New Year’s Eve Fireworks over Great Bay, Philipsburg

Port St. Maarten Group fires the island’s flagship midnight display from a barge in Great Bay, with Philipsburg’s boardwalk and the boats at anchor ringed around it. The display usually goes up at midnight. Where to watch: From the water: boats anchored or moored in Great Bay have a front-row view, but in 2025 PSG required a 250-metre safety zone around the launch barge from 11:00 am on 31 December until midnight – check the barge position before anchoring that day. Ashore: the Philipsburg boardwalk and beach along Front Street, and Walter Plantz Square, where the Port has staged music in past years.