Former US President Donald Trump is set to host his famed New Year's Eve celebration at his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, continuing a tradition that stretches back to the late 1990s. The exclusive event, slated for Wednesday night, is expected to draw a mix of political allies, celebrities, and wealthy club members, with several notable names already confirmed or speculated to attend.
Confirmed and Rumoured Guests for 2024
According to the Daily Mail, two cast members from the new Netflix reality series 'Members Only: Palm Beach' – Hilary Musser and Rosalyn Yellin – will be present. Conspiracy theorist and Trump confidante Laura Loomer also confirmed her attendance and suggested that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who held official meetings with Trump at the estate earlier in the week, might join the festivities. The White House has not commented on Netanyahu's potential presence.
Other possible attendees include musician Kid Rock, who recently posted a photo golfing with Trump. However, former Representative George Santos, whose prison sentence was commuted by Trump in October, will not be there, opting to host his own party in New York instead. Santos had attended the 2021 event.
The Evolution of a Glitzy Tradition
The Mar-a-Lago New Year's Eve party has undergone a significant transformation over three decades. In its early years, it was a magnet for A-list celebrities. Author Ronald Kessler, who wrote about Palm Beach society, quoted Trump in December 1998 as saying the club had hosted Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, Sylvester Stallone, and Tom Jones, among many others. Early honorary members included Martha Stewart, Steven Spielberg, and Denzel Washington.
In recent years, however, the guest list has shifted. While some celebrities like Stallone remain, the event now prominently features MAGA-aligned figures and political supporters, such as My Pillow CEO Mike Lindell and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, alongside the affluent members of the private club.
High Costs and Memorable Moments
Attending the exclusive bash comes at a premium. Club members are each allowed two guests, with the party itself costing several thousand dollars on top of membership fees. The events have produced numerous memorable moments. In 1999, singer Donna performed on the lawn. More recently, last year's party saw Elon Musk and his son in attendance, while Donald Trump Jr.'s now-fiancée Bettina Anderson made her official debut. Lara Trump also performed a rendition of 'I Won't Back Down.'
The 2021 celebration, held weeks before the Capitol attack and during the COVID-19 pandemic, featured a performance by Vanilla Ice and was criticised for a lack of masks. The rapper is reportedly set to return for the 2024 event. Despite the perceived hype, at least one Trump loyalist described a previous party as "boring" and said they left early.
Trump purchased the Mar-a-Lago estate in 1985 and turned it into a private club a decade later, notably challenging the era's discriminatory norms by accepting Jewish and African-American members, which many other Palm Beach clubs barred at the time.
