What's on TV for New Year's Eve 2018? How to watch the fireworks, live music and countdown to 2019
From Jools Holland's Annual Hootenanny to the New Year's Eve fireworks, check out the full New Year's Eve TV listings for the BBC, ITV and Channel 4
2018 has been a huge year in TV – and now it's time to see it out in style this New Year's Eve.
From fireworks to Jools Holland's annual Hootenanny to a look back at England's glorious summer at the World Cup, each of the main TV channels are serving up some gems for New Year's Eve 2018.
Find out what to watch on the BBC, ITV and Channel 4 below.
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New Year’s Eve 2018 on BBC1
The Graham Norton Show: New Year's Eve Show, 10.40pm
This year Graham Norton is gearing up for the New Year with guests that include Olivia Colman, who will hopefully talk about her upcoming role Netflix's The Crown. Nicholas Hoult (who’s starring alongside Colman in BBC’s Watership Down), Love Actually star Keira Knightley, and Guy Pearce will also be joining Norton on the red sofa. Plus, music will be performed by Rita Ora.
Madness Rocks Big Ben Live and New Year's Eve Fireworks 2018, 11.35pm
The legendary Ska group will perform their greatest hits at Central Hall Westminster to kick off the New Year celebrations. Graham “Suggs” McPherson and the band will also be joined by The Kingdom Choir – the group you might remember from their performance at the Royal Wedding for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
They’ll be a slight break in the music as viewers are treated to views of fireworks over the River Thames and the bongs of Big Ben before the tunes start up again.
Full BBC1 New Year's Eve listings
9pm Film: Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie
10.25pm BBC News and Weather
10.40pm The Graham Norton Show: New Year's Eve Show
11.35pm Madness Rocks Big Ben Live and New Year's Eve Fireworks 2018
1am Still Game (repeat)
New Year’s Eve 2018 on ITV
World Cup: Summer Of Love, 10.45pm
After a showing of James Bond film Spectre, ITV is kicking off its New Year celebrations with World Cup: Summer Of Love. This one-off special will look back at England’s historic run in Russia 2018. Manager Gareth Southgate and players inside the camp share their memories of the tournament, and those who followed the action at home, including Piers Morgan, Susanna Reid and Sir Clive Woodward, give their verdicts.
ITV News, 11.45pm
The look back at this summer’s sporting action will finish just before midnight, with the channel welcoming the New Year with ITV News And Weather.
Full ITV New Year's Eve listings
8pm Film: Spectre
10.45pm World Cup: Summer Of Love
11.45pm ITV News And Weather
12.10am Film - Basic Instinct
New Year’s Eve 2018 on BBC2
Jools' Annual Hootenanny, 11.15pm
The Hootenanny returns for its 25th year, with host Jools Holland joined this time by Michael Bublé (who will be playing songs from his number one album Love), Jess Glynne (singing a new version of I'll Be There) and George Ezra (who’ll join Jools with the big band to perform a selection of his hits).
The show will also feature Nile Rodgers & Chic, who will play big band versions of their classic tracks.
Other acts scheduled to appear are Marc Almond, Rudimental, Yola, The Record Company, Junior Giscombe, Hot 8 Brass Band, Ruby Turner and The Pipes and Drums of the 1st Battalion Scots Guards.
Full BBC2 New Year's Eve listings
9pm Raymond Briggs: Snowmen, Bogeymen & Milkmen
10pm QI XL: O Christmas (repeat)
10.45pm Live at the Apollo: Christmas Special (repeat)
11.15pm Jools' Annual Hootenanny
12.30am Best of Glastonbury 2017 (repeat)
New Year’s Eve 2018 on Channel 4
The Last Leg of The Year, 9pm
The comedy show returns for a special two-hour bumper edition with comics Katherine Ryan, Johnny Vegas, Nish Kumar and more set to join regulars Adam Hills, Josh Widdicombe and Alex Brooker.
We’ll also see clips of the boys’ recent trip to Austria where Alex attempted to become the first disabled man in history to take part in the most dangerous of Winter Olympic sports: the double luge, where two athletes strap themselves to a tiny board before hurtling down an ice slide at 120km per hour.
What could go wrong?
Gogglebox 2018, 11pm
Killing Eve, Bodyguard, Strictly Come Dancing, The Haunting of Hill House, The Great British Bake Off, Naked Attraction: all these shows and more will be covered by the Goggleboxers in this look back at the biggest TV moments of 2018.
Full Channel 4 New Year's Eve listings
9pm The Last Leg of The Year
11pm Gogglebox 2018
1am Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares USA
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Authors
Thomas is Digital editor at BBC Science Focus. Writing about everything from cosmology to anthropology, he specialises in the latest psychology, health and neuroscience discoveries. Thomas has a Masters degree (distinction) in Magazine Journalism from the University of Sheffield and has written for Men’s Health, Vice and Radio Times. He has been shortlisted as the New Digital Talent of the Year at the national magazine Professional Publishers Association (PPA) awards. Also working in academia, Thomas has lectured on the topic of journalism to undergraduate and postgraduate students at The University of Sheffield.
