Balkan New Year’s Eve at Ashkenaz is back! Come ring in the New Year with three amazing live bands, dancing all night, champagne, and an energetic family friendly party!

This year features an opening set of vocal-harmony-forward tunes from the Balkans to the Bayou by True Life Trio, an exhilarating Balkan Brass dance party by Fanfare Zambaleta, and a folk dance accordion extravaganza by Dan Cantrell and friends! Bring your dance shoes, your shiny outfits, and a readiness to leap into 2026 surrounded by friends, family, and amazing live music!

Balkan New Years Eve | December 31st, 2025
DOORS OPEN: 8:00 PM
SHOW BEGINS: 8:30 PM

Tickets available at https://www.ashkenaz.com/#/events/158738
Advance tickets available until the day of the show!
Advance tickets $35, Day-of-show tickets $45
FREE ADMISSION for kids 12 and under!

New Year’s Eve at Ashkenaz is traditionally a night of Balkan music and dancing in honor of the late Ashkenaz founder David Nadel and the music he first featured at his world dance club. It is known to go until the late hours!

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The Berkeley Balkan Bacchanal presents
Dodona (10 pm)
Opening Band TBA (8 pm)
Show starts at 8pm; doors open at 7pm
The Starry Plough, 3101 Shattuck Ave, Berkeley, CA

Tickets: $20 general/$15 students. All ages before 10 pm. 21+ after 10 pm. Beer, wine and food available from the bar. Kitchen closes at 10 pm.

Dodona: Drawing from the deep well of musical traditions from Albania and the Epirus region of Greece, Dodona moves between the mournful to the celebratory. The members of this new group have a specific goal, to bring out their love for the melodies of this small region. With a repertoire that goes from plaintive, to trance inducing, to driving, Dodona is one of the few groups in the Bay Area specifically focused on the Albanian and Epirus diaspora. So whether you love a good tsamiko, or the familiarity of a syrtos, or even if you just love to dance with wild abandon this unique band is sure to deliver. Dodona’s members are Calvin Lai on clarinet, vocalist Genevieve Daphne, violinist Ari Langer, Jenette Selin on accordion, Kent Kessinger on guitar and Sean Tergis on drums plus Greg Jenkins on clarinet and vocals (pending confirmation).

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