How to watch Jools’ Annual Hootenanny — stream the New Year's music special from anywhere

TV's biggest New Year's Eve knees up is back once again, with Rod Stewart and Raye among the big names confirmed to perform on this year's Jools’ Annual Hootenanny for 2024.

You can watch Jools' Annual Hootenanny for FREE in the UK on the BBC iPlayer streaming service. But don't worry if you're on holiday while it's on because you can watch Jools' Annual Hootenanny on BBC iPlayer from anywhere with a VPN.

As ever, former Squeeze ivory-tinkler Jools Holland will be joined by his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra, alongside a host of big name special guests and a studio filled with merry revellers for the end-of year special.

This year's show marks the first ever Hootenanny appearance from 'Rod the Mod', with the Maggie May singer joined on the bill by Joss Stone, Olivia Dean and Paul Jones.

Also seeing in 2024 with Jools will be comeback girl band Sugababes, contemporary Irish folksters The Mary Wallopers and 60s legend PP Arnold.

Alongside the countdown to the new year, the show will also feature staple guests such as soul singer Ruby Turner while the Pipes & Drums of the 1st Battalion Scot Guards will be providing their traditional rendition of Auld Lang Syne.

Here's how to watch Jools' Annual Hootenanny from anywhere in the world. Read on for all the information you'll need to stream the NYE special, no matter where you are.

How to watch Jools' Annual Hootenanny in the UK for free

This year's annual knees-up with Jools Holland will be broadcast on BBC Two at Sunday, 31 December from 11.30pm UK.

That means you'll be able to livestream the show on the BBC iPlayer streaming service in the UK. If you're out at a party elsewhere or can't manage to stay up late enough to watch this year's Hootenanny live, you'll also be able to stream the show on demand at any point after broadcast on iPlayer.

So long as you've got a valid UK TV license, BBC iPlayer is free to watch and available on web browsers, smartphones, tablets, select Smart TVs and a wide variety of other streaming devices.

If you're trying to access BBC iPlayer while outside the UK, you might want to try a VPN to allow you to watch from abroad. Details below.

How to watch Jools' Annual Hootenanny from anywhere with a VPN

You can watch Jools' Annual Hootenanny on iPlayer by using a VPN – no matter where you are in the world!

Normally a streaming service will know where you are trying to tune in from and block you if you're not in the right country but a Virtual Private Network (VPN) is an app that hides your location. That means you can access your usual sports and entertainment services even while you're traveling abroad.

Our favorite VPN is ExpressVPN, which is the No. 1-rated VPN in the world right now according to our sister site, TechRadar, where you'll find a deeper reader on the best VPN services available right now.

How to use a VPN to watch any stream

• Download the app at ExpressVPN
• Choose the location of the streaming service you want to watch (UK, US, etc)
• Navigate to the streaming service and start watching!

ExpressVPN is one of the simplest and most affordable ways to watch what you want from anywhere you want to watch it.

It's straightforward and easy to use, has great security, is available on loads of streaming devices and, best of all, it comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can try it out 100% risk-free.

What is the Jools' Annual Hootenanny release date?

As ever, this year's Jools' Annual Hootenanny broadcast will straddle this year's New Year's celebrations in the UK, with the show's broadcast starting at 11:30 p.m. UK on Sunday, December 31. 

That means the entire show will be available to stream on demand on BBC iPlayer in tandem with its broadcast.

All you need to know about Jools' Annual Hootenanny

• Rod Stewart
• Joss Stone
• Olivia Dean
• Paul Jones
• PP Arnold
• Raye
• Sugababes
• The Mary Wallopers
• Boogie Woogie Queen
• Ruby Turner
• Pipes & Drums of the 1st Battalion Scot Guards