightclub, Glass Cactus, with performances by cover bands Infinite Journey and Nerd Halen. General admission includes a sparkling rosé toast at midnight, while VIP admission includes a sparkling rosé toast at midnight passed hors d’oeuvres, one drink ticket, and early entrance to club that includes a private 15-20 minute acoustic set from Infinite Journey.

Dallas Symphony Orchestra presents New Year's Eve
Before the ball drops, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra will kick off New Year’s celebrations with an evening of music, conducted by Moritz Gnann. Among the selections will be four compositions from Johann Strauss II, Bernstein's Divertimento Waltz, “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” from The Wizard of Oz, and more. The concert takes place at Meyerson Symphony Center.

Waterproof presents Countdown in the Sky
Waterproof, the rooftop lounge at The Statler Hotel in downtown Dallas, will present Countdown in the Sky, a night of music and spectacular views. The Couples package includes two VIP entry tickets with front-of-the-line access, one Champagne bottle, one high-top table and New Year’s Eve party favors. Additional packages are available for groups of 6 to 12 people.

Texas Live presents NYE Live!
At NYE Live! at Texas Live in Arlington, guests can welcome the New Year in style with entertainment, food and drink options, and a vibrant atmosphere. There will be live music, entertainment, decor, champagne toasts, and celebrations all night long.

Pegasus City Brewery presents NYE Bash
Pegasus City Brewery in Dallas will present a Monte Carlo/Casablanca/Gatsby style New Year's Eve Bash for their fourth annual celebration. The evening will feature casino-style games, a performance by the David Washburn Jazz Band, an old-school photo booth, a Mexican food dinner, and a choice of 18 taps with beer, cider, and seltzer, plus wine and champagne, zero-proof options, and sodas. It all ends with a toast at midnight.

Meow Wolf Grapevine presents New Year’s Eve Adultiverse
On New Year’s Eve, reality takes a backseat as Meow Wolf Grapevine presents a special edition of Adulti-Verse. Guests 21 and over can enjoy Meow Wolf’s unique experience in style as the interdimensional soirée features a full-service bar and a performance by Night Shade Burlesque, as well as a champagne toast at midnight. Food & beverage will be available for purchase at the cafe.

Catbird presents NYE Met Gala
Catbird, the restaurant and bar at Thompson Dallas, will present a Met Gala-themed New Year’s Eve party, an opportunity for guests to wear over-the-top outfits. The event will transform the lounge into a prestigious and glamorous fashion event, complete with a red carpet, paparazzi, champagne, and special guest DJ Christopher Reid.

The Statler presents Royal Masquerade Ball
While the Statler's rooftop bar will be hopping, their Grand Ballroom will transform into a Royal Masquerade Ball, complete with extravagant decorations, an open bar, casino games, and party favors. The festivities begin with DJs spinning Top 40 and hip-hop mashups. General admission tickets include access to an open bar and an evening of celebration. Kendall Washington, a fan favorite on Love Island, will serve as honorary host of the ball’s countdown to midnight.

Lone Star NYE at Reunion Tower
Reunion Tower will once again ring in the new year by presenting the annual Lone Star NYE at Reunion Tower fireworks show. The show will feature a display of over 5,000 pyrotechnic special effects, a 259 LED light display, and nearly 300 drones. There is no viewing allowed near the tower; viewing can be done at nearby parties or city streets. NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth / KXAS will broadcast the event, and The Spot (98.7 FM), will simulcast the celebration.

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Movie Review

Shaun the Sheep gets PG-spooky in new movie for the Halloween season

Photo courtesy of Aardman / Sky UK LTD / StudioCanal 2026

Shaun the Sheep in Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom.

Since his introduction over 30 years ago, the Aardman Animations character Shaun the Sheep has been almost as popular as the studio’s flagship characters, Wallace and Gromit. There is never a shortage of trouble Shaun can get into as he leads his flock and proves to be a thorn in the side of his farmer and Bitzer, the farmer’s loyal sheepdog.

His antics lead everyone down some slightly spooky roads in the new film, Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom. At first, things are only slightly awry as Shaun and the flock are growing a secret pumpkin patch to have their own jack-o-lanterns. But when the farmer accidentally destroys the pumpkin patch, Shaun tries to regrow it quickly with a Frankenstein-esque experiment.

However, disaster looms when Shaun uses an old bottle of Hair-Gro as the container for the serum he creates. Naturally, the balding farmer uses it on his head, and everyone soon discovers how truly successful it is, with pumpkins growing out of control and the farmer sprouting hair all over his body. Through a series of mishaps, the farmer becomes the titular beast, creating mayhem while Shaun and others try to stop him.

Directed by Steve Cox and Matthew Walker, and written by Mark Burton and Giles Pilbrow, the film goes down just as easy as every other Aardman project has. They get the Halloween vibes started from the opening credits, with things like the sheep doing the “Thriller” dance, and continue the fun throughout, referencing everything from Psycho to Friday the 13th in a nice, PG way.

With no script — every character is mute save for reaction noises — the movie relies on sight gags for its humor, and the Aardman team is endlessly inventive in that respect. Sometimes it’s small things like a sheep using toilet paper rolls as binoculars, and sometimes it’s something like forcing the Bigfoot-like farmer to be shaped into a rectangle as he escapes through a window. But there’s a never-ending stream of such moments, so even if one doesn’t tickle your funny bone, chances are the next one will.

The biggest benefit of the characters not talking is that there’s no need for deep character development. The filmmakers do a great job of giving the basic traits of each character, and then use those attributes to color everyone’s actions for the rest of the film. Shaun is the troublemaker, the farmer is a bumbling fool, Bitzer is preternaturally smart, and the town’s vet is empathetic, and the combination of those characters and others makes for a highly entertaining blend.

Like all Aardman creations, Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom is a fun lark that doesn’t make its audience think too hard. With just enough references to keep viewers engaged but not so many as to be overbearing, the film puts its well-worn characters to good use once again, delivering a Halloween season story that can be enjoyed by people of all ages.

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Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom is now playing in theaters.

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Movie Review

Shaun the Sheep gets PG-spooky in new movie for the Halloween season