The key to planning a Christmas party is to settle the date and venue first, and the rest falls into place. Book 8-12 weeks ahead, send invitations early, collect dietary needs in good time and plan the night in three parts: welcome, dinner and party. Here is the full checklist.
See Christmas parties in Bergen
The timeline, from first idea to last dance
8-12 weeks before: agree on budget, guest numbers and date. Book the venue and menu. Fridays and Saturdays in late November and early December go first.
6-8 weeks before: send a save the date, then the invitation with an RSVP deadline.
3-4 weeks before: decide on the programme, entertainment and any hotel rooms.
2 weeks before: give the restaurant final numbers, allergies and dietary needs. [SJEKK: restaurants' deadline for final numbers]
The week before: share practical info: time, place, dress code and how people get home.
On the day: arrive early, check the seating and have one person in charge of speeches and programme.
Budget: what does a Christmas party cost?
Start with the amount per person and work backwards. Food is the biggest item, but drinks can match it. Examples from our 2026 Christmas parties:
Christmas buffet at Matbaren på Zander K: NOK 995 per person
Classic Christmas party at Grand Hotel Terminus: NOK 995 per person
Three-course Christmas dinner at Frescohallen: NOK 1195 per person
Japanese Christmas-inspired five-course menu at Izakaya Skostredet: NOK 1295 per person
Decide in advance whether the company covers drinks, a set number of drinks or none. Set aside money for taxis or hotel rooms, and for a small surprise during the evening.
Choose a venue: what to look for
Before you look at the menu, check that the venue suits the group:
Capacity: is there room for everyone, including late sign-ups? Frescohallen takes up to 250 people per group, and Grand Hotel Terminus and Zander K Hotel host private Christmas parties for up to 230. Engen Steakhouse has three rooms for 2 to 100 guests.
Private room or shared hall: do you want the venue to yourselves, or is sharing with other parties fine?
Music and dancing: can you play music, and until when?
Location: is the venue close to hotels, taxis and bars for later?
Flexibility: can the kitchen handle allergies and vegetarian guests without anyone having a lesser evening?
Send an event venue inquiry with date, numbers and budget, and you will get a concrete proposal back.
Choose a format: buffet, set menu or something different
Christmas buffet suits large groups and lets everyone choose. Pinnekjøtt (cured lamb ribs), pork rib and lutefisk on the same table.
Set menu makes for a calmer evening where everyone eats together, and speeches are easier.
Alternative Christmas party for those who have had enough pinnekjøtt: Fresquito offers Spanish tapas, Izakaya Skostredet a Japanese Christmas menu.
Private room when you want to be on your own. We have five private dining rooms in Bergen city centre.
Just a few of you? A Christmas party for small groups may be the simplest choice.
If your team is international, explain the julebord tradition in the invitation. For many, the Norwegian Christmas party is a highlight of the year in Norway.
The invitation: what to include
Date, time and address
What is included and what guests pay for themselves
RSVP deadline and who to reply to
Questions about allergies, vegetarian food and alcohol-free drinks
Dress code, in plain words: "smart" means different things to different people
Whether there is a hotel option, and how to book a room
For vegetarian guests, see our tips on vegetarian Christmas food in Bergen.
Christmas party activities and entertainment
The best Christmas party has a little programme, but not too much. A welcome drink, a short speech and one activity during dinner is enough for most groups. Once the food is done, let people talk and dance.
Christmas party entertainment ideas:
Christmas quiz between courses, with questions about the company and the year
Awards of the year, such as "colleague of the year" or "idea of the year"
Sing-along with a Christmas song rewritten for the company
DJ or music after dinner. At the Christmas party at Matbaren på Zander K the DJ plays until midnight
Photo corner with Santa hats, props and a phone on a tripod
Entertainment should never embarrass anyone. Keep it inclusive, and let those who prefer to sit and chat do so. [SJEKK: whether De Bergenske can arrange a DJ or musicians for private parties]
The speech: short, personal and before the main course
The Christmas party speech is often what people remember most, for better or worse:
Keep it under five minutes. People are hungry.
Place it early, after the starter or before the main course.
Mention people, not numbers. Thank people for their effort, not for hitting targets.
End with a toast. In Norway that means "skål", and everyone knows the speech is over.
With several speakers, agree on order and timing in advance and tell the restaurant so the service can adapt.
Christmas party games for adults
A good party game gets people who barely know each other laughing together:
Who is who: everyone submits an unknown fact about themselves in advance. Read them out and let the table guess.
The gift game: each guest brings a small gift within an agreed budget. Swap them with dice or in turns.
Name on the forehead: each guest gets a note with a famous person or Christmas character and guesses who they are with yes or no questions.
Table quiz in teams: each table is a team. Five questions between each course keeps the pace up.
Christmas Pictionary: carols, dishes and Christmas films drawn on a napkin.
Pick one or two games. Any more, and people start checking the time.
Practicalities: getting home, hotel rooms and responsibility
The night is not over until everyone is safely home. Agree in advance how people get home and include it in the invitation.
Hotel stay: the simplest solution is a Christmas party with a hotel stay in the city centre, with Christmas breakfast the next day.
Alcohol-free: offer good alternatives, not just water and soft drinks.
One contact person: have one person the restaurant can reach during the evening.
Coats and bags: ask the venue how they handle this for large groups.
Prefer something calmer at midday? A Christmas lunch in Bergen is a good alternative.
After the party: thanks, photos and next year
The job is not quite done when the lights go out. Send a short thank you the next day, ideally with a few photos from the photo corner. Ask three or four people what worked and what could be different.
Write down the date, venue, numbers, price and feedback in a simple note. Next year's organiser gets a head start, and you will not start from scratch if the job lands on your desk again.
Frequently asked questions
When should you book a Christmas party?
You should book a Christmas party 8-12 weeks before the date, and earlier if you are a large group or want a Friday or Saturday. The most popular nights in late November and early December fill up first. Weekdays and dates in early November usually give you more choice and more space.
What do you wear to a Norwegian Christmas party?
Most people dress up for a Norwegian Christmas party: a dress, skirt or smart trousers for women, and a suit or blazer for men. Many companies write "smart" or "dark suit" in the invitation. Alternative parties, such as tapas or Japanese, are often a little more relaxed. Spell out the dress code so guests do not have to guess.
What happens at a julebord?
At a julebord, colleagues or friends eat Christmas food, give speeches and celebrate the year together. The evening usually starts with a welcome drink, continues with dinner and ends with dancing or music. Many add a quiz, a party game or awards between courses to get everyone involved.
How much does a Christmas party cost per person?
At De Bergenske, a Christmas party costs from NOK 995 to NOK 1295 per person for the food in 2026. The Christmas buffet at Zander K and the classic party at Grand Hotel Terminus cost NOK 995 per person, while the three-course Christmas dinner at Frescohallen costs NOK 1195. Drinks, entertainment and hotel rooms are extra.
How do you make sure everyone feels included?
You include the most people by setting the date early, being clear about the price and answering questions in the invitation before they are asked. Ask about allergies and diets, offer good alcohol-free drinks and choose entertainment that does not force anyone onto a stage. Consider a Christmas lunch as well for those who cannot do an evening.
With the date set, the menu chosen and the invitation sent, most of the work is done. We will take care of the rest: Christmas food, table settings and a night people will talk about until next Christmas.
Our hotels in Bergen city centre
More inspiration from Bergen
Christmas party with hotel stay
The best thing about a Christmas party at a hotel is that the night does not end in the taxi queue. Here is how to combine julebord, a room and Christmas breakfast in central Bergen.
Christmas lunch in Bergen
Julelunsj is the daytime version of the Norwegian Christmas party. Here is where to eat pinnekjøtt, lutefisk and a full Christmas plate in central Bergen, with 2026 prices.
Summer party in Bergen
The summer party is the bright sibling of the Christmas party. Here is where your company can celebrate summer in central Bergen, outdoors or in, from a small team to the whole organisation.
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