New Year’s Eve 2026 in Scottsdale and Phoenix: Old Town, Decadence and the ride home

A New Year’s Eve ride from Scottsdale Sprinters starts with the night your group is actually having: an Old Town countdown, Decadence Arizona at Phoenix Raceway, or a dinner and the drive home. This guide uses only what the organizers, the City of Scottsdale and Valley Metro have published, labels last year’s details as last year’s, and says plainly what is still announced closer to the date.

Last updated: September 24, 2026

What is on in Scottsdale and Phoenix for New Year’s Eve 2026?

New Year’s Eve 2026 is Thursday, December 31, 2026. Confirmed so far: Decadence Arizona on December 30 and 31 at Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, the Fiesta Bowl on December 30 in Glendale, and the Cactus Bowl on December 26 in Tempe. Scottsdale, Phoenix and Tempe have not published their 2026 New Year’s Eve events yet. As of September 24, 2026, the official listings still describe last year. Visit Phoenix’s New Year’s Eve page and Experience Scottsdale’s New Year’s Eve story both still cover New Year’s Eve 2025. The City of Phoenix major-events page lists no New Year’s Eve event, and neither does Old Town Scottsdale’s official events list. Last year the official listings were resort, hotel, bar and venue parties, with no city-run celebration. The 2026 events are announced closer to the date; recheck the official pages in December. The Vrbo Fiesta Bowl, a College Football Playoff quarterfinal, kicks off at 5:30 p.m. Arizona time on Wednesday, December 30, the same night as the first night of Decadence. Our Fiesta Bowl guide covers the game. New Year’s Day is Friday, January 1, 2027. Plan the ride home for the early hours of that morning, not for the evening of December 31.

How do drop-off and pickup work in Old Town Scottsdale on New Year’s Eve?

Old Town Scottsdale’s Transportation Safety Zone is in effect every night from 5 p.m. to 4 a.m., New Year’s Eve included. While it is in effect, hired vehicles load and unload only at the marked Passenger Convenience Areas and vehicle-for-hire lanes, never in a through lane, so your chauffeur stops where the city allows. The zone covers the downtown entertainment district east of Buckboard Trail, from Sixth Avenue to Camelback Road, Sunday through Saturday. The city’s ordinance counts limousines, livery vehicles and any other motorized vehicle that carries passengers for hire as vehicles for hire. Stopping, standing, loading or unloading in a designated through lane is not allowed while the zone is in effect. Exact curbs follow the posted signs, so the chauffeur goes by the signs and the officers on the night rather than an old map. No Old Town street closures or rideshare zones have been published for New Year’s Eve 2026; they are announced closer to the date if the city sets any. Agree one loading point for the whole group before midnight. A crew spread across three bars walks to that point together, and the transportation lead calls the chauffeur once everyone is there. Nobody steps into a through lane to meet the vehicle.

How do you get to Decadence Arizona at Phoenix Raceway?

Decadence Arizona runs December 30 and 31, 2026, at Phoenix Raceway, 7602 Jimmie Johnson Drive, Avondale, off I-10 and Loop 202. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the event ends at 3 a.m. both nights. The organizer says public transit is limited and recommends personal vehicles, event shuttles or rideshare. Parking lots open at 4 p.m. Free parking is Entry G, premium parking is Entry F and rideshare is Entry E, and the organizer asks drivers to stay in the right lane until they reach their entry. There is no overnight parking: cars left behind are towed at the owner’s expense, on a night that ends at 3 a.m. The organizer has not published a lane for limousines, party buses or charters. The only drop-off lane it names is Rideshare, Entry E, and its location page says dedicated rideshare pick-up and drop-off points operate near the primary entrance gates. Your chauffeur follows event staff on the night. If the organizer publishes charter guidance, that replaces this paragraph. Wristbands scan once a day, so there is no leaving and coming back on the same night, and set times are released the week of the event. The organizer also sells a round-trip shuttle from Sunbar in Tempe as an extra, and two West Valley hotel packages include a festival shuttle.

What should a Decadence group know before the ride?

Decadence is strictly 18 and over with a physical government-issued photo ID, and 21 and over for alcohol service, so a ride group can include riders under 21. The event is cashless, enforces a clear-bag policy, and does not admit patrons who are clearly intoxicated or under the influence of drugs. The largest bag allowed is a clear bag up to 15 by 15 by 5 inches, or a one-gallon clear freezer bag, plus one small clutch up to 5 by 7 by 2 inches. An empty hydration pack of that size with no more than 2 pockets is the only exception. Outside food and drinks, glass, cans, coolers, chairs and festival totems are not allowed; two factory-sealed water bottles are. There are no ATMs on site. The event takes Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, Apple Pay and Google Pay. Tell the reservations team the ages in the group when you book. Our guide to Arizona party bus alcohol rules explains what applies on board.

Which vehicle fits which New Year’s Eve group?

VIP and dinner parties ride the Maybach Jet Sprinter, the Ultra Luxury Party Sprinter, the Maybach Shuttle Sprinter or the Luxury SUV (Suburban). Old Town crews take a Limo Party Sprinter or the Executive Black Sprinter. Decadence and big crews take the Party Bus (28 Pax), the Executive Mini Coach (29 Pax) or the Mini Bus (24 Pax). Seat counts are seated capacities from the fleet: the Ultra Luxury Party Sprinter seats 15, the Maybach Jet Sprinter 9, the Limo Party Sprinter (12-13 Pax) 13, the Limo Party Sprinter (16 Pax) 16 and the Executive Black Sprinter 14. The Party Bus (28 Pax) seats 28, the Executive Mini Coach (29 Pax) 29, and the Luxury SUV (Suburban) 6. Our pick for the night is the Ultra Luxury Party Sprinter: fiber-optic lighting with eighteen modes, lasers and a fog machine for the countdown, and a full partition with an intercom to your chauffeur. It rides with the VIP group because it is one of our ultra-luxury units. When a group outgrows its row, the page offers the next row that seats everyone: a VIP table or an Old Town crew too big for its row moves up to the party bus or a coach. For a group bigger than the Executive Mini Coach (29 Pax), we plan two or more vehicles and quote them together. Count riders for each direction. The group that leaves at 6 p.m. and the group that rides home at 3 a.m. are often different lists, and the return manifest is the one that matters.

How late can you ride home on New Year’s Eve?

As late as you book. Reserve by the hour and the vehicle is yours for the whole night block, or book a ride there and a ride back. Valley Metro light rail’s last full trips start between 10:50 p.m. and 12:10 a.m., and no New Year’s Eve extension has been announced for 2026. Last New Year’s Eve (2025), Valley Metro bus, rail and paratransit rides were free from 7 p.m. on December 31 to 2 a.m. or end of service on January 1. The 2026 plan is announced closer to the date; recheck in December. Scottsdale’s free trolleys run Monday to Friday, 5:45 a.m. to 7:45 p.m., and do not run on New Year’s Day. On New Year’s Day, light rail and streetcar run a Sunday schedule. Decadence ends at 3 a.m. and allows no overnight parking, so the ride home is the leg to book first. Reach the reservations team at (623) 986-6339 or reservations@scottsdalesprinters.com with the date, the pickup area, the rider count and the night you are planning.

When and where is the Cactus Bowl?

The Cactus Bowl is Saturday, December 26, 2026, at 5:30 p.m. Arizona time at ASU’s Mountain America Stadium in Tempe: Big Ten against Big 12. Parking, rideshare and drop-off for the bowl are announced closer to the date, so plan the ride around the kickoff and the official instructions when they appear. The bowl sets its own parking, so ASU’s regular-season game-day rules are not bowl guidance. The Cactus Bowl’s online A-to-Z guide still describes last year’s game at a different stadium; wait for the 2026 version. Tickets are sold by the Fiesta Sports Foundation. A ride booking does not include a game ticket or a parking pass.