Everyone dreams of Christmas in The Big Apple. How could they not? Skating at Rockefeller Center, window shopping on Fifth Avenue, Central Park draped in white. These are the images of the holidays, even for NYC event planners. Even seasoned New Yorkers pine for the nostalgia of the season when the wind starts biting, and department store Santas can be seen riding the number five to Grand Central Station.
So when you’re planning holiday parties in New York City, you have a lot to live up to and can always use a freshly curated list of holiday party hotspots around the Big Apple. Capture the spirit of the season when you bag any of these 11 festive NYC holiday party venues, and you’ll feel like an event planning Santa yourself.
1. NEBULA
If your holiday party calls for a transformative and immersive experience featuring cutting-edge video technology and state-of-the-art sound quality, look no further than NEBULA. This 10,000 sq. ft. venue in the center of Midtown Manhattan with lofty 27-foot-high ceilings and an expansive performance stage will level up your event.
An upscale, high-energy club, NEBULA is known as the ultimate destination for devotees of EDM and the industry’s leading DJs. A screen panel ablaze with 1,700 LED lights, dynamic and multifaceted lighting, and an advanced sound system will transport your guests to an electrifying realm of sensory experience.
NEBULA can provide everything you need for an unforgettable holiday party. With full-service event planning and a full array of VIP services, your holiday party will be luxurious and communicate exclusivity, innovation, and relevance.
2. Lavan 541 Midtown
Every so often, architecture combines with technology to create a space that captures everything right with our times. Lavan 541 Midtown is that rare gem. Modern and sleek, Lavan 541 Midtown offers a white canvas offset with clean lines of LED lights and wrapped with a 145 ft projection screen. Luxurious and high-tech, Lavan Midtown is the ideal venue for your upscale holiday party.
With 5,000 sq. ft. and 20-foot ceilings, Lavan 541 Midtown has two main spaces. The Pre-Function Room will seat 150 guests. But the Skylight Room is the real showstopper. There, you can treat 120 of your closest friends to a magnificent view of the New York skyline.
You can hire your favorite chef to cater your holiday party at Lavan 541 Midtown. However, only in-house beverages are allowed. But we promise your guests won’t mind. With a full bar, breakout rooms, dance floor, and other amenities, they will have an unforgettable evening at Lavan 541 Midtown.
3. Cipriani
With understated elegance and the charm of old-world Italian cuisine, Cipriani is in a class all by itself. Book your holiday party in any of Cipriani’s five New York locations without ever traveling far from the venue’s simple yet classy hospitality.
Cipriani 25 Broadway is a grand hall with marble columns, inlaid floors, and hand-painted murals that will transport your guests to Italy for the evening. Located in Manhattan, Cipriani 42nd Street® is a sophisticated blend of soaring ceilings and dazzling chandeliers.
Cipriani also has awe-inspiring venues in Lower Manhattan and near Wall Street. Or if your holiday party is a cozy affair, book Cipriani’s restaurant in the Upper West Side, Harry’s Table.
No matter its size or style, your holiday party will warm your guests with authentic Italian cuisine and old-fashioned hospitality.
4. HK Hall
With world-class cuisine, a dance floor, and robust sound and visual equipment, you could say HK Hall has it all. And so will your holiday party when you book this historic venue in the heart of exciting and vibrant Hell’s Kitchen. Combine top-tier catering and a vast stage with advanced production capabilities for a one-of-a-kind holiday party.
Your holiday party guests will be wowed with a menu created by Chef Saul Montiel, whose creations have been featured on the Food Channel and more. They’ll never be thirsty with four full-service bars, even after hours of dancing on a spacious ballroom floor. Make your holiday party anything you want it to be with full-service offerings at HK Hall.
5. Hard Rock Hotel
When your holiday event needs something extra special, you need the Hard Rock Hotel. With several venues within this sprawling Midtown luxury hotel, Hard Rock Hotel offers versatility and variety.
First up is the The Venue on Music Row. This picturesque, 6,000 sq. ft. event space with a mezzanine can accommodate up to 400 guests. The Menu on Music Row offers turnkey holiday party planning with a full bar, food, holiday décor, and entertainment.
NYY Steak, located within the Hard Rock Hotel, is the ideal venue when your holiday party calls for a first-class dining experience. With dimmed lighting, Mozambique wood walls, and blue leather seating, NYY Steak offers an intimate and luxuriant setting for your gathering. Invite up to 150 guests to this 1,800 sq. ft. space that also features a performance stage.
If you’re looking for more of a private atmosphere for your holiday party, book the Rock Star Suite at Hard Rock Hotel. With floor-to-ceiling windows and expansive views of Midtown Manhattan, the Rock Star Suite lives up to its name. Host a cozy dinner and let your guests spread out in the spacious entertaining area.
6. Sony Hall
The music at your holiday party will take center stage when you book Sony Hall. Steeped in the history of vaudeville, Sony Hall merges New York’s iconic past with Sony’s most advanced A/V technology. Sony Hall’s Avant Garde flair belies its sophisticated entertainment equipment.
Your NYC holiday party guests will be enveloped in sound with Sony’s 360 Reality Audio. Sony Hall is equipped throughout with 30 first-rate speakers for an immersive experience. And you can catch it all on video with a 4K remote camera system, perfect for capturing the perfect promotional material.
Sony Hall is a stone's throw from Times Square and can accommodate up to 1,000 guests. With 12,000 sq. ft., full-service restaurant and bar, and turnkey service, you can put on a holiday party that exceeds expectations.
7. Somewhere Nowhere
Located in Chelsea, Somewhere Nowhere is the perfect venue for a holiday party with an artsy vibe. With an eclectic, garden-inspired décor lined with velvet baguettes and boasting a lighted, amber bar overlooking the NYC skyline, Somewhere Nowhere is a venue that inspires creativity and out-of-the-box thinking.
Somewhere Nowhere is an entertainment venue with space for live performances and a KV2 Audio sound system. The venue is 5,516 sq. ft., including the outdoor area, and can accommodate up to 500 guests. Event planners can take advantage of on-site catering and full bar service.
Somewhere Nowhere is an ideal venue for a holiday party that captures both the season's wistfulness and New York's magic.
8. Altman Building
The Altman Building is that rare blank slate where your vision can flourish. A landmark building in Chelsea, the Altman Building offers a sprawling main-floor space with hardwood floors and a breathtaking vaulted ceiling of exposed brick. With nearly no columns and expansive windows, this unbroken, vast space is ready for whatever your holiday event requires.
This sweeping venue continues with a lower level, VIP suite, and kitchen. With 14,000 sq. ft., cutting-edge A/V technology, and full event planning services, The Altman Building is all set to bring your grand vision to life.
9. Brooklyn Winery
Brooklyn Winery puts the happy in Happy Holidays with stressless party planning and lots of festive libations. Located in the vibrant Williamsburg neighborhood, Brooklyn Winery brings the passion of winemaking to The City That Never Sleeps.
You can invite up to 800 holiday party guests to your event at Brooklyn Winery. Or you can keep your holiday party a small, intimate event. The venue offers turnkey event planning services, from décor to linen napkins. Brooklyn Winery specializes in fresh, seasonal ingredients in traditional comfort food, and, of course, prize-winning wines to make the season bright.
10. The Edison Ballroom
Few places capture the elegance of Old New York like The Edison Ballroom. Located adjacent to the famed Edison Hotel in Times Square, The Edison Ballroom captures Art Deco grandeur and splendor. With a grand staircase, textured finishes, and geometric lines, the Edison Hotel is the perfect location for your upscale holiday party.
Invite up to 1,000 holiday party guests to this 17,000 sq. ft. venue with ballroom, mezzanine, and lounge. The Edison Ballroom has a 600 sq. ft. stage that can be retrofitted with a runway extension. A state-of-the-art sound system and intelligent lighting are available free of charge.
In-house catering by celebrity chef Mina Newman is also available. Or you can opt for outside catering. Upon request, your guests can also enjoy three full-service bars or a floating bar.
11. Bryant Park Grill
If you find winter in New York too marvelous to be cooped up inside, book your holiday party at the Bryant Park Grill, where you can enjoy the garden in a heated tent. Located behind the famed New York Public Library, Bryant Park Grill is a picturesque backdrop for an unmistakably New York party.
With in-house catering and bar service, the Bryant Park Grill is a stress-free oasis during a season chock full of to-dos. The venue is also one of the most environmentally friendly on our list. With locally sourced food, sustainable seafood, and eco-friendly straws, the Bryant Park Grill stresses sustainability during a season fraught with excess.
Celebrate the Holidays in New York Style
There you have it, all the most festive NYC holiday venues to add to your seasonal event planning list. With all the bustling city magic in the air, there’s something about the allure of the Big Apple awash in Christmas lights that summons the spirit of the season. Not even the North Pole has anything on these kinds of event experiences during the holidays - and especially when you book your holiday party at any of these festive NYC holiday venues.
Meet all the top venues and event services at The Event Planner Expo. It’s the one annual conference that welcomes thousands of the top event services providers in the industry, event planners and NYC venues included! Get your tickets here and come back often to our ongoing blog series for more hotspot lists for all the NYC events you curate!
