As the clock ticked towards midnight on December 31, food, rather than fireworks, emerged as the undisputed star of New Year’s Eve celebrations across India.
According to Swiggy’s New Year’s Eve 2025 report, Indians rang in 2026 with record-breaking food orders and a notable rise in dining-out activity, making it one of the busiest nights the platform has ever seen.
Drawing from data captured on December 31, 2025, the report offers a snapshot of how consumers across metros and smaller cities celebrated the year-end, revealing familiar favourites, surprising order sizes and a growing appetite for both staying in and stepping out.
Biryani reigns supreme on New Year’s Eve
Biryani once again claimed the top spot as India’s most-ordered dish on New Year’s Eve, reported Moneycontrol. Swiggy recorded nearly 2.19 lakh biryani orders before 7:30 PM alone, underscoring the dish’s enduring popularity during large group celebrations. The rush peaked around 8 PM, when more than 1,300 biryanis were being ordered every minute.
One of the standout orders came from Bhubaneswar, where a single customer placed an order for a staggering 16 kilograms of biryani, highlighting how families and friends increasingly rely on bulk food deliveries for house parties.
The data reinforces biryani’s position as a celebration staple, especially during festivals and major events, where convenience and familiarity play a key role in food choices.
Pizza vs burgers: A neck-and-neck contest
The long-running popularity contest between pizza and burgers played out dramatically on New Year’s Eve. By 8:30 PM, Swiggy had delivered more than 2.18 lakh pizzas and around 2.16 lakh burgers, showing almost equal demand for both items.
Cakes, pizzas and biryanis dominated the early evening trend charts, reflecting a mix of celebratory desserts and easy-to-share meals. Interestingly, pizza emerged as the most ordered food item as the calendar flipped to 2026, signalling its status as a late-night comfort favourite.
Big orders and binge-worthy behaviour
Beyond headline volumes, individual ordering patterns revealed how enthusiastically Indians embraced the festivities. In Bengaluru, one customer placed a single order for 100 burgers, while a user in Goa ordered 39 portions of kebabs and tikkas, pointing to large group gatherings and party-style menus.
In Nagpur, a particularly active customer placed more than 93 orders across the day, while in Surat, one user ordered food from 22 different restaurants on December 31. These patterns suggest that New Year’s Eve is no longer about one big meal, but a steady stream of snacks, mains and desserts throughout the day and night.
Dessert cravings peak late into the night
As the evening wore on, dessert orders surged. Around 10:30 PM, rasmalai, gajar halwa and gulab jamun emerged as some of the most ordered sweets on the platform. The timing suggests that many households capped off savoury feasts with traditional Indian desserts, even as western favourites like cakes continued to trend earlier in the evening.
This late-night spike also reflects how New Year’s Eve celebrations increasingly stretch past midnight, with food orders following the rhythm of extended social gatherings.
Dining out makes a strong comeback
While food delivery dominated much of the evening, dining out also saw a significant revival. Swiggy Dineout recorded strong growth in restaurant bookings, signalling that many consumers chose to step out after years of pandemic-era caution.
Bengaluru and Hyderabad led overall dine-out bookings, reinforcing their status as nightlife hubs. Ahmedabad saw a 1.6-times increase in dine-out reservations compared to last year, while cities such as Lucknow and Jaipur also reported higher booking volumes, pointing to growing participation from non-metro markets.
The trend suggests a hybrid celebration pattern: ordering in for house parties while also heading out for curated dining experiences.
Taken together, the data paints a picture of evolving New Year’s Eve habits in India. Consumers are comfortable switching between delivery apps and restaurant bookings, choosing convenience without giving up the social experience of dining out.
The sheer scale of orders, from bulk biryani to dozens of snack platters, highlights how food has become central to celebrations across income groups and cities.
