For New Year’s Eve, I had the opportunity to attend the Midnight Ball at the McKittrick Hotel.
The McKittrick Hotel is known for unique and captivating events, such as the immersive theatric experience, Sleep No More, the exciting Speakeasy Magick, and the all season rooftop bar, Gallow Green. The idea behind the Midnight Ball was that each hotel floor would gradually open throughout the night. Each floor would have a specific theme and unique style, with costumed dancers, performers, and music. It was incredible, an astounding event acting as the perfect way to end 2022 and ring in 2023. The night’s theme was “past, present, and future,” and the style was a vibrant mix of bright, fashion-forward outfits, tuxes, and cocktail or sequins dresses. Several attendees came with masks from Sleep No More, which was being hosted before the party. I started at the top floor, working my way down to the bottom.
The first floor I explored was psychedelic-themed, with surreal set pieces such as asylum-like beds, trance beats, and bathtubs with neon lights. It was a hot selfie spot draped in multi-colored lights, and the chill music made it one of the more social spots of the event. There was live music, usually violinists or lofi singers. The next floor was more explicitly cabaret themed with horror-themed dancers and an industrial soundtrack. It was my favorite floor in the ball. In addition to the dance floor bursting with industrial music, there were multiple rooms with horror medical decor. There were even hidden rooms throughout the floor, representing a barrel room. The next floor was more traditional mid-2000s pop, with performers and drag queens dancing behind glass walls. Hidden rooms littered throughout the floor, and a hallway led to the Manderley Bar, with live jazz and reggae. The ground level, the highlight of the Midnight Ball, was the ballroom. The ballroom was awash with disco balls and neon lights, filled with techno and disco, live dancers, and drag queens. It was wild, culminating in a sea of balloons falling at midnight.
The Midnight Ball was an astounding party, the perfect way to ring in the year work. The excellent production work behind the McKittrick Hotel and Sleep No More made the event a unique and wondrous spectacle. The dancing and music all felt in tune with each floor’s theme, which each floor smoothly leading to the next, with hidden secrets if you look deep enough. The Midnight Ball was as much an adventure as it was a dance, I know I’ll be excited for the next event at the McKittrick Hotel.