How cold the night gets, city by city
The table gives each city's average low for December. After midnight the air keeps getting colder, and it is coldest near dawn. So the later you stay, the closer you get to that number. A rooftop or a lawn feels colder than the number, because there is no wall to stop the wind.
| City | Average December low | What to bring |
|---|---|---|
| Delhi | 8.4°C | A warm coat or a padded jacket, closed shoes. A thin thermal under a dress or saree for an outdoor party. |
| Lucknow | 9.1°C | The same as Delhi. |
| Jaipur | 9.9°C | The same as Delhi for an outdoor party. A jacket is enough indoors. |
| Ahmedabad | 13.4°C | A jacket or a warm shawl. |
| Hyderabad | 15.1°C | A light jacket, a shrug or a stole. |
| Kolkata | 15.2°C | A light jacket or a stole. |
| Bengaluru | 16.4°C | A denim jacket or a light knit for the ride home. |
| Mumbai | 18.5°C | Nothing warm. Maybe a thin layer for a cold, air-conditioned room. |
| Goa | 20.9°C | Nothing warm. Light clothes and shoes that work on sand. |
| Chennai | 21.9°C | Nothing warm. Light clothes. |
These are averages over 30 years. Any one night can be warmer or colder, so check the forecast that afternoon. Our chart of what to wear at each temperature turns the forecast into clothes. In Delhi, the Delhi winter guide explains the layers in more detail.
Dress for the kind of party
A house party
This is the most relaxed kind. You will sit on sofas, stand in the kitchen and move between rooms. Dress one step up from a weekend: a knit dress, a nice top with jeans or a kurta set for women, and a good shirt or a knit with dark jeans for men.
Some hosts ask guests to leave their shoes at the door, so wear shoes that are easy to take off, and socks you do not mind showing. If everyone goes up to the terrace at midnight, take your jacket with you.
A club, a bar or a ticketed event
Read the event's listing before you choose: it may say what to wear. Two listings for New Year's Eve 2025 in Bengaluru show two kinds of dress code. One said "Smart Casual dress code to be adhered mandatorily". The other gave a theme: "Black & Gold Glamour".
For smart casual, wear a neat shirt or top, pants, jeans without rips or a dress, and closed shoes. Leave shorts, slippers and gym clothes at home. For a theme, you do not need to wear it from head to toe. One piece in the colors is enough, such as a gold top with black pants, or a black shirt with a gold watch.
The first of those listings, for Sunburn Union, also said entry was only for people aged 21 and above, so carry an ID to a club. Inside, a club is warm and crowded. Carry a small bag that stays on your body.
A rooftop or a lawn
In north India this is the coldest party of all, because you are outside after midnight. Dress for the number in the table, not for how the evening felt at 8 pm.
For women, a long coat over the outfit works well, and so does a velvet suit or a sweater dress with tights. A saree is lovely here with a full-sleeve blouse and a shawl, and a thin thermal top under the blouse. Our guide to staying warm in a saree or kurta shows what goes under and over. For men, a wool overcoat or a padded jacket over a knit, with boots. On grass, skip thin heels: they sink.
A beach party in Goa
Goa stays warm, with an average December low of 20.9°C. Wear light, loose clothes: a slip dress, a co-ord set or a linen shirt with linen pants. Choose flat sandals for the sand. Heels sink and sneakers fill with sand. If the party is in a club and not on the beach, read its listing first, because the same smart casual rules may apply.
Outfit ideas for women
- Sequins with something plain. A sequin or metallic top with black wide-leg pants or straight dark jeans. In the north, add a long coat in camel, black or gray.
- The little black dress. A black slip or wrap dress. On a cold night, wear dark tights and a fitted jacket. On a warm night, flat sandals and gold earrings.
- Velvet. A velvet dress, a velvet blazer over a plain top, or a velvet co-ord set. Velvet is warm and looks rich at night, so it suits a cold city best.
- A kurta set or a sharara. In velvet, silk or with a sequin dupatta. Add a short wool jacket or a shawl in the north.
- A party saree. A sequin or satin saree, or a plain dark saree with a shiny blouse. Choose a full-sleeve blouse for a cold night.
Colors that work at night: black, wine, bottle green, deep blue, gold and silver.
Outfit ideas for men
- A dark shirt. Black, navy, wine or bottle green, in a fabric with a little shine, with black or charcoal pants and loafers. This works at most parties.
- A knit under a blazer. A fine sweater, a knit polo or a turtleneck under a navy or black blazer, with dark jeans. Good for a club on a cold night.
- A jacket over a tee. A bomber jacket or a suede jacket over a plain black or white tee, with dark jeans. Clean white leather sneakers suit a house party or a casual bar. For a club with a dress code, leather shoes are the safer choice.
- A kurta with a Nehru jacket. A dark kurta with a jacket in velvet or a rich color. Add a wool shawl for a rooftop.
- For Goa. A linen shirt with linen pants or chinos. Leather sandals on the beach, and loafers only for a club.
On a Thursday: from work to the party
Because 31 December 2026 is a Thursday, many people will go to the party straight from the office. Plan one outfit that works for both, and carry the one or two pieces that change it.
For women: wear dark straight pants and a plain top or a blazer to work. In the evening, change into a sequin or satin top, add big earrings and change your shoes. For men: wear a dark shirt and chinos to work, then add a blazer or swap the shirt for a knit, and change into leather shoes. A dark kurta works the same way, with a Nehru jacket in your bag.
If your office has its own party that week, our guide to office party outfits in India covers what to wear at work.
Shoes, a layer and the way home
Shoes. You will stand and dance for hours. Wear shoes you have walked in before. If they are new, wear them at home for an hour first. Block heels and flat boots are easier than thin heels.
The layer. Indoors you will want it off. Choose one you can hold, hang on a chair or leave in the car. A short jacket is easier to carry than a heavy long coat, unless the party is outside in the north.
The way home. You may wait outside for a cab after midnight, when it is colder than when you arrived. In Delhi, December has fog on about 19 days in an average year, so a cab can take longer to come. Keep your warm layer on you, not in a friend's car.
Put it together from your own clothes
Most of these outfits come from clothes many people already own: dark pants, a black dress, a blazer, a good shirt or a kurta set. Start there. If you buy anything, buy the one piece that makes the outfit special, such as a sequin top or a velvet jacket, and wear it with what you have.
If you use Ukti, its outfit generator can build party outfits from your own closet once you have ten items in it. Pick the "wedding and party" occasion, or type your plan in your own words, such as "New Year's Eve on a rooftop, cold out". Ukti shows how it understood your words and builds three outfits: a safe one, a bold one and something different. If you share your location, it reads the weather where you are too.
Where the facts come from: the December lows are the India Meteorological Department's averages. New Delhi (Safdarjung), Jaipur and Bengaluru are for 1991 to 2020, from the department's New Delhi table, its Jaipur table and its Bengaluru table. Lucknow, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Kolkata (Alipore), Mumbai, Goa and Chennai are for 1981 to 2010, from the department's city pages for December (for example, Mumbai). Delhi's 19 foggy days are from the same New Delhi table. The two dress codes are from two New Year's Eve 2025 event listings for Bengaluru on District, Sunburn Union and Midnight Signature at White Lotus Club; the age rule is from the first. All were read on 5 November 2026.
