Every year, the office Christmas party gets talked about in September and booked in a panic by November. Leicester's best venues — especially the smaller, more distinctive ones — fill their December calendar early, so a bit of planning in autumn saves a lot of stress later.
Here's a realistic timeline and a few things worth deciding before you start calling venues.
September – October: Nail Down The Basics
Before you contact anywhere, agree internally on three things: rough guest numbers, a budget per head, and whether you want full exclusive hire or you're happy sharing a venue with other parties. This alone rules out half the available options and speeds up every conversation that follows.
Choose Between A Big Venue And An Intimate One
Large function venues can handle bigger numbers and often include a set menu and entertainment package, but you'll usually share the space (and the bar queue) with other companies. A smaller, independently run bar — the kind that only takes a handful of full private hire bookings each December — gives you exclusivity and a more distinctive setting, but you'll need to book earlier as availability is limited.
A 30-person team in an exclusive private bar usually has a better night than the same 30 people lost in a 300-person banqueting hall.
Sort Food And Drink Early
Ask about dietary requirements as soon as you send the invite, not the week before. Most venues can handle vegetarian, vegan and allergen requirements without issue if they know in good time — leaving it late is the most common cause of last-minute stress for organisers.
Decide On Entertainment (Or Deliberately Skip It)
Not every Christmas party needs a DJ or a quiz. A good bar, good drinks and a group of colleagues who actually like talking to each other is sometimes enough. If you do want music or entertainment, confirm with the venue what's already included (house playlist, lighting) versus what you'll need to arrange separately.
Where Watson's Fits
Watson's offers full private hire for up to 50 guests, in a setting that already feels festive without needing much extra decoration. We take a limited number of full private hire Christmas bookings each year, so enquiries from September onwards get the best choice of dates. See our Christmas parties page for details, or get in touch to check availability.
Check Our December Availability
Tell us your guest numbers and preferred dates — the earlier you ask, the more choice you'll have.
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