The UK is a magical place in December. The weather is crisp and cold, stores are lit up with Christmas lights, panto season has begun, and British Christmas traditions, both old and new, are in full swing. People want to get together and spread a bit of festive cheer — which is why it’s the perfect time to organise Christmas themed parties.
As well as traditional festive events, there are loads of weird and wonderful Christmas themes to choose from for large scale parties. And if you need a bit of inspiration to get you started, we’re here to help.
At Eventbrite, we support a community of UK event creators throwing incredible festive themed events, and here we showcase a few of our favourites.
This guide will walk you through why a Christmas themed party is the perfect idea for your next event, highlight 15 of the best Christmas party theme ideas, and share tips on how to plan and promote your next festive party.
Table of Contents
Why turn your next event into a Christmas themed party?
Traditional UK Christmas party ideas
How to plan and promote Christmas themed parties
Why turn your next event into a Christmas themed party?
If you’re looking to create a unique experience for your party guests, having a party theme is the way to go. A strong theme forms the foundation of a successful event, guiding your choice of venue, decor, catering, staffing, entertainment, and everything in between. By wrapping every element of your party around a theme, you also create an ambiance that’ll wow your guests.
If you’re planning a winter event, Christmas themes are the perfect way to create that ambiance. The UK has some of the world’s most unique and well-known Christmas traditions, and Christmas themed parties are a simple but effective way to build on those traditions and capitalise on nostalgia to create joyful experiences for attendees.
It’s also a great business opportunity. The average consumer in the UK spends anywhere from £992 all the way up to £1,695 during the festive season. By adding a seasonal twist to your next big event, you’re positioning your brand to absorb some of that spend and deliver on festive demand.
Traditional UK Christmas party ideas
British Christmas parties are among the world’s best, and that’s because UK Christmas traditions are second to none — from Dickens and ugly jumpers to mulled wine and pantomimes.
To help you get started on your search for the best Christmas party themes, we’ve rounded up five of our favourites. We’ve also rated the difficulty, cost, and family-friendliness of each theme.
1. Christmas jumper party
Difficulty: 🎅
Cost: 🎄
Family-friendly: 👪 👪 👪
Nothing is more British than an ugly Christmas jumper party — so, break out your most flamboyant Christmas top and turn this institution into a successful event.
Encourage everyone to adhere to a basic dress code of bad jumpers, and set up a best (or worst) jumper contest. You can even get competitive by creating and handing out awards.
Your decor for this one should pay homage to basic Christmas traditions. That means you’ll need a cozy-looking Christmas tree or two, wrapped gifts, and whatever holiday bric-a-brac matches your event space.
Need some inspiration? Check out event creator SpeedDater and their unique take on the Christmas jumper theme. They’re planning a speed dating event in Leicester — but all the singles have got to show up in a Christmas jumper.
2. Mulled wine and mince pie mixer
Difficulty: 🎅
Cost: 🎄🎄
Family-friendly: 👪
Christmas is the perfect time for a huge mug of mulled wine and a piping-hot mince pie — and it’s pretty simple to execute as a themed party if you’re planning a large, mixer-style event.
Start planning your mulled wine mixer by finding a venue like a large pub, club, or a listed building. Centre your decor on a palette of reds and greens, decorated trees, and lots of baubles. If you’re catering, simply set up a mulled wine bar, canapes, and lots of mince pies.
In terms of entertainment, a mulled wine mixer is a great excuse to hire a Christmas jazz band or a live DJ. Want to give your guests a chance to get competitive? Set up a mince pie eating contest and award a trophy to the champion.
If you want to see how this theme is done in practice, check out event creator The Ragged cot Inn. Their Pre Christmas Party! /hog roast/ /mulled wine/ & LIVE MUSIC featured a full hog roast (and pulled jackfruit for vegans), live music, and lots of wine. That’s how you throw a Christmas mixer in style.
3. Highland Christmas
Difficulty: 🎅🎅
Cost: 🎄🎄
Family-friendly: 👪 👪
Why not bring the Scottish Highlands to your next Christmas themed party?
For entertainment, you can hire a bagpipe band and professional Highland dancers, or even set up a Christmas ceilidh. Ceilidh dancing is a great way to get your guests up and moving, and they’re guaranteed to have a brilliant time.
To go all in on the Scottish theme, your menu should centre around haggis, cranachan, Scottish salmon canapes — you could even organise a Christmas whisky tasting.
For some lessons in best practice, it’s worth checking out event creator Macdonald Aviemore Resort and their upcoming Highland Christmas Party Night. They’ll have a ceilidh band, three-course meal, and a Christmas disco — what more could you ask for?
4. A Chrismas Carol
Difficulty: 🎅🎅
Cost: 🎄🎄
Family-friendly: 👪 👪
Charles Dickens and his Christmas classic have inspired countless plays, musicals, movies, and TV shows — now, you can let it inspire your event.
The Christmas Carol theme is ideal for an old listed building or outdoor space. Decorate it with Victorian trinkets, paintings, and antique decorations. You can even encourage your guests to show up in Victorian-era costumes.
From there, your entertainment could include a Victorian costume contest, signature 19th-century cocktails, live classical music, or even costumed performers.
This theme can be applied to loads of different festive events. Just look at event creator Heritage Lincolnshire and The Victorian Christmas they organised in 2022. Led by historians, this event included guided talks and samplings of traditional Victorian drinks, delicious food, and entertainment.
If you’re looking for a way to fully immerse your guests in the Victorian Christmas experience, that’s the way to do it!
5. Panto party
Difficulty: 🎅🎅
Cost: 🎄🎄
Family-friendly: 👪 👪👪
The Christmas pantomime is another fundamental UK Christmas tradition. Every year, panto fans flock to local theatres to see the hilarious and camp Christmas shows. Capture that flamboyance by theming your next Christmas event as a panto party.
Use a decor of over-the-top Christmas show staging, curtains, velvet ropes, and multicoloured lights. This is an ideal way to dress up a theatre or ballroom with a stage — but it’s also great for a smaller event space like a community building or a village hall.
Your entertainment can revolve around a pantomime costume contest, or you can hire a professional dame or an entire panto cast to do a medley performance at your party and mingle with the guests.
Need some ideas on how to bring the panto to your next large-scale event? Check out event creator E3 Events and their upcoming Cinderella panto.
Fun Christmas party ideas
If you want to capture UK Christmas traditions with a slightly more modern take, there are a wide range of fun Christmas night out ideas you can capitalise on to create a winning theme for your next Christmas party.
6. Santa’s grotto
Difficulty: 🎅🎅
Cost: 🎄🎄
Family-friendly: 👪 👪👪
Santa Claus is pretty much synonymous with Christmas — and there aren’t many party-goers that haven’t visited Santa at some point in their lives to sit on the big man’s knee.
Capture that nostalgia by transforming your party venue into Santa’s grotto. Deck the halls with whimsical patterns, Christmas toys, stockings, and a palette of reds and whites. You could even go the extra mile and hire a snow machine to wow your guests.
Of course you’re going to want to hire a professional Santa or team of elves to spread Christmas cheer. This is a great party idea for families — and if your event is outdoors, you could even set up a reindeer petting zoo.
If you’re catering, go for a homestyle, child-friendly menu. Think: hearty stews, hot chocolate, and lots of sweets.
To see how this theme is executed perfectly, check out event creator Ice Play Ent and their upcoming Ice Tickles Children’s Christmas Party, Grotto and Fair!
7. Great Christmas bake off
Difficulty: 🎅🎅🎅
Cost: 🎄🎄
Family-friendly: 👪 👪
Christmas has got some of the best baked goods out there — and just about everybody in the UK knows all about the Great British Bake Off. That’s why it makes perfect sense to turn your next epic event into a Christmas bake off.
There are a couple of different ways you could plan this one.
You could bring in chefs to do a professional cooking demonstration, or you could select a handful of party guests to compete in a live Christmas cookie baking contest. If your event venue hasn’t got a working kitchen, you could even just invite your guests to bring their own baked goods to the party for a Christmas cookie swap.
But whether you’re hosting a cookie exchange, a full-on baking competition, or a GBBO-themed party, your decor should transport guests into a working kitchen. Think pots and pans, gingerbread walls, and giant candy canes for a start.
Want to see how Christmas baking workshops are done the right way? Take a look at event creator Sara Ward, Hen Corner and their Introduction to Christmas Baking event.
8. Christmas cocktail party
Difficulty: 🎅🎅
Cost: 🎄🎄
Family-friendly: 👪
If you’re looking for a more elegant theme, you can’t go wrong with a Christmas cocktail party.
A cocktail party is a great excuse to get all dressed up and have a laugh with friends. That’s why it’s perfect for professional events, charity fundraisers, or guests used to more upscale events.
A festive cocktail party is perfect for a ballroom or large community space; decorate it with well-dressed evergreens, large bows, and a palette of golds and silvers.
For entertainment, you could hire professional bartenders or a team of mixologists to create signature cocktails for the event, or set up a corner where guests can take part in a cocktail-making class. In the background, a live band will keep things snappy and get people dancing.
You could even take your event to the high seas like Manchester-based event creator The Liquorists. Their annual Christmas Cracker Cocktail Cruise events take party guests on a three-hour journey in which they enjoy seven Christmas-themed cocktails like their famous “Mince Pie Mojito.”
Give your Christmas party planning a boost with Eventbrite.
9. Christmas circus
Difficulty: 🎅🎅🎅
Cost: 🎄🎄🎄
Family-friendly: 👪 👪 👪
Christmas is the perfect time to transport your party guests to the circus.
This party theme is great if you’ve got a big outdoor space, because all you’ve got to do is hire a large gazebo or pavilion. But you can dress up any event venue as a Christmas circus tent with some pinstripes, fairy lights, lighted signage, and plenty of Christmas trees.
For entertainment, you can set up classic fair games, Christmas craft stalls, and food vans outside of your venue. You can also hire professional circus performers for a couple of death-defying displays and a live DJ spinning all the Christmas classics.
For circus inspiration, take a look at event creator Circus CORTEX and their upcoming Circus CORTEX at Canvey Island event. It’s got all the traditional elements of a professional circus that people know and love. All it takes is a few decorations and costume changes to transform an event like that into a Christmas extravaganza.
10. Winter wonderland
Difficulty: 🎅🎅
Cost: 🎄🎄
Family-friendly: 👪👪
Planning a fancier event? Transform your venue into a winter wonderland.
Decorate your event space with icicles, a snow machine, lots of crystal, and a palette of dark blues and purples. Think of Elsa’s castle in Frozen, and then cater it with an elevated menu including petit fours, canapés, and finger sandwiches.
The winter wonderland theme is the perfect excuse to hire a jazz band or a classical quartet. You could even hire a professional ice carver to create a beautiful ice sculpture.
This party idea is great for an adults-only affair or families with kids.
Take a look at what event creator The Unique Tent Company has lined up for their Tynemouth Winter Wonderland party at the end of November. From Mrs. Claus and Santa to a cozy tipi village, hot drinks, and lots of holiday treats, they’re definitely going to blow kids away with their wonderland.
Unusual Christmas party ideas
Bored of the classic Christmas experience? Don’t sweat it. There are loads of quirky and unusual Christmas theme party ideas out there, too.
Let’s take a quick look at five of our favourites — and see how real Eventbrite creators are totally nailing these theme ideas.
11. Christmas in July
Difficulty: 🎅🎅
Cost: 🎄
Family-friendly: 👪👪
We love Christmas in July because it gives you two unique options: you can throw a tropical-themed festive party in December, or a winter-themed party in the middle of the summer. Either way, your guests are going to love it.
If you’re staging a Christmas in July party in the winter, your decor should fuse summer vibes with Christmas classics. Think Hawaiian leis and beach decor paired with Santa hats, and palm trees decorated with string lights and baubles. You can also encourage your guests to show up in the worst Hawaiian shirts they can find and hold a competition.
Go for a menu that combines summer BBQ staples with Christmas belly warmers — and don’t forget the exotic cocktails. In terms of entertainment, this theme is perfect for hiring a reggae or ukulele band, or holding a festive limbo contest.
Feeling inspired? Check out our guide to hosting the perfect Christmas party.
12. Christmas pyjama party
Difficulty: 🎅
Cost: 🎄
Family-friendly: 👪👪👪
A Christmas pyjama party is perfect for guests of all ages. Encourage your attendees to dress down and bring their PJs, snoodies, and cuddly toys. You can then stage a contest for the best (or worst) pyjamas. If your PJ party is for families, you can then host a Christmas storytime for kids and dancing for the adults.
In terms of decor, incorporate all things warm and cozy. That means pillows, blankets, tartan everything, and building a real fire or creating a fake fireplace. (Check out our pro tips for making your cozy set up Instagram-worthy).
Build your menu around your theme with hot chocolate, coffee, cakes, or a breakfast buffet (no matter what time of day it is).
Want to see how a pyjama party can be executed for adults-only? Check out Aberdeen-based CHEERZ and their Freshers 23 | Pyjama Party.
13. Merry Grinch-mas
Difficulty: 🎅🎅
Cost: 🎄
Family-friendly: 👪👪👪
The Grinch is a Christmas story that generations of us grew up reading (and one of our favourite movies). Capture that nostalgia by creating a Dr Seuss-themed Christmas party.
You need to go all in on this theme, and so that means putting in the work on your decor. Use a vibrant colour palette to dress up your party venue. Add in some whimsical illustrations or cutouts, funky animals, and lots of snow and ice.
You can even turn it into a costume party by having your guests dress up like Whos. Then you can stage a fancy dress contest, or set up a movie marathon showcasing different versions of the holiday classic.
Alternatively, you could hire a professional Grinch performer to be your MC for the night. That’s what event creator The Balmoral Hotel did for The Grinch’s Christmas Game Show in 2022. Who wouldn’t want the Grinch taking over their party?
14. Christmas ice bar
Difficulty: 🎅🎅
Cost: 🎄🎄🎄
Family-friendly: 👪
If you’re trying to create an adults-only Christmas party vibe, an ice bar fits the bill. You can dress up any venue with faux fur blankets, white and silver tones, and Scandinavian decor to create an elevated apres ski party — but your main attraction has got to be an ice bar.
Commissioning an ice bar comes at a cost, but it’s an absolute showstopper as the centrepiece of a grown-up Christmas party. To complement the main attraction, you can create some signature cocktails, a lights show, and a live DJ spinning Christmas favourites.
If you’re having trouble visualising this one, look no further than The Hive Skegness and The Ice Experience event they’ve got lined up for 2023. The totally immersive experience includes an ice cave, cocktails, 4D effects, ice sculptures, and a massive ice bar.
15. Christmas masquerade ball
Difficulty: 🎅🎅
Cost: 🎄🎄
Family-friendly: 👪
For another immersive Christmas experience, it’s worth organising a masquerade ball. This theme is ideal if you’ve got access to a large ballroom, gazebo, or a listed building — and it’s perfect for a Christmas charity benefit or an adults-only Christmas party.
Make things upscale by hiring a classical quartet or a jazz band. But you can also stage a dancing contest, bring in professional ballroom dancers to wow your guests, and set up a photo booth so guests can have a laugh in between dances.
For some lessons in best practice, check out event creator The Club at Mill Green and their Masquerade Ball. With a three-course meal, live DJ, and Christmas disco, it’ll be a festive evening to remember.
How to plan and promote Christmas themed parties
Once you’ve settled on a Christmas theme, it’s time to start thinking about planning and promoting your party. That’s where Eventbrite can lend a helping hand.
With Eventbrite, you’re able to set up a custom event page for your Christmas party that’s fully shareable and searchable on the world’s biggest events marketplace. And thanks to social integrations via Eventbrite marketing tools, you can also embed your event on other channels and sell tickets to your social followers directly on Facebook.
As sales progress, you can also track registrations in real-time to optimise your advertising so that you’re not wasting money promoting your event in places where your target audience won’t see it.
Finally, you can use Eventbrite during your event to check in party guests on arrival or accept payments using the Eventbrite Organiser App. All of that check-in information and data then gets logged onto your dashboard so you can make better-informed decisions about when, where, and how to stage your next Christmas themed party.
