What’s up in Winnipeg on New Year’s Eve: Karaoke, masquerade party, The Leaf after dark, and more Free Press staff recommend things to do this week Posted: 3:00 AM CST Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025

Looking for a fun way to ring in the new year? Keep reading for local revelry recommendations from the Free Press’s arts and life team.

Live Band Karaoke

Sidestage, 700 Osborne St.

New Year’s Eve, 9 p.m. to late

Tickets $15 at reallovewpg.com

Since 2015, when they united for what might have only been a one-time fundraising gig for The W.R.E.N.C.H, Rory Ellis, Rob Gardiner and Justin Alcock have allowed Winnipeggers to live out their popstar dreams through Live Band Karaoke.

Ahead of each gig, guitarist Ellis (of Hut Hut, which releases its next album in February), drummer Gardiner (of industrial rock projects Kandekt and Fold Paper) and bassist Alcock (of instrumental trio Compost and indie rock group Foxwell) memorize a songbook of over 120 tracks, ranging from Olivia Rodrigo to Creed to the Beaches to Talking Heads.

“We’re sort of a punk band as much as we’re a party service,” says Ellis, whose go-to karaoke song is ABBA’s Mamma Mia because “it’s high-energy and it masks my vocal deficiencies.”

The tracklist is ever-shifting, says Ellis, who recently made the executive decision to remove a certain Radiohead torch song from the rotation.

“Creep is a good song, but it’s a mid-tempo song about being an off-putting weirdo,” he says — not exactly an ecstatic NYE vibe.

New additions to the Live Band Karaoke songbook for the group’s 10th anniversary show include tracks by TikToker-turned-popstar Addison Rae, Canadian icon Nelly Furtado and three-time Polaris Prize short-listed indie rockers Alvvays.

Ellis says to expect three sets, with the opening track at 10 p.m.

— Ben Waldman

The Leaf After Dark

The Leaf, 145 The Leaf Way, Assiniboine Park

Wednesday, Dec. 31, 7-10 p.m.

Tickets $15.30 at tickets.assiniboinepark.ca

For those who like to be in bed before the year rolls over, relax, unwind and soak in the warmth of the biomes at the Leaf.

Wine and beer will be available at the Leaf Coffee Bar, and Alyssa Crockett and Nathaniel Muir will set the mood with live music.

The duo met playing Dorothy and the Cowardly Lion respectively in Rainbow Stage’s production of The Wizard of Oz, and are currently starring in MTYP’s The Lightning Thief, which runs until Dec. 28.

For those who want to stay up a little later, Gather, the restaurant in the Leaf, will be open until 12:30 a.m. serving a special late-night snack menu, desserts and specialty cocktails. Reservations can be made at gatherattheleaf.ca.

Note that the Leaf uses timed-entry ticketing. You may enter at any point within the 30-minute period on your ticket and there is no designated exit time.

— Jen Zoratti

A Dark Solstice Masquerade

Hargrave St. Market, 242 Hargrave St., True North Square

December 31, 9 p.m. to 2 a.m.

Tickets $60-$125 at thewickedbazaar.com

Prepare for a night of revelry and enchantment as you step into Great Hall of Winter, decked out in snowflake candles and evergreen garlands, for this most magical of balls where guests, masked or otherwise, gather to greet the new year.

Frolic and feast with magical fae, powerful sorcerers, captivating sibyls, mysterious mystics and a host of otherworldly folk as you bid adieu to the year that was and welcome all that is ahead.

Hosted by the Wicked Bazaar, the evening features tarot readings, live music, vendors of magical wares, a masquerade contest, solstice feast and a midnight rite ceremony as the year turns.

Guests are invited to channel their inner winter monarch and dress in formal masquerade dress in shades of deep emerald, midnight blue, silver, ivory and black, accessorized with cloaks and crowns.

This is a standing party with limited seating available for those who require it.

To support a range of sensory and neurological needs, entertainment and lighting systems have been vetted for their suitability for guests with neurological conditions, including those sensitive to strobe lights, flashing or intense visual effects. Described Audio and ASL interpretations can be offered upon request and should be indicated during the booking process.

“If you have any access or dietary needs, please reach out as we are committed to making this night accessible to everyone who wishes to gather with us in the dark and turn the wheel into the new year,” host Kari Giavedoni of the Wicked Bazaar says.

— AV Kitching

New Year’s Eve Kölsch Service

Devil May Care Brewing Co., 155-A Fort St.

4 p.m. to late

Free

If jostling with fellow merrymakers in a nightclub as you yell over piped-in tunes isn’t quite your speed on New Year’s Eve, Devil May Care Brewing Co. is hosting an event that will have you happily raising a glass — or, in all likelihood, more than one — on New Year’s Eve.

The Fort Street brewery is hosting an all-night kölsch service starting at 4 p.m. And what’s kölsch, you might ask? It’s a light, dry and fruity style of beer that originated in Cologne, Germany; kölsch is top-fermented with warmer temps, like an ale, but conditioned in cooler temps like a lager. It’s crisp, fresh, none too hoppy and decidedly delicious.

The crew at Devil May Care will be doling out the brews in the traditional kölsch service: you get a smaller, narrow glass of the brew (called a stange) and, once said glass is empty, it will be replaced by another (full) one by staff circulating with fresh glasses of the stuff. All done? Place your coaster over your glass, and the Devil May Care crew will know you’re ready to settle up.

Admission is free and no tickets are required (although seating is first come, first serve). As of press time, the brewery crew hadn’t finalized details surrounding food and entertainment, but if it’s anything like previous events thrown at the brewery, it will be fun. (And possibly German-themed.)

— Ben Sigurdson

New Year’s Day at The Forks

The Forks, 1 Forks Market Rd.

Thursday, Jan. 1; 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Free

Iron your JNCO jeans, dust off your Von Dutch trucker hat and head down to The Forks on New Year’s Day for a turn-of-the-millennium inspired party.

The free, family-friendly event will feature ‘90s- and ‘00s-themed entertainment, including live music, karaoke and drag performances curated by Synonym Art Consultation. Visitors are encouraged to jump on the trend by dressing in their best throwback fashions — which shouldn’t be hard to do since baggy jeans, tiny purses and crop tops are trending once again.

A face painting station and photobooth will be set up inside the Forks Market, while fitness and wellness classes will be running in the second-floor event space throughout the day. Registration is required for the latter.

Find storytelling and activities led by the Treaty Relations Commission of Manitoba in the Agowiidiwinan Centre, along with free hot chocolate and bannock.

Outdoors, Raw Bar Oyster Co. will be serving fresh-shucked seafood next to a fireside lounge and guides will be offering free skating lessons for all levels under the canopy.

Visit theforks.com for a full schedule of events. The Forks is open regular hours on NYE.

— Eva Wasney

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