MIAMI (WSVN) - People of all ages, visitors and locals alike, flocked to downtown Miami and downtown Fort Lauderdale to give a festive welcome to 2024.
The Magic City brought the heat on New Year’s Eve. Bayfront Park is hosting a big bash.
“Only us could bring this Latin flavor of so many people together,” said a woman wearing a party hat that said “Happy New Year.”
Hours before the stroke of midnight, more than 20 artists took the stage.
“It’s my first time in this big event in Miami, and we are very honored to be here,” said one of the performers.
“Beautiful,” said a woman.
“We decided to come here just to feel the emotion,” said a man.
The celebration kicked off at 6 p.m. on Sunday.
“It’s our first New Year’s here, so we decided to do it here in Bayside,” said a man.
Another reveler couldn’t resist the opportunity to greet 7News reporter Elitsa Bizios while the camera was rolling.
“I’m here with one of my favorites from Channel 7. Happy New Year, everybody!” he said.
“So excited. Happy New Year!” said another reveler.
The crowd took in all the sights and sounds. One man showed up with his pet snakes.
Bizios agreed to have the smaller yellow snake draped over her shoulders.
“You put my snake on your neck, the next thing, you’re going to make a million dollars,” said the man.
Fortunately, the reptile was on its best behavior.
“Yellow one, every time, it’s like a very lucky color,” said the man.
“My heart is still racing,” said Bizios.
Meanwhile, the Big Orange was waiting for the countdown to make his way to the top of the InterContinental Miami when the clock strikes 12.
In downtown Fort Lauderdale, the big anchor was up and ready to drop.
However, the fun started earlier in the day. Organizers even hosted an anchor drop for the children.
The 7 p.m. countdown was many parents’ dream on New Year’s Eve.
“We’re here with our children and grandchildren. They’re playing on the rides, having a great time,” said a woman who brought her family.
“It’s just a blast. It’s just fun, like, being here, hearing the music, all the people here. It’s awesome,” said another woman.
7News reporter Brandon Beyer’s 7-year-old daughter shared what she’s looking forward to most in 2024.
“To start a new adventure,” she said.
Revelers feasted on a wide assortment of comfort food, including several kinds of sausage.
“We’ve got Italian, and we’ve got Polish. We’ve got pork, we’ve got beef, onions, peppers,” said a vendor.
There was a petting zoo. Muffin the goat was ready for her closeup.
“Muffin is 3 months old, and she’s celebrating New Year’s with us,” said her owner.
Once the kids left, the music and the crowd got louder.
This year, thanks to a Bob Weir concert, there’s a whole other Grateful Dead thing going on.
“[The vibe is] very chill, laid back. Everybody’s family over here, all love in this community,” said a man.
In Fort Lauderdale, there was a little something for everyone.
Performances at Bayfront Park were scheduled to go on until 12:45 a.m. on Monday.
The party in downtown Fort Lauderdale is scheduled to wrap up at around 1 a.m.
Copyright 2026 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.