Most lists of office holiday party ideas give you forty festive options and no way to choose. This one is shorter, and it comes from the other side of the room. I perform at company holiday parties in New York, so I get to watch what actually happens once the doors open: which ideas get people talking to someone outside their team, and which ones leave everyone standing by the bar checking their phones.
Here's what works, what doesn't, and how to pick the right entertainment for your headcount and your event.
What makes a good company holiday party
Strip away the decorations and a successful office holiday party does three things:
- It mixes people. The best nights get the sales team talking to finance and the new hires talking to the partners.
- It gives everyone something to talk about. A shared moment beats a playlist every time, because it's what people bring up at work on Monday.
- It never forces anyone. The quiet engineer and the natural performer should both have a good night.
Done right, holiday parties boost employee morale and say a lot about your company culture. Done badly, they feel like one more thing on the calendar. Keep those three in mind and the rest of your holiday party planning gets much easier.
Entertainment you can bring in
1. A strolling magician or mentalist during cocktail hour
I'm biased, but there's a reason this is the first idea on my list. The first hour of any holiday party is the awkward one: people are standing, holding drinks, sticking with the colleagues they already know. Strolling magic goes to them in small groups, and a moment of astonishment turns five people who barely know each other into a group that's laughing together. Nothing to set up, no stage, and nobody has to volunteer for anything.
2. A short show after dinner
Once plates are cleared, energy dips fast and the room starts drifting toward the exits. A short stage show built around audience participation gives the whole company one shared moment. If you're curious what mind reading adds to a party like this, I wrote about what a mentalist actually does.
3. A live band or DJ and a dance floor
If your crowd dances, nothing beats it. Be honest with yourself about whether they do. A dance floor that stays empty until the last half hour just makes the room loud, so time the music for later in the night.
4. A photo booth
Cheap, festive and it produces something people keep. It works best as a side attraction rather than the main event: most guests use it once and move on.
Holiday party games and activities
5. Casino night
Play money, a few tables and prizes at the end. Casino night gives people a reason to move around the room, and the friendly competition does the icebreaking for you.
6. Holiday trivia or a game show
Build teams that mix departments on purpose. Of all the holiday party games, trivia is one of the best for team-building at an office party, because it rewards all kinds of knowledge, not just whoever is loudest.
7. Karaoke
Great for the right crowd, painful for the wrong one. Make it strictly opt-in and put it late in the night, after people have loosened up.
8. A murder mystery party
Works beautifully for small groups of around a dozen people. With a bigger headcount it's hard to keep everyone involved, and guests who aren't playing a role end up watching.
9. A scavenger hunt
Good for team-building and for small offices, especially if you can use the office itself or the surrounding neighborhood. Keep it short so it doesn't eat the whole evening.
Themes and traditions
10. An ugly sweater party or a theme
A theme gives people something to talk about before anything else happens. An ugly sweater party is the easy, low-pressure version, with a small prize for the worst one. A black-tie winter evening is the dressed-up version. Whichever you choose, put the dress code on the invitation in plain words, because the most uncomfortable guest at any holiday party is the one who guessed wrong.
11. A gift swap or Secret Santa
A Secret Santa or a white elephant gift exchange is a classic for a reason: it's cheap, it's funny, and it gets people talking to someone they don't normally talk to. Set a small price cap, make joining optional, and keep it to about twenty minutes, so it's a highlight rather than the whole evening.
Moments that make it feel like a celebration
12. A short thank-you or awards moment
People remember being recognized. Keep the speeches short, keep the awards light, and never let this become the longest part of the night.
13. A charity element
Building donation kits or collecting for a cause gives the party meaning beyond the bar tab, and it's a natural fit for people who don't love traditional party games.
14. A small party favor on the way out
Something festive to take home: an ornament, a box of good cookies, a coffee gift card. It ends the night on a kind note and costs very little.
Ideas for a small office or a remote team
A small office Christmas party doesn't need a program. Book a private room at a good restaurant, keep the guest list to the team, and add one thing to do together: a round of trivia, a gift swap, or close-up magic at the table. Keep it simple and let the conversation do the rest.
For remote employees and hybrid teams, the in-person party should never be the only version. Hold a short online round of games and challenges earlier in the week, mail a small festive kit, or at the very least include remote people by name in the thank-you moment. Being remembered matters more than the format.
How to choose the right holiday party entertainment
Start with your headcount and the shape of the evening, not the entertainment.
- Small groups, up to about 30 people: one activity everyone does together works well: trivia, a murder mystery, or close-up magic that gets to every guest.
- A mid-size company party: plan around the cocktail hour. That's where people either mix or split into cliques, and strolling entertainment makes the difference.
- A large corporate holiday party: you need something that holds the whole room at once, like a short show after dinner, plus something for people to do while they mingle.
Then look at the venue. A long cocktail hour needs entertainment that moves. A seated dinner needs something everyone can see. A party venue with a dance floor needs a plan for the hour before people are ready to use it.
Make it inclusive, and run the bar well
Not everyone celebrates Christmas, and not everyone drinks. Calling it a holiday party rather than a Christmas party is a start, but what matters most is that participation is always optional. Choose entertainment people can enjoy from the side as much as from the middle.
The same goes for the bar. Serve real food alongside it, offer good non-alcoholic drinks rather than just soda, and consider drink tickets or closing the bar an hour before the end. Make sure everyone has a way home. None of it has to feel like a lecture; it's simply what a well-run party looks like.
When to book
Earlier than you think. For December dates, three to six months ahead is typical, because the best nights, especially Thursdays and Fridays in the first half of the month, go first, for venues and for entertainers. If you're reading this in the fall, you're not too late, but it's time to lock in the date and the venue, and then book the entertainment.
Office holiday party FAQ
What are some ideas for an office Christmas party?
The ones that work: strolling entertainment during the cocktail hour, a short show after dinner, casino night, holiday trivia, a Secret Santa and an ugly sweater theme. The best parties pair one thing everyone watches together with one thing people do while they mingle.
What are some unique office party ideas?
Anything your guests haven't seen at the last five parties. A mentalist who seems to read minds is hard to forget, and so is a charity build or a scavenger hunt around the office. Unique rarely means complicated. It means something people are still talking about on Monday.
How far in advance should you plan a company holiday party?
Three to six months for the best December dates. And if you're asking in late November, skip the rest of this article and call the venue.
How much does holiday party entertainment cost?
It depends on the kind. For my own work in New York, strolling magic during a cocktail hour runs $3,000 to $6,000, a stage show $4,000 to $7,000, and both together $6,000 to $12,000. I've written up what moves those numbers, and how to compare quotes.
Planning a holiday party in New York?
If you're planning your company holiday party now and want to talk through what will work, tell me about your event. The date and the venue don't need to be settled yet.