Christmas Party and New Year’s Eve Effects: Confetti, CO2, Snow, Haze and the Countdown Moment

A seasonal kit guide for venues, function bands and mobile DJs: which confetti launcher, CO2, snow, fog, haze and party lighting to put together for a Christmas party or a midnight countdown, how to fire it all on cue, and a kit list for small, medium and large setups.

~9 min read · Updated October 2026 · By the Stage Supply team

In this guide: The short answer · Confetti and streamer launchers · CO2 jets and guns · Snow, low fog and haze · Mirror balls, pinspots and uplighting · Firing the countdown · Venue checks · Kit list by setup size · Popular picks · FAQ

The short answer

Christmas parties and New Year’s Eve run on a few big moments: the first dance-floor song, the last song and, for NYE, midnight. Build the effects around those moments.

• For the midnight moment: an electric confetti or streamer launcher on DMX or a remote, so it fires on zero rather than when someone remembers. A CO2 jet adds a white burst, but it needs gas, hose and a trained operator.
• For the Christmas look: a snow machine for the arrival or a slow song, warm-white pinspots on a mirror ball, and battery uplighters to colour the walls.
• For atmosphere: a hazer so the lights show up, or low fog for a first-dance or countdown floor effect, but only after the venue has agreed what happens with its fire detection.

This guide is the seasonal shopping list. The detail lives in our other guides: confetti, streamers and CO2 effects, snow, bubble and wind machines, low fog machines compared, smoke and haze fluid and, for the decorative side, Christmas and seasonal venue lighting and LED net lights, curtains and starcloths.

Confetti and streamer launchers

Handheld cannons

Self-contained tubes guests or the band fire by hand, such as the Equinox handheld confetti cannon and handheld streamer cannon. No launcher needed, but the timing belongs to whoever is holding them.

Electric cannon tubes in a launcher

Pre-filled electric tubes, such as the Equinox 80cm multicoloured confetti cannon or an 80cm streamer cannon, sit in a launcher that fires them electrically. Each pre-filled tube fires once, so plan one per shot. Equinox also lists an empty 80cm tube. Two Equinox launchers take them:

• The Equinox C-Shot holds one 50cm or 80cm tube. It has no remote or DMX: it fires when 220-240V is applied, either from a switched feed or from the Equinox Detonator control unit.
• The Equinox Twin Shot MKII holds two tubes and fires them separately or together from its supplied wireless remote, its on-board menu or 3 DMX channels. Each pod’s angle adjusts independently, and it also has a timer mode.

Loose-confetti blowers

These load loose confetti rather than tubes, so there are no cartridges to buy. The Equinox Confetti Burst needs no compressed air or CO2; Equinox quotes 5m projection height, 5.5m distance and 20m² coverage, with a wireless remote and 1 DMX channel. The Chauvet DJ Funfetti Shot is the same idea: no CO2, 1 DMX channel and an FC-W wireless remote in the box. Equinox’s 1kg loose confetti refills are sold for the Confetti Burst and, Equinox says, most other makers’ machines. For the Funfetti Shot, Chauvet’s guide recommends its own Funfetti Shot refills.

Both blowers are heavy power users: Equinox lists 1570W for the Confetti Burst and Chauvet 1,430W at 230V for the Funfetti Shot. Tell whoever plans the power; designing and installing circuits is a job for a competent person.

CO2 jets and guns

A CO2 burst is a white blast with nothing to sweep up. How the plume forms, and why the cylinder type matters, is covered in the CO2 section of our confetti guide. We sell The Confetti Maker’s CO2 hardware; the gas cylinder comes from a gas supplier.

• The Confetti Maker CO2 Jet is a fixed, mains-powered jet (powerCON in and out) that its manual says is designed to be activated by a control panel at a distance. The manual puts plumes at 6 to 8 metres depending on the environment.
• The Confetti Maker CO2 Gun is handheld: you pull the handle to fire, with a safety catch to lock it.
• Both are fed by hose, such as the 10m CO2 hose with a bottle-to-hose connector. The CO2 splitter fires two jets from one bottle, and the CO2 combiner connects a second bottle you switch on when the first runs out.

Budget the gas by the second, not the hour. The Confetti Maker’s manuals say a 22.5kg bottle gives up to 60 seconds of firing and a 37.5kg bottle up to 90 seconds.

Snow, low fog and haze

Snow

Snow suits guests arriving or the last slow song. The Chauvet DJ SM250 has a 5 litre tank, 1 DMX channel and a wired timer remote included. The ADJ Entour SNOW has a 5.6 litre tank, DMX and no warm-up. For bigger rooms, the Elumen8 Storm 600 has a 20 litre tank and a 10m hose, so the machine can sit out of sight. Chauvet’s SM250 guide warns that the snow may make surfaces slippery, so keep it off the dance floor or plan the mop. More in our snow machine guide.

Low fog

A floor of fog under the first dance or the countdown. The Chauvet DJ Cumulus HP uses an ultrasonic atomiser and distilled water with fog fluid, with no dry ice needed; the ADJ Entour Chill uses fog fluid and ice cubes. The full comparison is in low fog machines compared.

Haze

Haze makes pinspot and moving-light beams visible. The Chauvet DJ Hurricane Haze 2DX is a compact water-based hazer with a 2 litre tank, 2 DMX channels, a wired timer remote and a low-fluid cut-out. Use the fluid the maker names: see smoke and haze fluid explained.

Mirror balls, pinspots and uplighting

A mirror ball only works with a tight beam on it. Pair an Equinox 40cm mirror ball with an Equinox mirror ball motor sized for that ball (ask us if you are unsure which suits), and light it with a narrow pinspot. Hanging it is a job for a competent rigger and is outside this guide.

• The Chauvet DJ EZBar has three warm-white 5W pinspots, a 5° beam per pod with 10° and 25° diffusers, up to 8 hours on battery with everything on, and an IRC-6 remote.
• The Equinox Pinbeam Rapid is a similar battery bar: three 5W warm-white pinspots, 5° native with 10° and 25° lenses, up to 8 hours at full output, IR remote and magnets for steel surfaces.

Uplighters turn plain walls red, green or gold for the night. The Equinox Colour Raider Lithium pack is four RGBW battery uplighters, each with an on-board W-DMX compatible wireless DMX transceiver; Equinox quotes up to 12 hours in a single colour, 8 hours fading and 4 hours at full. The Chauvet DJ Freedom Par Q12 X4 is four battery uplighters with an RFC remote that does not need line of sight. How the systems compare is in our battery uplighter guide.

Firing the countdown: DMX, remotes and key switches

The midnight moment fails in two ways: something fires early, or nothing fires on zero.

• One DMX cue. If you already run a lighting desk, put the launcher, hazer and snow on it and build a single “midnight” cue: lights to full, confetti fired, haze or snow as you like. On the Twin Shot MKII, the manual says channels 1 and 2 fire outputs 1 and 2, but “the Master (Channel 3) must be active for these to fire”. To fire both outputs together, it says to “activate channels 1 and 2 and then use the master to fire”. See DMX explained for addressing.
• Wireless remotes. The simplest option for a DJ or band. On the Confetti Burst you set a channel on each unit, so one four-button remote can fire several machines at different times. The Twin Shot’s remote has buttons for output 1, output 2 and both together.
• A key-switch fire panel. The Detonator has four channels, a master key and a safety switch per channel, and Equinox says it is designed to control confetti cannons, kabuki drops and CO2. The manual has you turn a channel’s safety switch on only “for the channels to be armed”, and back off “when the device is not in use”.

Whatever you choose, agree who counts down and who presses the button. Rehearse it once at soundcheck without a tube loaded.

Venue checks before you book the effect

• Fire alarms. Haze, fog and smoke can trigger detection, and only the venue can deal with that. Read the fire alarm section of our smoke, haze and low fog guide before you promise anything.
• Confetti permission and clean-up. Many venues restrict confetti or charge for cleaning. Get it in writing first; our confetti guide covers venue permission and clean-up.
• Flammability paperwork. Equinox describes its loose confetti range as “non-toxic, non-flammable”. If a venue asks for a certificate, ask us for the manufacturer’s documentation for the product you are using.
• Indoors only. The Equinox launcher manuals say to use them indoors only, and Chauvet labels the Funfetti Shot indoor use only (IP20). An outdoor NYE countdown needs different kit.

Kit list by setup size

Starting points; scale to the room and what the venue allows.

For backdrops, festoon and starcloths, see LED net lights, curtains and starcloths. Venues planning in-house kit for the whole function season should also read wedding and function venue AV.

Popular picks from the shop

Frequently asked questions

How far from guests should a confetti cannon be?

Follow the manual for your launcher. Equinox says at least 3 metres between the crowd and the C-Shot, and at least 3m for the Confetti Burst. The Twin Shot MKII manual says at least 3 metres in its operating warning and, in its installation section, at least 5m between the unit and the audience. The Confetti Maker says at least 6 metres between its CO2 Jet and the crowd. Read each manual’s aiming warning too; they are quoted in the venue checks section above.

How do I make confetti go off exactly at midnight?

Use a launcher you can trigger remotely: a wireless remote on the Twin Shot MKII, Confetti Burst or Funfetti Shot, a DMX cue on your lighting desk, or the Detonator key panel for C-Shots.

Will haze or a snow machine set off the fire alarm?

Haze and fog can trigger smoke detection. Only the venue’s responsible person can decide what happens with their fire alarm system, so ask in advance. Our fire alarm section explains what to ask.

Is party confetti flame retardant?

It depends on the product, so go by the manufacturer’s statement. Equinox describes its loose confetti range as non-toxic and non-flammable. If a venue asks for a certificate, ask us for the documentation before the event.

What do I need to run a CO2 jet at a New Year’s Eve party?

The jet, a hose and bottle connector, a mains feed, a way to fire it from a distance, a suitable CO2 cylinder from a gas supplier and a trained operator. The Confetti Maker says a 22.5kg bottle gives up to 60 seconds of firing. Read the CO2 section of our confetti guide on cylinder type first.

Can I use confetti cannons outdoors for a New Year countdown?

Not the launchers covered here. The Equinox manuals say indoor use only, and Chauvet rates the Funfetti Shot IP20, indoor use only. Handheld cannons need no power, but check outdoor confetti with the venue or landowner first.