Big New Year’s Eve party promises fireworks, food trucks and fun in Mississauga: city

Mississauga residents and others are invited to a big New Year’s Eve party the city promises will be filled with “music, family-friendly fun, food, fireworks and (weather permitting) skating.”

Mississauga’s annual New Year’s Eve party at Celebration Square in the city’s downtown core runs Tuesday night from 8 p.m. until the grand finale fireworks conclude sometime after midnight.

Music icon Maestro Fresh Wes, one of the first Canadian rappers to achieve mainstream success, will start the evening off as the city and party guests ring in 2025.

As usual, food trucks and a variety of other activities for the entire family are part of the fun, city officials say. Admission for the evening is free.

“Mississauga is throwing the biggest New Year’s Eve party in town,” city officials said in a news release, adding those who attend are in for “an unforgettable night of music, family-friendly fun, food, fireworks and skating.”

Weather permitting, guests can lace up their skates and enjoy the city’s largest outdoor rink. Temperatures are expected to be slightly above zero, then hovering at and around the freezing mark as the night progresses, weather reports show.

Maestro Fresh Wes, the Toronto-born rapper, singer, actor, author and record producer who rose to prominence in the entertainment industry during the ’80s and ’90s, brings his “kid-friendly album, Young Maestro, to the main stage for an unforgettable live show,” Mississauga officials said.

“Hip-hop legends ring in 2025 at Celebration Square with the biggest New Year’s Eve block party in town,” officials added.

The evening activities begin with an hour of fun for kids and the entire family, from 8 to 9 p.m., organizers say.

“Little ones can ring in 2025 and still make bedtime with this jam-packed hour of family-friendly hip-hop fun.”

Under a shower of confetti at 9 p.m., the younger party-goers can ring in the new year with “Happy New Year” shouts of their own, officials say.

On the main stage starting shortly after 9 p.m., things get rolling as  DijahSB brings their “own brand of smooth synth loops, booming bass claps and quick-witted rhymes to the main stage.”

From there, organizers say, the party’s co-headliners take over the square: Shad “will have you grooving with his unmatched lyricism and good vibes” followed by rising Mississauga rapper AR Paisley, who brings his “raw energy and explosive flow that’s currently taking over the South Asian hip-hop scene” to the downtown Mississauga stage.

“All four artists come together for an unforgettable finale performance, celebrating the history of hip-hop in the GTA,” organizers said.

Following is a list of events planned for the evening:

• 8 p.m. — NYE Junior with entertainment from Maestro Fresh Wes and a confetti countdown
• 9:20 p.m. — DijahSB, inspirational Toronto rapper
• 10 p.m. – Shad, Juno Award-winning MC
• 11 p.m. – AR Paisley, Mississauga’s own rising rapper
• 11:45 p.m. – Finale: The GTA Mix-Tape, featuring all four performers
• 11:55 p.m. – Countdown featuring remarks from Mayor Carolyn Parrish
• 12 a.m. – Live fireworks finale
• skating rink open until 11 p.m. (weather dependent)

City officials note that all outdoor activities and fireworks are weather permitting.

For those planning to stay home on New Year’s Eve, they are allowed to set off their own backyard fireworks without city-issued permits as long as they follow the rules.

Map shows road closures during New Year’s Eve celebrations in Mississauga’s downtown core. (Map: City of Mississauga)