Children’s Christmas parties

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It’s hard to contain children’s excitement at this time of year, and who would want to!? Plan an early Christmas party for the kids to kick off their festive celebrations, get them into the holiday spirit and release some enthusiasm. It might see you through until December 25th with your sanity intact!

It’s a busy time of year with all that Christmas shopping, wrapping up the gifts and planning to do, so there’s no need to go overboard with the jingle-bells and whistles. Stick to party fail safes when it comes to food and games and give them a seasonal twist; you can keep it simple and still create a magical party, saving valuable energy for Christmas planning.

A children’s Christmas party is a great opportunity to use party plates and tableware with a bright Christmas theme, a seasonal backdrop for their preferred party foods. Friendly Christmas characters You’ll be using your best crockery and more sophisticated Christmas party decorations over Christmas with all the family, so the brighter the better here when it’s just for kids! Streamers and other paper decorations are inexpensive and will effectively deck out the room.

Santa’s Little Helpers

The fun needn’t break the bank; at an expensive time of year, why not try some creative activities Lay down plenty of newspaper and get them to make some Christmas cards using potato stamps and silver paint or glitter, wrapping-paper shapes and glue.

If you prefer, get everyone into an apron and have a Christmas biscuit-decorating session. You can buy or bake the biscuits in advance and provide different coloured icings and toppings, such as sweets.

Children will love to get involved in the Christmas preparations and will have something special to take to their loved ones at home-time.

Rocking around the Christmas Tree

Try a seasonal spin on traditional party games to keep kids amused inside. How about a game of Christmas-related charades; or pass the Christmas parcel? You could hide chocolate coins around the house for a proper treasure hunt, and play musical snowmen to a festive soundtrack; just make sure they freeze when the music stops! Get them each to have a go at an exciting Christmas piñata. Hang prizes on the tree or place them underneath it, to find after each game.

Festive Feasting

At each place at the tea table, place a cracker with their name on, or perhaps something for them to wear; a Santa hat, some reindeer antlers or a Rudolf-red nose.

Keep it simple and go for favourite party staples, but give the presentation a festive spin. Satsumas are child-friendly easy-peelers and packed with cold-busting vitamin C and a bowl of them will brighten up any table. Give some favourite sweet or savoury sandwiches a fun twist: roll up fillings in bread and slice into pinwheels, or cut into triangles and stack them up like a Christmas tree, dotted with cherry tomato ‘baubles’.

Add edible glitter to jewel-coloured jellies for some seasonal sparkle. Popcorn can be shaken in melted butter, sugar and cinnamon for extra winter warmth. For a festive finale, a chocolate Yule log will provide a show-stopping cake, complete with alpine accessories, such as skiers and reindeer, on top.

Jingle Bells

With the prospect of so many presents just around the corner, it’s great to fill kids’ party bags with something a bit different to add to the Christmas build-up. When it’s time for their sleighs arrive to take them home, why not put a decoration for the tree into their party bag along with a few sweets? They’ll enjoy adding it to their tree at home and will keep it year on year. As a twist on the party bag, why not send them each off with a little stocking instead?

If you would like to send them off with something more than a full tummy, a Letters to Santa Kit will ensure a buzz of excitement and remind them all that a visit from Father Christmas is not far away – and that he only visits little children who are good!

An extra something, like a little labelled bag of glitter and oats to scatter on the doorstep on Christmas eve especially for the reindeer will enhance the magic of it all. A really special finale could be a surprise early visit from Father Christmas himself, to hand everyone their party bag and to listen to their Christmas wishes.

What does Christmas mean to you?

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What does Christmas mean to you? From the first day in January to the last day in December, not a single day goes by where you’re not dreaming of mince pies, planning your festive wrapping paper or writing your wish list to Santa. So it’s pretty safe to say we at Red Masque are passionate about what we do! Because here at Red Masque we love Christmas, which is why your party ideas are here on our website.

The office Christmas party is a tradition looked forward to by many and is a great way to say thank you to your staff for all their hard work over the year. Whether you’re looking for an exclusive fully themed extravaganza, a table at an awe inspiring shared party where you can mingle with other groups or a selection of Christmas party venues where your staff can enjoy nibbles and a few drinks! We only advertise the most trusted and respected acts and suppliers, you’re safe in the knowledge that your party is going to be one to remember. 

Throughout the year we always keep abreast of any new event industry trends and we take great care in making sure that current acts, and suppliers always are rated with the level of excellence that we believe clients deserve. We’re continuously looking to source new suppliers, entertainers and venues for our website; ensuring that our themes and offerings are new, fun and fresh every year.

Exclusive events give your employees a chance to really bond with each other. Think about organising a bespoke party which can see personal touches and your own branding brought to life in an event just for you. 

Best time to book a Christmas party

If you want to book the perfect Christmas party then it really is best to book early, particularly if you plan to go bespoke. We recommend booking in the summer months.  Now we know that sounds early, especially when it’s BBQ season and sunny, and we know that during the summer, Christmas events are the last thing most people think about but it really is the best time to book: you get first pick of all the new packages and themes. Long story short, the sooner you book, the more choice you’ll have and the more perfect your party will be!

Plan your very own winter wonderland

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Decorations

Decorations make a bland place into something magical.  Professional party decorations would do your winter wonderland justice, however big or small have the perfect event decorators advertised that will transform any room into something special.

You will be amazed at just how the right decorations can transform your venue and really make believe the theme in which you want to create. 

Fairground rides

Everybody loves fairground rides, and this would be perfect for a winter wonderland theme, you could hire a horse carrousel, dodgems or the ghost train. Traditional fairground rides were usual at Easter, but now people are now hiring for Christmas too.

If your garden is big enough then you and your guests will be very privileged to have all the rides for yourself, but if organising for the public or for a large corporate event you may have to think about designated queuing area.

You will be safe in the knowledge that all the fairground rides are of excellent quality and condition and you will have somebody on hand to check the rides safety under the health and safety.

Fairground stalls and games

If you have booked some fairground rides, then you need a few stalls and games to go with them.   Imagine the aroma of candyfloss, hotdogs and toasted chestnuts smelling which will definitely bring in a crowd!

The ambiance that comes from these stalls are second to none and your guests will very much enjoy the ‘fairground’ scene with sights and sounds familiar to their childhood. 

Fantasy photos and booths

These are very fashionable at the moment, so how about your guests making up their own photo dressed in a Santa suit, Rudolf the red nose reindeer or a little elf? These photos will last forever and you’ll always know it was taken at Christmas!!

Great fun and very popular, these booths will be well received.

Giant games

A winter wonderland garden party with giant snakes and ladders, or chess – how perfect and what fun!  We are sure you will find the perfect giant game to compliment your event.

Dressing up nice and warm with some mulled wine handy, this party would be great fun for adult and something a bit different.

So now we have given you some food for thought for ideas and inspiration for your winter wonderland Christmas party, we are sure you have some other ideas that can be found on the Red Masque directory.

Festive events

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PARTY BUTLERS

Now girls, you know you need the ultimate party butler or butlers for your Christmas party! Or even if you don’t even have an excuse for a party!!  A bit of eye candy never goes a miss, he’ll be able to serve up your favourite drinks all evening.

Whether he is topless or naked (of course an apron to cover his modesty) then these butlers will certainly liven up your event.  Serving up some treats for you girls or mixing a few of your favourite cocktails, these toned butlers will be just perfect.

ROBOTS

How about having a Robot or two at your festive event? These must-have robots are quite handy at serving too. They are all the rage at the moment from talking robots, to serving robots, they can even meet and greet your guests which of course will be a talking point for months to come.

You can ask your robot to customise your event so you get him to do the right thing at the right time, for example it maybe a group of robots performing a dance or just one or two mingling with you crowd – you have to agree this is very unique!!!

SNAKE PERFORMERS AND CHARMERS

Ok, so snakes may not be very Christmassy but you could add a little ‘Middle Eastern’ theme where Lebanese food could be on the menu, but how about going that extra mile and hiring a ‘snake performer’ to really get that ‘Middle Eastern’ feel to your party.

We have only the best Snake Performers on our website advertised which is guaranteed to be extremely professional and of course ‘snake friendly’. 

STILT WALKERS

Being a stilt walker is no mean feat, it takes many hours to perfect the art of walking for long periods of time, with their colourful costumes and amazing routines high up in the clouds at least you’ll never lose him!!

Dressed to impress your very own stilt walker would be just the thing to get your crowd talking, these Stilt walkers can be a feature at your Christmas event, mix and mingling, serving drink and just generally brightening up the atmosphere.

THEMED WALKABOUT

No Christmas party would be complete without a themed walkabout artist; this well be just the thing.  Father Christmas, elves, or snow queens or how about arranging a magical enchanting ice-queen themed party, where your themed walkabout artists are dressed from head to toe in white ice-like costumes.

From medieval artists, to around the world themed dress, your party will have that perfect atmosphere that you were hoping for when you book one or more of these themed walkabouts.

How about a Ronald Dahl themed party?

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Many private parties and corporate events love theming parties around two staples in particular – a Midsummer Night’s dream and Alice in Wonderlands (Madhatters tea party). But with many other books available. We’re looking into the wonderful world of Roald Dahl party ideas.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

What a wonderful party this would be! There is no doubt a brilliant opportunity for caterers to get imaginative and conjure up all sorts of delicious treats for guests it also presents a brilliant theme for entertainment as well. Why not hire dancers to be oompa loompas and you could also hire a magical act to truly make you feel as though you’ve stepped into Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory.

Matilda

The Natural History Museum’s Hinze Hall would be a wonderful setting for a Roald Dahl themed party, certainly a large enough room for some of the magic that will undoubtedly take place as a Matilda event reaches its peak. A graffiti artist would be a wonderful addition (referencing the chalk-on-blackboard scene) whilst magicians would be an obvious addition to the occasion. Illusions on the stairs amongst Dippy the Dinosaur will surely be a must see! Just make sure you avoid Miss Trunchbull, the scariest of all costumed characters!!

The BFG

Imagine attending a party where everything is giant-sized! That’d certainly make Roald Dahl party games more fun! From the chairs made out of cotton reels to a scone the size of a table, this is sure to be a 2016 party theme to celebrate the release of the Steven Spielberg film! Wouldn’t that be fun? Giant pencils and mugs can function as theming props whilst the BFG himself can lurk outside a window. But what of the entertainment? With some sneaky production, it’d be possible to magnify the image of a band or circus act so that giants are really performing at your event!

James and the Giant Peach

Ok, perhaps not a real peach but for a James and the Giant Peach party, we think repurposing a circular venue such as the Royal Albert Hall, the London Planetarium or the Round House will be perfect. After that, we can then work on the entertainment. If it’s fruit-themed ideas you’re after, what about hiring a cocktail waiter that can shake up some alcoholic or non-alcoholic fruit cocktails?

The Twits

As any fan of The Twits will tell you, there are a number of moments in the story that stick out to a reader, not least the finale where The Twits believe they’re upside down. As such, how about sticking everything to the ceiling of your venue and having an ‘upside down’ party? With bird pie on the menu (or not, as the case may be), various practical jokes provided by top comedians and magicians and a few costumed characters to play the titular characters, there is more than enough here to create a brilliant (albeit highly expensive and unsafe) event. But hey, The Twits themselves would probably enjoy it!

2016 corporate party ideas

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It’s never too early to plan ahead. Many corporate and private clients often enjoy theming their larger parties (and smaller ones, as long as you can convince your mates to dress up) around national events happening that particular year. With this in mind, we thought we’d look ahead to see what trends might be coming up, which you may like to capitalise on. Without further ado, here are our popular party themes 2016

Rio 2016

Yes, like them or loathe them, the summer Olympics return next year with Rio 2016. Incredibly, it will have been four years since London 2012, where we all trekked over to Stratford to watch a game of Handball between a couple of Baltic nations and now it’s time to do it all over again next year. Coming live from Brazil in 2016, sporting entertainment is sure to be a big draw next year so get planning now!

According to Wikipedia, 2016 is set to be space crazy. You name it, it’s being planned. From a space hotel being launched for wealthy clients to various missions involving Mercury, Mars and Jupiter, there are huge plans afoot for 2016 and space travel. The sequel to Independence Day will surely only add to the fever in June, so get your thinking caps on if it’s space-themed event entertainment you’re after. What better venue than the Gherkin? There have been lots of space themes organised here already, so now it’s time to organise yours.

Harry Potter

Brace yourself, Muggles who love the young wizard are going to be out in force in 2016 with not one but two (or even three) new Potter releases thrust upon the world. But they won’t be in book form, oh no. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them will be an adaptation of a JK Rowling spinoff starring Eddie Redmayne, whilst Harry Potter and the Cursed Child will open in the West End in two parts. Magic costume, crazy food—All will be great entertainment theme ideas for your Harry Potter event in 2016. You can even host your very own private party here where the Harry Potter films were made!

A West End Musical event

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We all love musicals. Even those people who say that they don’t can be found screaming Grease Lightning at the top of their lungs at party events every summer. It makes sense then that musicals from the West End and Broadway are therefore commandeered for weddings, corporate events and private parties. 

Mary Poppins

Ah yes. Famous for dancing penguins, supercalifragilisticexpialidocious and Dick Van Dyke’s horrendous cockney accent, this is a musical that combines animation and live action to great effect. A family classic for all the family. But how does that translate to events?  Why not hire a dance troupe with some costumes and umbrellas and create a wonderful Poppins scene at authentic venue of your choice?

Sound of Music

For a merry West End sing-song of all the hits from the Sound of Music. Do-Re-Me, So Long Farewell, 16 Going on 17, Climb Every Mountain and My Favourite Things could be belted out to a costumed audience. Who doesn’t like this film?  Such an idea won’t be perfect for every corporate gathering but it certainly be a unique and pleasant experience!

Mamma Mia

Knowing Me, Knowing You, Dancing Queen, Waterloo… The hits are endless and as a result, why not book a tribute band and dance away? Or go wild and have a full on 70’s costumed event. Abba is everyone’s guilty pleasure. The result; a fabulously fun and entertaining party that is thoroughly enjoyed.

Jersey Boys

“Oh what a night!” is exactly what you’d be saying after experiencing a Jersey Boys Tribute act. That was exactly what to sing a medley of brilliant hits. Cherie, Walk Like a Man, Big Girls Don’t Cry, Who Loves You… Just some of the hits that can be Working My Way Back to You.

Rocky Horror

Richard O’ Brien’s greatest moment? Only if you wish to disregard his marvellous work on The Crystal Maze. Even so, the Rocky Horror Show is a huge cult musical that fans always like to dress up for.  These themed parties for the Rocky Horror never go out of fashion. Many bands love to recreate the songs from this show and everyone will love a bit of ‘closet’ dressing up!!

We will Rock you

There’s no reason this can’t be done in its entirety but for the certified Best Single of All Time, Bohemian Rhapsody. “Galileo! Galileo! Galileo Figaro! Magnifico…” We’ve got Freddie Mercury lookalikes before and know that an all-singing, all-dancing inspired Queen recreation would be the perfect musical experience for a corporate or private crowd. Fun fact for you: Robert De Niro was one of the producers of We Will Rock You in the West End. Amazing.

And if your event doesn’t go to plan?

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It’s the nightmare we’ve all dreaded. The band that you have your heart set on can no longer perform at your event. They were perfect in every way but alas, are already booked/ill/otherwise engaged.

So what can you do now? They were all you ever wanted! Well, here are a few tips.

Don’t Panic

It may be cliché to say it but let’s calm down a moment. Let’s think this through rationally. It’s just that the music won’t be provided by your first choice band. But nobody except you knows that. ‘Don’t Panic’ is the number one rule in the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy for a reason. Because panicking causes rash decisions and you definitely don’t want to do that. So breathe. In, out. That’s it. Now you’re getting it. Let’s think about what we can do to ensure that your event is just as perfect as you imagined.

Listen to the Band Again

Although you don’t realise it right now, this is shrewd advice. Listen to the band perform again with an analytical ear. Watch the videos. What is it about this band in particular that you liked? A three-piece? Acoustic? Their style? See if you can pinpoint exactly what it was that made you fall in love with their music in the first place.

Look on the Red Masque Directory

We have a wealth of party and event entertainment that you can book. Just look on our gallery. It’s true, some of our most popular acts are hugely popular for a reason and may not be available, but there are many bands who are just as good, ready to perform, aren’t quite as well known and may even save you a bit of a cash along the way. How’s that for a good deal?

But you want only the best

We only advertise the best event entertainers and we wouldn’t advertise a band you won’t be happy with. Just because some bands are more expensive than others, doesn’t mean they are necessarily better musicians. They may be just starting out they may be seasoned musicians who are starting a new band or they may have recently lowered their fee for a multitude of reasons. Either way, be assured that you are getting an incredible deal on your event entertainment.

Relax

In the days preceding your launch party, wedding or event, you may be fretting that this band still aren’t totally perfect but come on now, it’s time to think about something else. Sure enough, the day arrives and the band go down a storm. And that extra £200 can go behind the bar for all to enjoy. What a day, eh? All’s well that ends well.

Get your Christmas party organised now!!!!!

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Incredibly, it’s November already. Where on earth have the past ten months gone? It seems like only yesterday that we were being wowed by the Christmas lights of Bond Street. But now we look ahead to the next few months and like it or not, Christmas is drawing near. Which means a Christmas party needs to be organised? And Christmas entertainment needs to be sorted. Here are some ‘different’ slices of entertainment for your Christmas party

Magicians are brilliant and tend to navigate the party room with a sense of mystique following behind. Often dressed in a suit, they charm and move on, often somewhat surprising the next group whom haven’t noticed them as they wander the room., a costume could be put together in a bespoke manner for each event i.e. Christmas. Sure to get the crowds talking, they’re also great for a photo opportunity.

Stilt Walkers

Stilt walkers are available and will add surprise proving to be a hit with passers-by and clients alike. Having said that, they are more likely to be booked at Christmas events, entertaining as a meet and greet acts or ripping up the dance floor. The costumes can be bespoke especially for your Christmas event.

Living objects

Even the grumpiest Scrooge in the building will struggle not to smile at a festive circus act in the room. Living Christmas presents that will brighten up your venue. What more could you want? Well, what if the presents sprouted legs, hand out small gifts and get into all sorts of trouble and skirmishes as their competitive nature comes to fruition? A festive treat that has to be seen to be believed, this splendidly visual act can enhance any event at a low cost. A fun and entertaining way to get the room talking!

Photo booths
Photo booths are always great fun and offer up the opportunity to attempt to convince your friends that you’ve been whisked to Lapland rather than Lambeth, but if you’re looking for something even more spectacular this Christmas, a photo booth experience in the centre of your Christmas party! A ski simulator inside an inflatable dome, four people can compete to see who reigns supreme on the virtual slopes.

Virtual Polar Bear

Why have soft toys or a character from Frozen when you can have your very own polar bear at your party? Yes, a virtual Polar Bear exists to put all other Christmas parties to shame. Coming complete with blinking eyes, a sniffing nose, moving mouth and realistic sounds, this Polar Bear is a fully animatronic puppet that even comes with his own inflatable iceberg environment. Grab a coke and pose for a unique Christmas party photo!

Entertainment that will wow your guests

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Events are meant to be fun but also inspiring. Seeing the same sort of act at each function can perhaps make things a bit samey, so here are a few imaginative entertainment ideas that your guests may not be expecting.

Cirque du Cabaret

A unique act they are proud to be a source of unique kinetic cabaret sights, sounds and delights Cirque du Cabaret incorporate vintage circus themes to create visually arresting stage shows unlike anything you may have seen before. It is an imaginative act that has to be seen to be believed.

Cirque du Cabaret performed at the Canterbury Festival in 2014!

Living Statues

The ultimate in terms of a fun, imaginative, wandering act that will have even your most sullen of guest smiling, living statues are exactly what the name suggests. The living statues could be shaped as almost anything but imagine the surprise when what appears to be human-shaped hedges are in fact hedge-shaped humans.

A wonderfully creative act with detailed costumes, the strolling performers are sure to be a talking point for any evening.

Tropicalia

Tropicalia is a multi-award winning London based dance group. This high-impact dance show which can feature anywhere from 2 to 20 dancers.

These Brazilian and Latin dancers, singers, musicians and performers are all available to entertain you and your guests. They are all choreographed superbly and whatever the weather you can bring a bit a sunshine to any event.

D.J or V. J’s

VJ’s interact with DJ’S which brings together sound, lighting and video controls into a single user interface.

With 40 carefully selected snippets of sounds, players select and mix bass, drums, melodies and vocals by moving an object across a surface to create one of 10,000 possible playable combinations.

A must for any club or new bar on a weekly or promotion.

The Cheek of it

This international Burlesque star certainly has a lot of cheek!! She can mix and mingle with your guests or model your product. Lady cheek is very versatile and of course very unique.

This vivacious lady has wowed audiences with her captivating storytelling and silver screen elegance with a little comedy thrown in.

If you also wanted to learn the art of Burlesque, Lady Cheek has trained over 700 ladies each year the art of being fabulous.

A perfect talking point for your event – you won’t find better.