New Year’s Eve in Myrtle Beach gives you a choice between an earlier fireworks evening and a party built around the midnight countdown. Broadway at the Beach suits an earlier evening, while the oceanfront display lets you watch from the Boardwalk or beach. A Southern Times Square at The Market Common is the option for a ball drop, and RipTydz offers a music-led night.
Choose the celebration first, then arrange dinner and your journey home around that area. Families can also look to Ripley’s Aquarium of Myrtle Beach for a daytime countdown rather than keeping children out until midnight.
Dates and the annual programme
- New Year’s Eve
- 31 December
- New Year’s Day
- 1 January
- Celebration window
- One day, daytime family events through the midnight countdown
- Public fireworks viewing
- Free at Broadway at the Beach and the oceanfront
- Organised countdown entry
- Receipt-linked tickets at The Market Common
An earlier fireworks evening suits you if midnight is too late, while The Market Common keeps the countdown central and RipTydz makes entertainment the focus.
Visit Myrtle Beach publishes its annual New Year’s Eve guide and holiday calendar. Winter Wonderland at The Beach publishes the Boardwalk programme, with the City of Myrtle Beach and Myrtle Beach Downtown Alliance as production partners. The Market Common publishes its own A Southern Times Square event information.
Countdowns, fireworks and party times
| Moment | Holiday day | Time | Venue | Entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Family countdown | New Year’s Eve | — | Ripley’s Aquarium | — |
| Fireworks Extravaganza | New Year’s Eve | 8pm | Broadway at the Beach | Free viewing |
| New Year’s Eve Bash | New Year’s Eve | 8pm | RipTydz | — |
| Oceanfront fireworks | New Year’s Eve | 9pm | Second Avenue Pier | Free viewing |
| A Southern Times Square opens | New Year’s Eve | 9pm | The Market Common | Receipt-linked ticket |
| Ball drop and drone countdown | New Year’s Eve into New Year’s Day | Midnight | The Market Common | Receipt-linked ticket |
| New Year’s Eve programme | New Year’s Eve | — | Hard Rock Cafe | — |
Ripley’s Aquarium of Myrtle Beach offers a daytime family countdown at Broadway at the Beach. Choose it for children who would find a late finish difficult.
- Name
- Ripley’s Aquarium of Myrtle Beach
- Location
- 1110 Celebrity Cir, Myrtle Beach, SC 29577 Maps
- Site
- ripleys.com
- Hours
- Mon–Thu 9am–9pm
- Fri–Sat 9am–10pm
- Sun 9am–9pm
Broadway at the Beach’s annual Fireworks Extravaganza takes place over Lake Broadway, within the shopping and entertainment complex. Choose this earlier display to make fireworks your main event without staying for a midnight celebration.
- Name
- Broadway at the Beach
- Location
- 1325 Celebrity Cir, Myrtle Beach, SC 29577 Maps
- Site
- broadwayatthebeach.com
- Hours
- Mon–Thu 10am–8pm
- Fri–Sat 10am–9pm
- Sun 10am–8pm
Second Avenue Pier launches the recurring Winter Wonderland at The Beach oceanfront fireworks. Watch from the Myrtle Beach Boardwalk or oceanfront beach, choosing between the promenade and the sand.
- Name
- Second Avenue Pier
- Location
- Second Ave Pier, Myrtle Beach Maps
A Southern Times Square brings the ball drop and drone countdown to The Market Common’s shopping-centre streets, south of central Myrtle Beach. Choose this annual gathering if seeing in the new year is your priority.
RipTydz and Hard Rock Cafe
RipTydz Oceanfront Grille & Rooftop Bar’s annual New Year’s Eve Bash puts live music on the rooftop and a DJ on the second floor, alongside fire-breathers and dancers. Choose this oceanfront venue for a music-led evening, rather than simply a place to watch fireworks. It is a mid-priced restaurant and bar.
- Name
- RipTydz Oceanfront Grille & Rooftop Bar
- Location
- 1210 N Ocean Blvd, Myrtle Beach, SC 29577 Maps
- Site
- riptydz.com
- Hours
- Mon–Thu 11am–12am
- Fri–Sat 11am–1am
- Sun 11am–12am
- Price range
- €€
Hard Rock Cafe Myrtle Beach offers a New Year’s Eve programme within Broadway at the Beach. Its mid-priced American restaurant setting places dinner in the same complex as the lake fireworks.
- Name
- Hard Rock Cafe Myrtle Beach
- Location
- Broadway at the Beach 1318 Celebrity Cir, Myrtle Beach, SC 29577 Maps
- Site
- cafe.hardrock.com
- Hours
- Mon–Thu 12pm–9pm
- Fri–Sat 11am–10pm
- Sun 11am–9pm
- Price range
- €€
Tickets, dinner and rooms
- Treat celebration admission and a restaurant table as separate arrangements.
- Plan dinner before the display or party you choose, leaving room to reach the gathering.
- Choose an oceanfront room for a Boardwalk evening, or accommodation convenient for Broadway at the Beach or The Market Common if you celebrate there.
Obtain your tickets before heading to A Southern Times Square, rather than arriving with a receipt and expecting it to serve as admission. A dinner purchase can contribute to the qualifying spend only if it meets the shopping-centre conditions.
For a typical casual dinner, allow about $25–$45 per person before tax and tip. Seafood or a more elaborate meal raises the bill. Beer commonly costs around $5–$8 and cocktails $10–$16, with premium spirits pushing drinks higher.
Crowds and the journey home
At The Market Common, take a clear bag and leave pets, weapons, outside food and chairs behind. These are the organiser’s access restrictions for A Southern Times Square, so a picnic or folding-chair plan will not work inside the event area.
Coast RTA’s regular fixed-route service operates on New Year’s Eve. Arrange your return journey before attending, rather than relying on a bus to match the end of a party. Choose one evening area and agree a pickup meeting point away from the busiest gathering. For outdoor fireworks or the countdown, wear layers and a warm outer coat, with comfortable shoes for standing and walking.
Sources & fact-checking
Checks against the sources below cover: services and opening hours.
- The Market Common — service
- Routes and Schedules – Coast RTA
- Coast RTA Routes & Schedules Information
- City of Myrtle Beach — opening hours
- Visit Myrtle Beach — opening hours
- Visit Myrtle Beach; City of Myrtle Beach; Myrtle Beach Downtown Alliance; The Market Common — service
- RipTydz Oceanfront Grille & Rooftop Bar — opening hours
- Broadway at the Beach — opening hours
- Broadway at the Beach — service
- City of Myrtle Beach, in partnership with the Myrtle Beach Downtown Alliance, Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce and Visit Myrtle Beach — opening hours
- Myrtle Beach Downtown Alliance — service
- The Market Common; City of Myrtle Beach — opening hours
