There comes a time when the turkey has been polished off and it’s time to crawl out of festive hibernation. Luckily London’s got loads of ways to bring the New Year in with a bang
Words Helen Brown
The Blitz Party
This December, step back in time with London’s most authentic 1940s party. Hosted in impressive and atmospheric railways arches, The Blitz Party will see you partying into the New Year in an authentic air-raid shelter, complete with sandbags, hurricane lamps, reconnaissance maps and blackout curtains. Victory curled ladies and uniformed soldiers can expect a night of big-band live music, classic cocktails and 40s-style revelry.
Where: Victoria House Basement, Southampton Row, WC1BWhen: 31st December, 9pm-3amPrice: £55theblitzparty.com
The Bourne & Hollingsworth New Year’s Eve House Party
Swap the crowded London streets and nightclubs for a luxurious and intimate evening with Bourne & Hollingsworth in their beautiful London townhouse. Party-goers can don their finest attire and enter the stunning cocktail bar for an elegant welcome reception, with live acoustic band and canapés before moving through to the Garden Room and Greenhouse for a delicious New Year’s Eve banquet. As the clocks strike twelve, revellers will raise a glass of champagne, join hands with friends old and new and welcome in the New Year with a rendition of Auld Lang Syne, before returning to the bar as the DJ takes over the decks, inviting guests to dance their way into the first morning of 2017.
Where: B&H Buildings, 42 Northampton Row, EC1RWhen: 31st December, 7:30pm-2amPrice: from £40bourneandhollingsworth.com
The Prohibition Party
For London’s most glamorous pleasure-seekers this opulent Prohibition Party offers the chance to shake out their tassels, unfurl their feathers and elude the beady eye of the law at one of the most lavish parties in London. In an age of loosening morals, soaring stocks and bootleg barons, exuberance and waywardness were the order of the day. Guests will be transported back to the giddy magic of the roaring Twenties, a time when footloose flappers danced the Charleston, card sharp cads tried their luck at the roulette table, and everyone quaffed on free-flowing booze. The Prohibition Party is a rip-roaring foray into a time in which sumptuous glamour met unbridled mischief. Where: Secret Central London Ballroom, revealed two weeks prior eventWhen: 31st December, 9pm-3amPrice: from £55prohibition1920s.com
The Dark Circus Party
Pack your corsets, collapse your top hats and roll up, roll up for an evening of curiosity, illusion and visual delight. Guests are invited to step over to the dark side to celebrate all that is glamorous, provocative and a little bit risqué. Sip on potent cocktails and peruse the stage from the intimate curtained areas on the mezzanine level; pay a visit to Miss Marguerite’s painted wagon for a lesson in costume make up and revel at awe inspiring aerial acts. Pick a persona, embrace your inner voyeur and enter the carnival of curiosities for a dreamy night of abandoned dancing, breath taking performances and a magical New Year’s Eve spectacle.Where: The Grand Hall St Pancras, Euston Road, WC1HWhen: 31st December, 9pm-3amPrice: from £55darkcircusparty.com
Breakfast Can Wait at The Ace Hotel
Take to the starry heights of the Ace Hotel’s terrace for a chic party of disco, funk, fantastic food and a killer view of London’s fireworks. After last year’s amazing NYE Rooftop Party, Breakfast Can Wait, is back with a full line-up of DJs (yet to be announced), top-notch cocktail bar and dancing till 3am. Where: 100 Shoreditch High Street, E1 6JQWhen: 31st December, 8pm-3amPrice: from £35acehotel.com
A Vintage New Year’s Eve Party at the Southbank Centre
Usher in the New Year with a spectacular Vintage New Year’s Eve Party at the Southbank Centre. This glitzy event will see the Royal Festival Hall transformed into five floors of set-dressed entertainment including pop-up Vintage nightclubs, stylish dining, a hair and beauty salon, photo studios and a private terrace overlooking the Thames for an incredible view of London’s fireworks. Great food and evocative cocktails are available throughout the building, including at a 1950s-inspired diner cafe. Don’t forget, the dress-up is just as important as the get down, so pick a decade and dress glamorous. Where: Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, SE1 8XXWhen: 31st December, 7pm-2amPrice: from £79southbankcentre.co.uk
New Year’s Eve at the Natural History Museum
Count down the final hours of 2016 in an unforgettable night of extravagance at The Natural History Museum’s first ever New Year’s Eve ball, hosted in collaboration with Guilty Pleasures. Explore the Dinosaur gallery and dance the night away to pop, dance, disco, R&B and club anthems in this iconic London landmark. Bars will be serving drinks and light refreshments throughout the night, but for something more substantial, upgrade your ticket for a VIP three-course dinner and a drink before joining the party in Hintze Hall. Where: Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, SW7 5BDWhen: 31st December, 8pm-1amPrice: from £117nhm.ac.uk
Private Dining at Corrigan’s Mayfair
End 2017 in celebratory style with a feast fit for royalty at Corrigan’s Mayfair. Discreet, inviting and exclusive, a private dining experience at Corrigan’s is the perfect way to ring in the New Year for those looking for a spot of indulgence. Two exquisite menus have been created for the occasion with a sommelier on hand to recommend perfect wine pairings. Where: Corrigan’s Mayfair, 28 Upper Grosvenor St, Mayfair, London W1K 7EHFind out more here.
A New Year at the Savoy
New Year’s Eve is one of the most lavish evenings in the calendar so where better to celebrate than the exquisite and iconic Savoy Hotel? Guests can enjoy a variety of dazzling entertainment throughout the stunning venue and indulge in a delicious five-course seafood set menu at Kaspar’s, complete with live entertainment and post dinner dancing. Or, for added extravagance, don your best Black Tie and bid farewell to 2016 in the beautiful Lancaster Ballroom, where a £400 ticket includes a Louis Roederer champagne and canapé reception, followed by an incredible and indulgent seven-course dinner. Where: Savoy Hotel, Strand, WC2R 0EU
Find out more here.
Great Gatsby New Year’s Eve at Sky Garden
Set against a backdrop of incredible city views and luscious tropical greenery, the New Year’s Eve extravaganza at Sky Garden is guaranteed to be an unforgettable party. With a chic Great Gatsby dress code, guests are encouraged to dress to impress with 1920s flair and style. From this sky-high vantage point guests can enjoy exquisite food, wonderful cocktails and revel in the ultimate party atmosphere whilst watching London come alive as the clocks strike twelve. Where: Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, SW7 5BDWhen: 31st December, times vary depending on ticket typePrice: from £95skygarden.london
