All Elite Wrestling will begin the new year with a two-night New Year’s Smash presentation in Atlanta, Georgia.

AEW has announced that Dynamite: New Year’s Smash will take place on Friday, January 1, followed by Collision: New Year’s Smash on Saturday, January 2. Both events are scheduled for the Gateway Arena in Atlanta.

The announcement puts two of AEW’s weekly television brands under the New Year’s Smash name on consecutive nights. Dynamite will lead the weekend on Friday before Collision follows the next evening, giving the company a concentrated two-show start to the calendar year from the same venue and city.

A familiar AEW event returns

New Year’s Smash has been part of AEW’s event calendar since 2021. The first edition was held at Daily’s Place in Jacksonville, Florida, establishing the name as one tied to AEW’s programming around the transition from one year to the next.

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Since then, the New Year’s Smash branding has continued to provide a notable setting for AEW television at a time when the promotion is looking to carry momentum through the holiday period and into its next cycle of major stories. The format for the upcoming edition makes the event especially prominent, with Dynamite and Collision each receiving their own New Year’s Smash show.

AEW has not announced matches, championship bouts, or additional card details in conjunction with the date and venue reveal. Those details will determine the competitive identity of each night, but the initial announcement confirms the key framework: two back-to-back shows, two separate weekly brands, and one Atlanta location.

Atlanta to host both nights

The Gateway Arena will serve as the home for the complete New Year’s Smash weekend. Holding both programs in the same building allows AEW to present a unified event atmosphere while still retaining the distinct identities of Dynamite and Collision.

For viewers, the arrangement creates a clear two-night sequence. Friday’s Dynamite will open the year, while Saturday’s Collision will have the opportunity to continue any developments, rivalries, or match outcomes that emerge from the first show. Whether AEW chooses to make the cards closely connected or presents two more self-contained lineups remains to be seen.

The consecutive-night structure also gives New Year’s Smash a broader role than a standard themed episode. Rather than being attached to only one program, the banner will cover an entire weekend of AEW television. That makes Atlanta the focal point for the company’s first major named television events of the year.

At this stage, the announcement is centered on the location and dates rather than a specific main event. No wrestlers have been confirmed for either program, and AEW has not indicated whether any titles will be defended. The company’s roster, championship picture, and ongoing rivalries heading into January will shape the eventual cards.

Recent New Year’s Smash history

The most recent New Year’s Smash referenced in AEW’s announcement took place on December 31, 2025, at Liberty First Credit Union Arena in Omaha, Nebraska. That event carried significant championship implications, as Willow Nightingale defeated Mercedes Moné to win the AEW TBS Title.

The result stands as a major recent moment in the history of the New Year’s Smash name. A title change involving Nightingale and Moné ensured that the event closed out the year with a consequential development in AEW’s women’s division.

With that result in the recent past, the return of New Year’s Smash again places the branding in a spot where major developments would fit naturally. That does not confirm that another championship change, rematch, or appearance by either wrestler is planned for Atlanta. It does, however, underline that the New Year’s Smash label has recently been used for television with meaningful stakes.

AEW’s decision to move the upcoming edition to January 1 and January 2 gives the event a slightly different place on the calendar from the 2025 presentation. Instead of serving as a December 31 event, the next New Year’s Smash will open the year over the first two days of January. The shift creates an immediate opportunity for AEW to establish its direction after the holiday season.

What the two-night format could mean

The confirmed information does not reveal how AEW will divide talent or stories between Dynamite and Collision. Still, the two-night designation creates a number of possibilities within the normal structure of AEW television. Dynamite and Collision can each feature their own headline match, while a story that begins on Friday could also carry into Saturday.

A two-night branded event can also give AEW added room to spotlight more of its roster without requiring every major development to fit into one broadcast. With both shows taking place in Atlanta, the company can use the same live crowd setting to build continuity across the weekend if it chooses.

That flexibility may be important as AEW enters a new year. January programming often provides an opportunity for wrestlers to pursue championships, settle outstanding rivalries, or launch new directions. Nothing has been formally announced beyond the dates and location, so any particular creative path remains unconfirmed. The New Year’s Smash format nevertheless gives AEW a defined platform for those next steps.

The branding also places attention on Collision alongside Dynamite. While Dynamite is scheduled first on Friday, Collision’s Saturday placement means the weekend is not limited to a single flagship episode. Both shows are being presented as part of the same event identity, and both will be staged before the same Atlanta audience.

Key details confirmed so far

  • Dynamite: New Year’s Smash is scheduled for Friday, January 1.
  • Collision: New Year’s Smash is scheduled for Saturday, January 2.
  • Both events will be held at Gateway Arena in Atlanta, Georgia.
  • New Year’s Smash first took place in 2021 at Daily’s Place in Jacksonville, Florida.
  • The 2025 New Year’s Smash was held on December 31 in Omaha, Nebraska.
  • Willow Nightingale defeated Mercedes Moné for the AEW TBS Title at the 2025 event.

For now, AEW’s New Year’s Smash plans are defined by their scale and scheduling. The company will run two consecutive branded television events from Gateway Arena, beginning with Dynamite on Friday and continuing with Collision on Saturday.

Further announcements will clarify the matches and stakes that accompany the event. Until then, the return of New Year’s Smash gives AEW a confirmed destination for its opening weekend of the year and gives Atlanta a back-to-back slate of AEW action to begin January.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.