Work Christmas party ideas in London: what does each cost per head? (2026)

A work Christmas party in London costs about £30 to £179 per head in 2026, VAT included, before extra drinks: £36–£84 for an activity-bar package, £35–£95 for a restaurant set menu, £102–£179 for a shared party night (£156–£216 with a drinks package). HMRC's tax exemption covers annual parties open to all staff costing £150 a head or less, VAT included.

Last updated: November 2026 · By Woolly Mammoth

We collected the prices that London bars, restaurants, party organisers, workshop hosts and caterers publish for the 2026 season, plus the rates of our own venues, on 2 November 2026. Prices in this guide include VAT, because HMRC's £150 test does. We added 20% VAT (the standard rate) to two kinds of prices: those published "+ VAT" (the shared party nights) and the business catering ranges of Feedr and venues.london, which don't say whether VAT is included. All other prices carry no VAT mention and are shown as published, since UK advertising rules say prices quoted to consumers should include VAT.

What are some good ideas for an office Christmas party?

Here are eight ideas, with the price per person each provider publishes. Sort by price or keep one type of idea.

Sources: each provider's public page, 2 November 2026. Restaurant sample: the 30 menus with a three-course price in DesignMyNight's Christmas dinner list (updated 2 November 2026), excluding Christmas Eve and Christmas Day menus; dinner price where lunch and dinner differ. Feedr's and venues.london's catering ranges don't say whether VAT is included, so we added it. Wreath workshop: our estimate, £550 for up to 8 people plus £55 per extra guest, divided by 20 and by 40 guests; the page doesn't state a maximum group size and prices larger groups on request.

For comparison, Tagvenue's booking data puts the average spend on a London Christmas party at £85.56 per person, for around 68 guests, and says most companies spend around £75–£90 a head for 50 to 80 people. Tagvenue doesn't say whether these figures include VAT.

What this means for you: activity-bar packages (£36–£84) and restaurant set menus (£35–£95) stay under £100 a head before extra drinks. A private event with canapés and drinks (£91–£155) or a shared party night (£102–£178.80) comes close to, or above, HMRC's £150 line, so work out the full cost per head before you book.

What is the Annual Event exemption and how does it work?

You might not have to report anything to HMRC, or pay tax and National Insurance, on a staff party that meets three conditions. According to GOV.UK, the party must:

• be open to all your employees (or to all staff at one location, if you have several; separate department parties count if everyone can attend one)
• be annual, such as a Christmas party or summer barbecue
• cost £150 or less per person

HMRC's Employment Income Manual (EIM21690), updated on 2 November 2026, adds the details that change the maths:

• VAT, transport and hotels count. The cost includes VAT, and transport or overnight accommodation if you provide them so staff can attend.
• Divide by everyone who comes. Divide the total cost by all the people who attend, including guests who aren't employees.
• Several events add up. If you hold two or more annual events, their costs per head are added together. If the total goes over £150, the events that best use the £150 are exempt and the others are taxable. In HMRC's example, two parties cost £100 and £80 a head: the first is exempt, the second is taxed.
• It's not an allowance. If the party costs more than £150 a head, staff are taxed on the full cost per head, not just the amount above £150.
• One-off events don't qualify. HMRC's example: a party for a 25th anniversary isn't an annual party. A party for directors only isn't covered either (EIM21691).
• Online parties can qualify if the other conditions are met.

How the ideas above compare with £150 a head, VAT included:

Shared party nights: the organiser lists £85–£149 + VAT per ticket, using each night's lowest date price (median £129 + VAT, so £154.80 with VAT) and says that with a drinks package the "realistic all-in figure is £130 to £180 + VAT per person". We multiplied by 1.2.

What this means for you: add up everything you pay for (venue, food, drinks, entertainment, taxis), include VAT, and divide by everyone who attends. If the result is over £150, the whole amount is taxable. This is a summary of HMRC's guidance, not tax advice: check your case with your accountant.

How much does a private venue cost for 20, 40 or 80 guests?

33 of the 65 venues listed on Woolly Mammoth accept Christmas parties. They seat 10 to 160 guests theatre-style, with starting rates of £120 to £710 an hour (median £260), excluding VAT. Most of our venues accept an outside caterer (a few work only with approved caterers, and some charge a fee, shown on the venue page), and at most venues you bring your own drinks. Here's what a 4-hour evening costs with canapés and drinks at the corporate evening-reception rate of £45–£75 per person published by venues.london, plus the 10–15% service charge it says most caterers add on top of quoted prices:

Venue hire: from the cheapest to the median hourly starting rate of the Woolly venues that accept festive events and seat that many guests theatre-style, the capacity that fits a standing reception better than a seated dinner (Woolly Mammoth listings, 2 November 2026). Two of these venues (The Vault at Grosvenor Place and Tottenham Court Road Townhouse) work only with approved caterers and don't allow outside drinks; without them, the cheapest and median rates are the same. Catering: venues.london, February 2026: £45 + 10% service = £49.50 to £75 + 15% service = £86.25 per person; VAT basis not stated, so we added 20%. Per head = (venue + catering) × 1.2 ÷ guests, rounded.

Move the sliders to price your own party. The calculator uses the starting rates of Woolly venues that seat 40 or more theatre-style, so it fits groups of 20 to 80. It starts without VAT, the way venues and caterers quote companies: switch VAT on to compare the cost per person with £150.

What this means for you: the venue is a fixed cost, so the price per head falls as the group grows. With caterer service included, the top of the range passes £150 a head for 20 guests (£176) and for 40 guests (£155), and stays under it for 80 guests (£128), before entertainment and transport. See all our Christmas party venues in London.

What are some unique ideas for an office Christmas party?

• A hands-on workshop. A florist can run a two-hour wreath workshop at your office, and everyone takes their wreath home (our estimate: about £58–£61 a head for 20 or 40 guests at £55 per extra guest, plus travel; larger groups are priced on request).
• An unusual private space. A loft, a penthouse or a houseboat, booked by the hour; at most of our venues you bring your own caterer and your own drinks.
• A themed shared night. The 2026 London list includes circus, funfair, murder mystery and masquerade nights, from £85 + VAT a ticket, sold per person.
• Games with your dinner. Bounce's ping pong and All Star Lanes' bowling packages bundle the game, food and drinks in one price per person; Flight Club's darts packages include canapés, pizza, desserts and drinks.

Looking for a theme as well? See our corporate party theme ideas.

What are some ideas for a low-budget Christmas party?

• Drinks and a game: Bounce's drinks-only package is £26 a person, with up to 55 minutes of play and two drinks.
• A set lunch or dinner: 14 of the 30 restaurant festive menus in our sample cost £50 or less for three courses.
• Stay in the office: Feedr puts corporate Christmas catering in London at £25–£80 a person, depending on the service style, with no venue to pay for.
• Pick a weekday: Tagvenue found that midweek dates, especially Tuesday to Thursday, are usually 13–15% cheaper than Fridays and Saturdays.
• Share a venue's fixed cost: a private venue costs less per head as numbers rise (see the table above).

What this means for you: £50 a head or less is possible with a set menu, a bar package or food in the office; check the minimum group size and how many drinks are included.

How to plan a Christmas party?

1. Set a budget per head, VAT included. Include venue, food, drinks, entertainment and transport, and keep it at £150 or less if you want the tax exemption.
2. Invite everyone. The exemption needs a party open to all staff (or all staff at one site).
3. Book early. Tagvenue's data shows a median of 46 days between booking and event. venues.london says December is caterers' busiest month and that, for Christmas parties at popular venues, "the best caterers book up as early as January for December dates"; Feedr advises booking catering by October.
4. Check the minimums. Bar packages start at 4 to 10 people, and some party nights need 8 to 15 guests per booking.
5. For a private venue, line up the caterer, drinks and insurance. Most Woolly Mammoth venues accept an outside caterer (a few work only with approved caterers, and some charge a fee, shown on the venue page), at most venues you bring your own drinks, and venues ask you for public liability insurance for the event.

For the full checklist, see how to plan a corporate party in London, and for menus and catering prices, what a caterer in London costs per person.

Which Woolly Mammoth venues host Christmas parties?

Four of the 33 venues that accept festive events, for 18 to 80 guests at tables for a dinner, or 24 to 160 seated theatre-style. There is no booking fee; the rate on each venue page is a starting price, plus VAT, that can vary with the date and the type of event.

• The Hammersmith Vault, West London: up to 80 at tables for a dinner, 80 seated theatre-style, starting rate £260 an hour, the lowest rate among our festive venues that seat 40 or more theatre-style.
• The Victorian Event Space, Old Street: up to 60 at tables for a dinner, 160 seated theatre-style, starting rate £450 an hour.
• The Symphony Home, Westminster: up to 30 at tables for a dinner, 80 seated theatre-style, starting rate £575 an hour.
• The Greenhouse Collective, Hackney: up to 18 at tables for a dinner, 24 seated theatre-style, starting rate £150 an hour.

Frequently asked questions

Does HMRC's £150 per head include VAT?

Yes. HMRC counts the cost including VAT, plus any transport or overnight accommodation you provide so staff can attend.

Do partners and guests count in the cost per head?

Yes. HMRC divides the total cost by everyone who attends, including people who aren't employees.

What to do at a staff Christmas party?

The ideas priced in this guide are a festive set menu at a restaurant, an activity bar (darts, ping pong, bowling, karaoke), a shared party night with food and a DJ, band or show, a wreath-making workshop, food brought into the office, and a private venue with your own caterer.

How far in advance should we book a work Christmas party?

Tagvenue's data shows a median of 46 days between booking and the event. For catering, Feedr advises booking by October, and venues.london says that, for Christmas parties at popular venues, "the best caterers book up as early as January for December dates".

Sources

• HMRC, EIM21690: annual parties and other social functions and EIM21691: examples, updated 2 November 2026
• GOV.UK, Expenses and benefits: social functions and parties, what's exempt, read 2 November 2026
• GOV.UK, VAT rates, read 2 November 2026
• Advertising Standards Authority, Compulsory costs and charges: VAT, read 2 November 2026
• Shared Christmas Parties London, Shared Christmas parties London 2026, read 2 November 2026
• DesignMyNight, Christmas dinner in London 2026, updated 2 November 2026
• Bounce, Christmas packages; Flight Club, Christmas; All Star Lanes, Christmas group packages, read 2 November 2026
• Jenni Wren Flowers, Corporate Christmas wreath making workshops, read 2 November 2026
• venues.london, Event catering costs London 2026, February 2026
• Feedr, How to cater for a corporate Christmas party in London (2025 edition), 16 October 2025
• Tagvenue, How much does a Christmas party cost in London?, 21 October 2026
• Woolly Mammoth listings (65 venues, 33 accepting festive events), 2 November 2026

Planning your team's Christmas party? Compare Christmas party venues in London by size, area and hourly rate, and send an enquiry for your date from the venue's page.