Work Christmas Party Ideas: 9 Ideas with Venues to Match
A work Christmas party works best when the idea suits the team and the venue suits the idea. Below are nine ideas, each with a venue on venues.org.uk that supports it.
Before you pick an idea, decide five things:
✓ Numbers: how many people are coming, and how many will stand or sit
✓ Budget: the figure your team has agreed, so you only shortlist venues that fit it
✓ Travel: how everyone gets there and home, and whether you need parking
✓ Dietary needs: vegetarian, vegan, halal, gluten-free and allergies
✓ Accessibility: step-free access, lifts and accessible toilets
1. A reception with City views at Chicago Booth London Conference Centre
Spotlight venue
Chicago Booth London Conference Centre is the home of Chicago Booth’s Executive MBA and Executive Education programmes, in a purpose-built 2022 building in Barts Square. It is also open for external hire for receptions, private dining and professional gatherings.
The First Floor Lounge and Lounge with a View both have City of London skyline views. The First Floor Lounge suits a reception for a whole office, and Lounge with a View, on the second floor, suits a smaller group or a seated dinner.
The lobby recognises nine Nobel Prize laureates affiliated with the University of Chicago, and more than 50 artworks hang through the building.
Best for: receptions, private dining and finance or professional-services events.
How to do it
✓ Book the First Floor Lounge for a standing reception of up to 350, or Lounge with a View for a seated dinner for 72
✓ Pair the Grand Hall (240 at rounds) with the First Floor Lounge for a dinner and a reception in the same evening
✓ Plan the journey by public transport, because there is no on-site parking
At a glance
✓ Rooms: First Floor Lounge 350 standing, 180 rounds dining; Grand Hall 300 standing, 240 rounds dining; Lounge with a View 140 standing, 72 dining
✓ AV: Every room is hybrid-enabled with built-in AV, and in-house AV staff are on site throughout events
✓ Catering: In-house catering for all event types, personalised to each event
✓ Access and transport: Lift access across three floors. St Paul’s station (Central line) is the closest, and the venue is four minutes’ walk from St Paul’s Cathedral
See the rooms at Chicago Booth London Conference Centre
2. An activity party at QUEENS Skate Dine Bowl
Featured venue
QUEENS on Queensway in Bayswater has London’s oldest surviving all-year-round indoor ice rink, open since 1930, plus 17 bowling lanes, six interactive darts oches and London’s only on-ice curling. Teams can compete across several activities in one building. The venue names the ice rink with curling as a winter team-building and Christmas party combination.
Best for: corporate socials, team building and Christmas parties.
How to do it
✓ Combine the ice rink with curling for a winter team competition
✓ Book Full Venue Hire for a takeover of up to 1,000 guests
At a glance
✓ Rooms: Ice Rink; Curling on Ice; Ruby Lanes with five lanes and a private bar; Full Venue Hire up to 1,000
✓ Catering: In-house food and bar, with burgers, wings, and vegan and gluten-free options. The chicken is halal
✓ Access and transport: The venue is 18+ from 8pm daily. The venue states it has no wheelchair lift, and carers attend free. Queensway station is right by the venue
See the rooms at QUEENS Skate Dine Bowl
3. A dining tour of London on Bustronome
Featured venue
Bustronome is a bus that serves a fine-dining meal while it travels past Tower Bridge, Westminster and St Paul’s Cathedral. Every seat is by a window under a glass roof, so the route stays part of the evening in any weather. The menus are seasonal French cuisine.
Best for: team celebrations, client entertainment and hosted dinners.
How to do it
✓ Hire a full bus for up to 38 guests
✓ Split a larger company across two or three buses, up to 114 guests in all
✓ Choose a four-course lunch or a six-course dinner
At a glance
✓ Rooms: Upper Deck Dining Area 38; Full Bus Private Hire 38; Multi-Bus Hire 76 on two buses, 114 on three
✓ AV: An on-board microphone allows speeches
✓ Catering: All food is prepared fresh on board, and external catering is not permitted. Vegetarian, vegan and halal options are available, and allergies are met with 48 hours’ notice
✓ Access and transport: The bus leaves from Coach Bay 40B on Victoria Embankment, beside Embankment station. All 38 seats are up seven steps on the upper deck, with crew assistance and wheelchair storage on the lower deck
See the rooms at Bustronome London
4. A stadium party at Chelsea Football Club
Featured venue
Stamford Bridge has 25 function rooms inside the home of Chelsea Football Club. Christmas parties are among the events the venue lists as its best fit. Frankie’s Sports Bar and Diner is named for Christmas parties, and Under the Bridge is a live music venue under the stadium, so a party can start with a reception in Westview and finish with evening entertainment.
Best for: Christmas parties, VIP hospitality, team building and sports-led entertainment.
How to do it
✓ Book Frankie’s for a relaxed party of up to 200 with a bar and diner feel
✓ Use Westview for the reception and Under the Bridge (up to 450) for the evening
✓ Pair the Directors’ Lounge with pitch access for VIP guests
At a glance
✓ Rooms: Frankie’s Sports Bar and Diner 200; Westview up to 1,000; Under the Bridge 450
✓ AV: Under the Bridge has a stage, an LED screen and production equipment
✓ Catering: Supplied through the venue’s catering partner, with canapés, bowl food, street food and BBQs. Dietary requirements and allergens are accommodated
✓ Access and transport: Fulham Broadway station is a short walk, and there is no on-site parking for events. Lift access serves upper-level spaces such as the Millennium Suites
See the rooms at Chelsea Football Club
5. A dinner in a historic hall at Lincoln’s Inn
Featured venue
Lincoln’s Inn is the largest and oldest of the four Inns of Court, dating back to 1422, on an eleven-acre gated estate near Holborn. The Old Hall is a Tudor hall from 1490, and the Great Hall opened in 1845. Both suit dinners, receptions and gala evenings.
Best for: gala dinners, board dinners and corporate entertaining.
How to do it
✓ Seat up to 120 for dinner in the Old Hall, or up to 280 in the Great Hall
✓ Book the Old Court Room (44 dining) for a leadership or client dinner
✓ Use The MCR (50 dining, 90 standing) for a more relaxed private dinner
At a glance
✓ Rooms: Old Hall 120 dinner, 200 standing; Great Hall 280 dinner, 450 standing; Old Court Room 44 dining, 70 standing
✓ Catering: All catering is by the award-winning in-house team, and external caterers are not permitted. The team accommodates dietary requirements
✓ Access and transport: Holborn station is 0.2km away and Chancery Lane 0.4km. The events team offers accessible planning support
See the rooms at The Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn
6. An evening at the British Museum
Featured venue
The British Museum hosts evening receptions beneath the Great Court roof designed by Norman Foster, and dinners in galleries such as the Egyptian Sculpture Gallery, home of the Rosetta Stone. The collections span two million years of human history, and evening entertaining in the Great Court and the galleries is offered to Corporate Partners and sponsors.
Best for: prestige corporate entertaining, gala dinners and charity fundraising events.
How to do it
✓ Confirm Corporate Partner or sponsor eligibility with the Venue Hire team
✓ Choose the Great Court for a drinks reception of up to 1,000, or a gallery for a seated dinner
At a glance
✓ Rooms: The Great Court 1,000 drinks reception, 400 seated dinner; Egyptian Sculpture Gallery 250 seated dinner
✓ Catering: Delivered only by the Museum’s accredited catering partners, with canapé receptions and three-course dining. Dietary and allergen needs are met through them
✓ Access and transport: Step-free access at the main entrance and lift access through key event areas. Tottenham Court Road, Holborn and Russell Square are about five minutes on foot
See the rooms at The British Museum
7. A party with space and parking at Metropolitan Bushey
Featured venue
Metropolitan Bushey is a not-for-profit events and sports venue on 36 acres in Bushey, near Watford. It is listed under Christmas parties on venues.org.uk, and it has 200 parking spaces with overflow for 400 or more vehicles.
Best for: parties and celebrations, team building and networking events.
How to do it
✓ Use the Ballroom for a party of up to 300 standing, or 200 seated with a dancefloor
✓ Book The Aldenham for a smaller group, with a private bar overlooking the grounds
✓ Add the Studio and the outdoor grounds for a team activity before the party
At a glance
✓ Rooms: The Ballroom 300 standing, 200 seated with a dancefloor; The Aldenham 120 standing, 60 booth seating
✓ Catering: In-house catering, and outside caterers are welcome. Dedicated bars serve the principal event spaces
✓ Access and transport: Junction 5 of the M1 is about half a mile away. Parking spaces are not guaranteed unless pre-arranged and paid for in advance. Bushey station is five minutes by car
See the rooms at Metropolitan Bushey
8. A dinner dance at Wetherby Racecourse
Featured venue
Wetherby Racecourse is a working racecourse in more than 300 acres of Yorkshire countryside, close to Junction 46 of the A1(M). Parking on site is free. The venue lists banquets, dinner dances and corporate dinners among its best uses.
Best for: banquets, dinner dances, corporate dinners and team building.
How to do it
✓ Use Bramham Hall for a dinner dance, with seating for up to 300
✓ Book the Riston Suite for dinner (140) and the 1891 Bar for drinks with a racecourse view
✓ Bring guests by coach or car, as the site takes coaches and parking is free
At a glance
✓ Rooms: Bramham Hall 300 dining; Riston Suite 140 dining; 1891 Bar
✓ Catering: Legends Global is the exclusive caterer, with buffets, formal banquets, evening receptions and dinner dances
✓ Access and transport: Complimentary parking on site, suitable for coaches. Wetherby has no station; the nearest main rail stations are Leeds, Harrogate and York, with onward travel by bus or taxi
See the rooms at Wetherby Racecourse & Conference Centre
9. A day on the slopes at The Snow Centre Manchester
The Snow Centre Manchester (formerly Chill Factore) has meeting rooms and function spaces beside its indoor snow slopes, and venues.org.uk lists it under Christmas parties. The Lodge Bar & Kitchen is fully licensed and takes 50 or more guests. See The Snow Centre Manchester on venues.org.uk
Choosing the right idea
Start with the group. A competitive team suits QUEENS or the Snow Centre, a client group suits Bustronome or Lincoln’s Inn, and a large company suits Chicago Booth or Chelsea. Then check the five points above against each At a glance block.
You can browse more options on our Christmas parties page and our party venues page. You contact venues direct and we charge no commission.
