New Years Eve @ Freeplay Bar & Arcade!!!

Hey everyone! Another year bites the dust, can't believe how fast the 2025 flew by! Last year we celebrated New Years Eve at Medici, but we decided to do something less clubby this year. Let's shake off 2025 and ring in the new year over some games and dancing at Freeplay!

TLDR: We're still waiting on Freeplay to post up details on their New Years Eve event, but they usually do something. We're going to reach out to them just to be safe, so keep an eye on the event details closer to the day. Any major changes we'll also post in the comments. On the day we'll find a spot and post our location in the comments for everyone to find us.

If you're not new to the Providence area, you've likely at least heard of Freeplay. The bar arcade has been one of the best nightlife spots in the city for some time. The two floor venue sports a massive selection of different games for us to play. They have plenty of retro arcade cabinets for lovers of old school video games, but there are plenty of more modern offerings as well. There's plenty of rhythm games, including three separate dancing machines that attract plenty of diehard players. There's also skee ball, foosball (hockey), and the crowd favorite is air hockey. There's also a ton of pinball machines! There's plenty to keep us busy downstairs.

The bar also has an outdoor patio for anyone who wants to escape the arcade and get some fresh air. It's usually open regardless of the temperature. Considering it's nearly January it's probably unlikely there will be a band on stage.

Freeplay also sports one of the best dance floors in the city. The vibe is far from what you may expect at a stuffy club. Dancers are just having fun and cutting loose without having to worry about looking cool. You may even see a conga line or two break out. Freeplay typically plays top tracks from multiple decades, especially the 70s and 80s, but the theme could be different with the holiday. Also the dance floor will likely be where they have live entertainment on the night, if there is any. However, even if they do it will likely still be a dance floor closer to midnight.

Drinks wise, Freeplay has something for everyone. It isn't the place to try and get crafty or higher end when it comes to cocktails, but they can make any of your staple drinks like a gin and tonic or rum and coke. Freeplay has two bars. The bar on the ground floor is the largest and has the most options. They also have a signature video game inspired cocktail list that we don't believe is available upstairs. There also plenty of beer on tap at the downstairs bar. The dancefloor bar on the second floor is a little smaller. They can do basic mixed drinks and offer plenty of canned drinks including beer. If cocktails and beer aren't your thing, don't worry they also have hard seltzer and cider available at both spots.

Keep an eye on the start time closer to the day just incase our plans change. We're going to set it for 8:30 in order to beat the crowd since Freeplay was packed on Halloween. Any changes we'll post in the comments.

Once the hosts arrive we'll try to stake out a spot (likely air hockey if it's available) and we'll post our location. Freeplay is large but it isn't huge, so it shouldn't be hard to find us throughout the night. The hosts will likely stick around the posted spot for awhile before we wander around downstairs for any late comers. Once we move upstairs permanently, we'll post a comment so people know where to find us.

Freeplay does have a cover of $12.00 on normal nights. Not sure if it will go up for NYE. However, all games are included with cover so that makes it sting a little less.

Please reach out to the hosts directly or leave a comment if you have any questions. Looking forward to seeing everyone and Happy New Years!