Retro and Theme nights

Gold Digger NYE Party
Funfair, King’s Road, Brighton, 9pm to 5am, £25, info@funfairclub.com

This gold-themed party includes magic from Leon Simmonds, free golden champagne candy floss and a midnight glitter bomb. Get down early for the happy hour (and a half) from 9pm to 10.30pm.

New Year’s Masquerade Ball
Proud Cabaret Brighton, St George’s Road, 7pm to 2am, from £15, dinner and show from £69, brightoncabaret.com

All guests must wear masks for this three-course supper and cocktails before some vintage variety and burlesque performances.

White Mink
The Old Market, Upper Market Street, Hove, 9.30pm, £21, 01273 201800

Electroswing pioneers White Mink take over The Old Market to usher out 2013, with sets from Fat 45, Nick Hollywood and Coco Deville. Expect a combination of decadence, debauchery, glamour and sleaze.

Trailer Trash New Year’s Eve Hollywood Mash Up
Komedia, Gardner Street, Brighton, 10pm, £18/£15, comedy and Trailer Trash tickets from £42.50, 0845 2938480

Following sessions of the Krater Comedy Club, Komedia is turned into a classic and cult movie set, complete with twisted cabaret and circus acts.

Providing the laughs from 7pm are Eddy Brimson, Maff Brown and Paul Sinha, before Trailer Trash takes over with live bands and DJs. Partygoers are encouraged to dress up as film characters.

A Night In Hollywood
Oceana, West Street, Brighton, 10pm to 4am, £20, 01273 732627

The seven themed rooms and four DJ arenas are accompanied by a paparazzi-filled red carpet, video countdown and lasers.

Brighton Blitz Blackout #4
The Mesmerist, Prince Albert Street, Brighton, 8pm, £20, 01273 328542

Blasting through the 1940s to the rocking 1950s, Brighton Blitz features performances from The Speakeasy Three and Rockin’ In Rhythm, as well as DJ sets. Partygoers are encouraged to don tin hats, Allied uniforms, frugal fashions, zoot suits or tea dresses.

Full Moon UV Party
Belushis, Grand Junction Road, Brighton, 9pm to 3am, 01273 202035

Resident DJ Moogle hosts the traditional Thai-style UV night, with partygoers encouraged to don their best Hawaiian shirt or glow-in-the-dark swimsuits.

Frockabilly
The Marlborough, Princes Street, Brighton, 9pm, free, frockabilly.co.uk

An under-the-sea special from the “queer-run straight-friendly” vintage club night. Radio Reverb’s DJ Lonesome M and special guests spin a vinyl selection from the 1950s and early 1960s.

Enchanted Tree Top Forest NYE Party
Pav Tav, Castle Square, 9pm to 4am, £10, www.secretdoorevents.co.uk

This New Year’s party from Secret Door Events, features live music from Dr Bluegrass And The Illbilly 8, plus DJ Mass Evil, Breaking Bear VDJ, wild decor and drinks from just £2.25 a pint.

Circus nights

Electric Cabaret presents Circus!
Grosvenor Casino, Grand Junction Road, Brighton, entertainment from 9pm onwards, members free before 8pm, £10 after, 01273 363435

Watch death-defying aerial trapeze, glamorous stilt girls, jugglers, close-up illusionists, fire-eaters and more introduced by Miss Laura Nixon, with music from DJ Greg Marshall.

Circus Fantasia
Latest Music Bar, Manchester Street, Brighton, 9pm, £10/£18, 01273 687171

A charity ball packed with pole, belly, fire, hoop, burlesque, and break dancers, plus cabaret. All profits go to Children Of Sumatra.

Cirque Du Shooshh
Shooshh, King’s Road Arches, Brighton, 9pm to 6am, from £15, www.shooshh.com

Brighton's seafront VIP superclub hosts its first New Year’s Eve celebration, with a circus troupe of fire-breathers, stilt walkers, dwarves, angle grinders and acrobats.

DJs will be spinning the best in commercial chart, house, dance, R’n’B and floor fillers to see in the New Year.

Club favourites

Sonic Safari and Tech-Noir
OHSO Social, King’s Road Arches, Brighton, 9pm, £7/£10 on the door, skdl.it/1aOXfTQ

A pair of city house nights pool their DJ talent to welcome in the New Year – expect sets from Tech-Noir’s Nick Hook, Danny Chase and Pat Waller, and Sonic Safari’s Tim Sneath, Danny Fantana and Wilson Knickit.

Policy New Year’s Eve
Studio 27, Railway Approach, Worthing, 9pm to 3am, £10/£15/£20 on the door, www.fatsoma.com/policy-new-years-eve/99048

There were only 250 tickets available for this drum and bass night so check before heading out west. The line-up features guest spots from Levela And Agro, DJ Hybrid, Kronic And Buzzbee, Section, Rusty Cee, Archie P and Robbie T.

It Is Still 1985 Back To The Future New Year’s Eve 80s Party
The Haunt, Pool Valley, Brighton, 10pm, £8, 01273 606312

Probably the longest title for a NYE party this year – The Haunt’s ever-popular 1980s night follows a Back To The Future theme, with a few surprises in store for the wannabe McFlys.

Digital NYE
Digital, King’s Road Arches, Brighton, 10pm to 3am, £10, 01273 606312

Matt Stonelove’s 101% rock and roll indie night Stonelove will be welcoming in 2014. And night owls can stay out for a New Year afterparty from 3am featuring former dubstepper turned house and disco purveyor Skream and house DJ Richy Ahmed.

Pump Up The Jam
Coalition, King’s Road Arches, Brighton, 10pm to 4am, £15, 01273 606312

The clock is turned back 20 years to the best in 1990s dance, house, garage, jungle, hip-hop and pop courtesy of Willerby and DJ Outbreak.

Supercharged and Shakedown Presents New Year’s Eve
Concorde 2, Madeira Drive, Brighton, 9pm to 4am, £30, 01273 673311

Shy FX tops a line-up including Dismantle, Brookes Brothers, Kove, Frankee and more from the bass music scene, hosted by Stamina MC.

New Year’s Eve
Riki Tik, Bond Street, Brighton, 10pm, £5/£7, 01273 683844

Channel One Sound System and Dagger Sound play a night of roots, rock and reggae.

The Globe NYE Party
Globe, Middle Street, Brighton, 8pm to 4am, £5, 01273 770685

This year The Globe is hosting two parties – Richie Cox and Jason Sears are playing funk, disco and house upstairs, while in the basement This Is How It Starts are holding the best house party ever with Ben Hurd, Ian Pither and the Long Story Short DJs.

Stick It On New Year’s Eve Party
The Open House, Springfield Road, Brighton, 8pm to 3am, £10, 01273 880102

The anti-superstar DJ night hosts a New Year’s Eve special, where members of the crowd become the DJ playing mini 15-minute sets. Here’s hoping no metalhead takes over the decks at midnight...

Physics House Party #4
Sticky Mike’s Frog Bar, Middle Street, Brighton, 9pm, free, 01273 749465

Brighton's own Physics House Band curates this night of live music from behind the DJ decks. On the bill are producer Alphabets Heaven, Luo, Wild Cat Strike, Mocksun, and Hypnotized, with DJ sets from KLDSCP and Donky Pitch’s Grinel.

End Of Life
Life, King’s Road Arches, Brighton, 10pm to 1am, £8, 01273 770505

Billed as Life’s last ever party, the seafront club hosts two of its popular nights on New Year’s Eve. Wired features Enzo Siffredi, Sav Manganaro, Jon Byrne and Carlos Ruiz, while in room two JFB and Slim Blues lead the Battlejam.

Sonic Switch
Green Door Store, Trafalgar Street Arches, Brighton, 10pm, free, thegreendoor store.co.uk

Tru Thoughts A&R Robert Luis plays bass, hip-hop, soul, drum and bass, reggae and dubstep with label signing Titeknots.

New Year’s Eve Party
Funkyfish Club, Marine Parade, Brighton, 8pm to 4am, £7.50/£10, 01273 698331

Disco, funk, dance and party anthems over two rooms courtesy of DJ Antony in the bar and Sean Quinn in the club.

Tramfrau New Year’s Eve Extravaganza
Phoenix Gallery, Phoenix Place, Brighton, 7.30pm, £7/£9, www.traumfrau.co.uk

There will be more than eight hours of DJs and live entertainment as the Phoenix’s gallery space is turned into a queer disco dancefloor.

The Garden House Party
The Brunswick, Holland Road, Hove, 8pm to 3.30am, £23, 01273 606312

Acts from Croatia’s Garden Festival welcome in 2014, with a line-up including Electric Elephant, The Unabombers, Wolf and a DJ set from Crazy P.

Jungle Alliance
The World’s End, London Road, Brighton, 7pm, £5, 01273 692311

London's Saxon Sound System crew bring their 15K beast to The World’s End, with a selection of exclusive dubplates and dancehall tunes.

Audio NYE
Audio, Marine Parade, Brighton, 10pm to 7am, from £28, 01273 606906

Audio hosts a massive nine-hour house spectacular, headlined by George Fitzgerald with Laura Jones, Charles Green and Neal Schtumm.

Bass Face New Year’s Eve All-nighter
Volks Bar, Madeira Drive, Brighton, 10pm to 10am, £10, www.theticketsellers.com

Bass-lovers’ heaven, with two floors and 12 hours of heavyweight drum and bass, jungle, old skool, reggae, house, dub and more.

Pub events

The Black Lion
Black Lion Street, Brighton, 8.30pm to 2am, free, 01273 711884

Molly Malone, Soul Casserole and Attic Monkeys play the best music from the last six decades.

White Rabbit
Kensington Gardens, Brighton, 8pm to 3am, free, 01273 677655

A fun fancy dress party.

Ancient Mariner
Rutland Road, Hove, 8pm, £5, 01273 748595

A sea-themed night of cocktails and swiggin’ in the rigging – with prizes for the best-dressed pirates, mariners and mermaids.

The Beaufort
Queen’s Park Road, Brighton, 8pm to 2am, free, 01273 625429

Drinks deals and live music from Zed’s Dead in this 1920s-inspired night.

The Exchange
Goldstone Street, Hove, 9pm to 2am, free, 07805 980919

Boogie blues and dancing tunes from Andy Twyman and James.

The Fishbowl
East Street, Brighton, 9pm to 3am, free, 01273 777505

Daddy Marcus plays the best soul, funk and disco.

Fortune Of War
King’s Road Arches, Brighton, 9pm, free, 01273 205065

The Soul Casserole DJs play soul funk, reggae, Motown and hip hop.

Freemasons
Western Road, Hove, 9pm, free, 01273 732043

Party punch cocktails, New Year shots and midnight pinatas with prizes – all soundtracked by the resident DJs.

The Hope
Queens Road, Brighton, 8pm, free, 01273 325793

Hair metal, power ballads and rock bangers from the Wonderstruck DJs.

The Mash Tun
New Road, Brighton, 9pm, free, 01273 684951

Glam and cheese New Year’s Eve party.

The Duke Of Norfolk
Western Road, Brighton, 9pm to 5am, free, 01273 733245

DJ Cashback spins the tunes, with drinks deals all night.

North Laine
Gloucester Place, Brighton, 9pm, free, 01273 683666

Marcello and Tucka rock the decks into 2014.

The Quadrant
Queen’s Road, Brighton, 8pm, free, 01273 733238

I quote: “NYE!!!!! Party Party Party FREEEEEEE”. Make of it what you will.

Sidewinder
St James’s Street, Brighton, 9pm, free, 01273 679927

A Star Wars-themed party with prizes for the best costumes, drinks deals, and music from a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.

The Three Graces
Portland Road, Hove, 8.30pm to 1am, free, 01273 730040

Extra-terrestrial-themed party with Fingered By Aliens and DJ Dee K, and prizes for the best-dressed alien.

The Victory
Duke Street, Brighton, 8pm to 4am, free, 01273 326555

Carnival Collective DJs host a funk and soul club with drink discounts all night.

The Western Front
Cranbourne Street, Brighton, 8pm to 2am, free, 01273 725656

NYE classics, club bangers and old school hip-hop from DJ Dennis Castro.

Grand Central
Surrey Street, Brighton, 5pm to 2am, free, 01273 329086

The mighty giant squid The Kraken has attacked and, with booze leaking everywhere, partygoers have to drink it all before the good ship sinks. Drink deals for everyone in fancy dress.

Saint George’s
Sudeley Street, Brighton, 7pm to 2am, free, 01273 694265

A Tarantino-themed party, complete with the classic soundtracks, big kahuna burgers and cocktail shakes.

Fiddler’s Elbow
Boyce’s Street, Brighton, 8pm to 4am, free, 01273 325850

Drinks deals all night with DJ Grandpa Abe.

Caroline Of Brunswick
Ditchling Road, Brighton, 9pm, free, www.carolineofbrunswick.co.uk

Downstairs is devoted to rock and metal classics from Rock The Casbah, upstairs sees DJ Mendees explore the dark side of the 1980s with Release The Bats.