If you still haven't made up your mind what to do for New Year's Eve in Utrecht, there are plenty of big parties from which to choose. First up is Winkel van Sinkel with its Bal Masque. Find the floor to fit your mood, with Nu Jazz Swing Electro on the ground floor, Space Disco and Nu Disco on the next floor, and finish up with Sexy House and Classics on the top floor. The party starts at 22:00 and there's free champagne at midnight to ring in 2012. Tickets are €45 in advance and €50 at the door (although they may also sell out in advance).

If you feel like channeling a bit of Parisian flair but can't make the trip, try Club Monza's Moulin Rouge party. Beginning at 23:00, the club will transform into a Parisian nightclub with music covering all sorts of styles, including House, Latin, R & B and top 40, as well as performances by Andy Foreman, Don Ruan, Vince Moogin and Groovebrother, as well as a mystery guest. The party goes on until 05.00 and tickets cost €10.

Tivoli is also hosting multiple parties at its various locations and clubs beginning just after midnight at 00:30. At the Oudegracht location, there's Tivoli Loves 2012, a dance party highlighting classics from ages past, including Zer00's Heroes, 90s Now and 80s Verantwoord, as well as the best of now. Tickets are €30.

For something a little different, also at 00:30, Tivoli's Spiegelbar is hosting NYE Swing, dedicated to Electro Swing: a combination of swing jazz from the '20s and '30s and contemporary electronic music. The dance tunes from classic artists such as Artie Shaw, Ella Fitzgerald, Fred Astaire and the Andrew Sisters gain new life with new beats.Tickets cost €20.

Of course, lots of smaller clubs, bars and restaurants around town are hosting their own parties. If you have a favorite spot, check them out today to see if they're hosting their own party. And don't forget the free show that the city's residents put on at midnight with all of the fireworks. Just be careful! Happy 2012!

Amsterdam and Rotterdam usually get the big shows, but this month Utrecht is getting Kraak & Smaak, the Dutch music producers famous for songs like Squeeze Me and Dynamite. Described as a "must-see live band", they've played numerous festivals and venues and now are playing Tivoli in Utrecht on December 28. The show will feature special guest: John Turrel (Smoove & Turrell) plus support by Knobsticker. Tickets are €17.50 and the show starts at 21:00. For more information about purchasing tickets, visit the Tivoli website.

Tomorrow is the last Cultural Sunday of the year in Utrecht, and it's going out swinging. Swing music, jazz, and bebop to be precise. Utrecht is becoming Swing City for the day, with 27 concerts taking place at 14 locations throughout the city. Bebop is known for its complex rhythms and harmonies and solos from multiple instruments, but it's also the most recognizable and most played form of jazz.

The festivities kick off at 11 a.m. at Winkel van Sinkel with a jazz brunch. You can spend the rest of the day there, enjoying additional concerts and jazz vocal performances, or you can head to 't Hoogt theater to watch any of the three jazz films showing. There are also multiple concerts around the city with different variations of jazz and bebop being performed. Most of these concerts are free. Check out the official website to plan your schedule.

Anyone interested in the Utrecht music scene over the past few years is bound to be familiar with Colin Benders, AKA Kyteman. As frontman, band leader, and musical genius behind Kyteman's Hip Hop Orkest, he's toured extensively, won numerous prizes and made a name for himself blending hip hop, jazz, and classical into a distinctive sound. Now, film maker Menna Laura Meijer has made a documentary of the musician as he faces choices over what direction to move in for the next stage of his career. The film premiered at the International Documentary Film Festival this year in Amsterdam where it rated highly with the audience. The film is now showing at the Louis Hartlooper Complex here in Utrecht. Check the website for official times and prices. Most showings this week are at 17:15, but if you want something to do tonight on a rainy Wednesday evening, there's a showing at 22:00.

When the SJU Jazz Podium in Utrecht closed earlier this year, jazz lovers -- and music lovers, in general -- were sad to see such an inspiring venue disappear. Fortunately, a group effort has created a new venue, the Hofman Jazz Club. Formed by HKU and Cafe Hofman, and organized by students studying music management, the club is reminiscent of 1950s-style jazz clubs, with singers/songwriters exploring jazz, soul and blues.

The Hofman Jazz Club runs most Wednesday evenings, from 9 p.m. until midnight, with the second edition tomorrow, 23 November. Entrance is free, and the club is located at Hofman Café, Janskerkhof 17A, Utrecht. For more information, check out the club's Facebook page for upcoming dates and contact information.

Le Guess Who is an annual indie music festival in Utrecht. Originally a showcase for up-and-coming Canadian acts, the festival has become a broader display of international bands. From November 24-27, more than 80 acts will take the stage across the city, including spots like Tivoli, Ekko and Rasa. Stephen Malkmus, Panda Bear, Bachelorette, and Okkervil River are just some of the acts on this year's bill. A pass for the whole festival is €75, with day tickets costing €25-27.50. Visit the website for a full list of bands, times and locations and start planning.

If you've ever had the urge to learn how to salsa -- the dance, not the dip -- you may be interested in a free salsa workshop taking place November 25 in Utrecht. Casa Latina and Utrecht Network joined together to create this Salsafest for both singles and couples to try. Along with the dancing, there will be drinks and tapas before and after for a small cost.

The workshop takes place at Club El Brillante, Biltstraat 337 (enter through the door at 'De wijde Doelen'). Bus 11 takes you straight to the door. The doors open at 19:00 and the dancing begins at 20:00, with drinks afterward. The workshop is free, but you do need to register through the website.

Dutch music can be a bit of a love/hate thing for some people, but it's hard to deny the gezellig nature of lots of people getting together and singing old favorites. The annual Smartlappen Festival in Utrecht is a great opportunity to get into the spirit of things, as cafés and restaurants throughout the city play host to a variety of music performers, as they sing some of the Dutch classics. Even if you don't know the words, you can sway and cheer along with everyone else. It's hard not to get caught up in it all.

For three days, November 18-20, more than 20 locations around the city, both big and small, becoming music halls throughout the evening. Entrance is free, and some of the restaurants will even be hosting special Smartlappen Festival dinners. For more information on the full program and dinner options, check out the official website.

Every two months, Stairway to Heaven (Mariaplaats 11) plays host to Deck to Deck, a chance for DJs of different musical subcultures to come together and battle to see who is the best. This month, it's Techno versus Dubstep, with DJs Nuno dos Santos, Illvester & Atactic (Boemklatsch), Milo Moraes, Rachelle Grooten, and Brutuzz.

This friendly, good-natured competition begins at 23:00 tonight (November 4) and runs until 6 a.m. Tickets are just €10 at the door/€8.50 in advance. Check out the event's Facebook page for links for tickets and more.

This month, Ekko in Utrecht is celebrating its 25th anniversary. All month, special concerts, dance nights, and more will be on offer. Tonight, October 7, the Naald en Kraak DJ collective will be performing, along with a live performance by The Rhumba Kings. Tomorrow night, Diep in de Groef (Deep in the Groove), and indie dance night gets you moving to a mix of sounds from multiple eras. Sunday night, neo-classical pianist Nils Frahm takes the stage.

For more information about tickets, times and the rest of the 25th anniversary events, visit the Ekko website.