The Portuguese Madeira is definitely our favourite place to celebrate New Year’s Eve. Not only its great atmosphere and good weather but also the terrain make the fireworks show at Funchal truly unforgettable.
Best Madeira NYE 2019/2020 videos
Here are some of our favourite videos of the New Year’s fireworks show in Funchal 2019/2020 published (so far) on Youtube:
EagleView – @eagleviewpt
A small island with a big record
We have already mentioned the New Year’s Eve shows that held the Guinness record in our first post about the Christmas season in Madeira. It is worth checking it out because it describes in detail all Christmas and New Year’s traditions and events in Madeira.
Maintaining such a record costs way too much, so it is doubtful that Funchal would ever decide on another attempt to break the Guinness record again. Despite the fact that Funchal has already been dethroned and the fireworks show is no longer officially the largest show in the world in the Guinness Book of Records, Madeira is still famous for its spectacular New Year’s Eve shows, which attract crowds every year. Most hotels do not have a single room available in this period.
You will have a great view of the show from many places across the Funchal Bay. A slightly more expensive option, but also unforgettable is also watching the show from the ocean – on catamarans, boats, cruise ships or the Lobo Marinho ferry, which leaves the port several minutes before midnight.
The best spots to watch the fireworks show in Madeira
On previous New Year’s nights, I had the opportunity to enjoy the show both from the port area [SEE: NEW YEAR’S EVE 2015] and the higher parts of the city [SEE: NEW YEAR’S EVE 2018]. Both locations have their advantages and disadvantages, and it depends on what you personally prefer…
We prefer the option of watching fireworks from the Marina area because that’s where it feels like you are in the centre of the show.
It is true, it will be crowded, and it will be harder to record a good film or take pictures with a tripod – not only because of the crowds but also because from there we will not record the beauty of the entire show. Fireworks will shoot around you – from the hills, the city, and the ocean. It is there, however, that we will not only see but also feel the vibe, especially at the end of the show, because Madeira firework shows are famous for their strongly accented wrap-ups.
For those who prefer a quieter place or would like to record videos / take photos, highly situated places are recommended, for example, viewpoints such as Miradouro do Curral dos Romeiros, Miradouro do Pináculo, or Pico dos Barcelos, from which the camera will cover the largest number of firework stations.
And talking about the best Funchal hotels for NYE, here is an awesome hotel with a wonderful, comfortable deck ideal for firework shows:
Funchal Fireworks show streaming live
If you are not on Madeira, stream the show live using the RTP MADEIRA site.
Our New Year’s Eve 2020/2021 plans
Our dream would be to watch the show in a way that we have not yet tried – on board of a catamaran or a boat. We have a year to figure out how and where 🙂
Our New Year’s resolutions
Hiking routes tips, hotels and wedding venue reviews as well as small local tips – 20 new post drafts are still to be finalized. We promise to publish posts more regularly.
Our resolution for 2020 is also to refresh our older posts from the first year of our existence – to edit outdated information and to add more recent videos and photos. So – stay with us also in 2020!