Ring in the New Year on Tybee
2026 is on the horizon and there’s no better way to enter the New Year than in the company of thousands of celebrants from near and far on the Southeastern coast amid sand and sea. Each year, Tybee kicks off the New Year with two signature events to start 2026 with a bang! If you want to make this New Year’s Day memorable, head to Tybee for these stellar festivities.
New Year’s Eve Fireworks
If you’ve never celebrated New Year’s Eve on the beach, you’re truly missing out. It’s an exciting evening complete with dazzling fireworks lighting up the midnight sky over the Atlantic Ocean. Delight yourself in the splendor of a colorful and captivating light display — beginning precisely as the clock strikes midnight — marking the onset of the New Year in a spectacular way. New Year’s Eve on Tybee is easily the best way to start 2026 in this region.
Polar Plunge
Now in its 26th year, the annual Polar Plunge is a Tybee tradition that is equally chilling and thrilling. Join thousands of adventurers on South Beach, near the iconic Pier & Pavilion, as they charge forth into the frigid waters of the Atlantic Ocean on New Year’s Day as a bold embrace of the promise and possibilities that 2026 is sure to bring. The fun starts at 10:30 a.m. with the Gang of Goofs Costume Contest and Parade, beloved by locals and visitors alike, followed by the Polar Plunge at noon. Fun for the whole family, the Polar Plunge is an unforgettable way to start 2026.
Both the New Year’s Eve Fireworks and the Polar Plunge are free and open to the public, so there’s no reason not to attend. We hope you’ll join us as we start 2026 with some signature Tybee Island flair!
