New Year's Eve in Birmingham 2026: the zoo's family countdown, Glow Wild through Jan. 3, what closes on New Year's Day and the city's warning on gunfire.

Last checked Oct. 17, 2026. This page is updated each year at the same address; the dates below are for New Year’s Eve 2026 and New Year’s Day 2027. We list restaurant and bar events only when the venue itself announces them.

New Year’s Eve falls on a Thursday this year, and New Year’s Day on Friday, Jan. 1, 2027. As of Oct. 17 no organizer had published a Birmingham New Year’s Eve event for 2026. The zoo’s Glow Wild lantern festival runs on select nights through Jan. 3, and last year the zoo held a family countdown on Dec. 31. This page will fill in as venues announce plans.

Who to call

  • Birmingham Police non-emergency: 205-328-9311; 911 in an emergency
  • City services and trash: 311, or 205-254-2489 (closed on city holidays)
  • McWane Science Center: 205-714-8300

Family countdown at the zoo

On Dec. 31, 2025, the Birmingham Zoo held Zoo Year’s Eve, two family celebrations “for those who may have trouble staying up until midnight.” A daytime session ran from 1 to 3 p.m. with a countdown drop of a giant lantern at 2 p.m., and an evening session ran from 5 to 7 p.m. with a 6 p.m. drop during Glow Wild, plus keeper chats and a lantern scavenger hunt. Both were included with zoo or Glow Wild admission, according to the zoo’s 2025 event page. The zoo had not posted a 2026 Zoo Year’s Eve on Oct. 17; this section will be updated when it does.

Glow Wild itself runs on select nights from Nov. 21 through Sunday, Jan. 3, 2027, 5 to 9 p.m.; see our holiday lights and Christmas events guide for tickets and the special nights.

Kids out of school

Birmingham City Schools are on winter holidays Dec. 21-31, and Jan. 1 is a holiday. Students return Wednesday, Jan. 6, after a professional development day on Jan. 4 and a teacher workday on Jan. 5, according to the district’s 2026-27 calendar. McWane Science Center runs Winter Break Camps Dec. 28-31 for children 4 to 13, with half-day camps for 4K and kindergarten and full-day camps for grades 1 to 6; registration opened Oct. 5, according to McWane’s camps page.

Fireworks and safety

No city fireworks show for New Year’s Eve had been announced on Oct. 17. After New Year’s Eve 2024, the Birmingham Police Department said the city “experienced a fair amount of celebratory gunfire and fireworks.” It deployed nearly 80 extra officers, and officers seized 11 guns tied to illegal activity, including discharging a firearm within city limits, according to the department’s follow-up release. The department also said several major nightclubs and bars agreed to close before 2 a.m.

  • Never fire a gun into the air. Bullets come down, and it is illegal inside city limits.
  • Check the city’s rules with the police department before setting off your own fireworks; the department has seized fireworks it called illegal under city ordinances (see our Fourth of July fireworks page).
  • Plan a ride home; see getting around Birmingham.

What is open and closed on New Year’s Day

  • City offices: the city recognizes New Year’s Day as a holiday. Its 2027 holiday list had not been posted on Oct. 17; the 2026 list closed offices on Jan. 1, 2026.
  • Trash: last year there was no garbage or recycling pickup on New Year’s Day, a Thursday, and Thursday homes were collected Friday, Jan. 2, according to the city’s December 2025 notice. Jan. 1, 2027, is a Friday; check our trash and recycling guide for this year’s notice.
  • Birmingham Public Library: closed on New Year’s Day in 2026; its 2027 list was not yet posted (holiday closures).
  • McWane Science Center: lists New Year’s Day as closed, with the IMAX Dome open, on its holiday hours.
  • Birmingham Botanical Gardens: free and open every day of the year, according to its visit page.

What this means for you

  • Book Glow Wild early if you want a lantern-lit Dec. 31 or a New Year’s weekend visit.
  • Restaurants and bars: we will add New Year’s Eve dinners and parties here only as venues post them on their own sites. Running one? Send it to us.

Related: Christmas parade and tree lighting, things to do this month and date night in Birmingham.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a family New Year’s Eve event in Birmingham?

Last year the Birmingham Zoo held Zoo Year’s Eve on Dec. 31 with a 2 p.m. daytime countdown and a 6 p.m. countdown during Glow Wild, both included with admission. The zoo had not posted 2026 details on Oct. 17.

Are there New Year’s Eve fireworks in Birmingham?

No city fireworks show for Dec. 31, 2026, had been announced on Oct. 17. Birmingham police say fireworks and celebratory gunfire are a problem every New Year’s Eve; firing a gun within city limits is illegal.

Is Birmingham trash pickup delayed for New Year’s Day?

The city’s 2027 notice was not out on Oct. 17. Last year there was no pickup on New Year’s Day, a Thursday, and Thursday homes were collected Friday, Jan. 2.

When do Birmingham City Schools go back after winter break?

Students return Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2027, after winter holidays from Dec. 21. Jan. 1 is a holiday, Jan. 4 is a professional development day and Jan. 5 is a teacher workday.