New Year's Eve in Warsaw

If you’re in Warsaw on the 31st December whatever you do don’t stay in! Just about every bar and restaurant in the city has their own party, although for some of the more popular venues you’d best grab a ticket in advance. One of the biggest bashes this year will take place inside the Palace of Culture where the BBC Big Band will be joined by Polish vocalists Edyta Górniak and Monika Dryl to perform the best in jazz and big band music from the 1930s until today. Two performances are scheduled - one at 7pm and one at 10:30pm, with the latter a little more pricey as it includes a break to welcome the New Year with drinks and food. If you’d rather experience a countdown to midnight with thousands of people and fireworks, the best place to be is the Plac Konstytucji, where there’s plenty in the way of live entertainment, all leading up to the final seconds of 2009 and a spectacular pyrotechnics show to greet 2010. Specific acts were not yet announced at our time of press, but all you need to know is the theme of this year's performances - Michael Jackson.