Leave the crowded clubs of Hollywood and congested streets of Downtown LA behind and start your New Year off with a relaxing stroll along the sandy beaches of Santa Monica. There you will have a fantastic view of the West Coast’s biggest New Year’s Eve countdown, the lights on the Pacific Wheel.
Just before midnight on New Year’s Eve, the face of the Pacific Wheel will display an enormous countdown to 2020. The special light program will begin just before midnight and will feature a 60 second countdown to the New Year followed by a scrolling text greeting of “Happy New Year” in over a dozen languages.
Greetings featured in this year’s New Year’s light program include:
- English
- Spanish
- Mandarin
- Arabic
- Filipino
- Korean
- German
- Hindi
- Turkish
- Swedish
- Japanese
- Thai
- French
- Hawaiian
- Greek
The Santa Monica Pier receives over 10 million guests every year from all over the world. Pacific Park wishes all people, no matter what language you speak or where you call home, a safe and happy 2020.
The light show can be seen from the beach, Palisades Park, and the Pier as well as from several hotels along Ocean Avenue. The Pier and Park are free to enter; there is no admission fee to come see the light program. If you can’t make it to Santa Monica on New Year’s Eve, consider streaming the countdown at your New Year’s Party on Pacific Park’s live webcams or Facebook Live event.
The world-famous Ferris wheel on the Santa Monica Pier has been featured in thousands of TV shows, music videos, and feature films. Although it is probably best known for its sweeping views of the Bay of Los Angeles during the day, the Pacific Wheel’s nightly light programs entertain millions of guests who visit the Pier after sundown every year.