Comedians to book for your Christmas party

Booking a comedian for your Christmas party is the highest-risk entertainment decision of the year, and the one most often left latest. The room's been drinking since six, the acoustics are against you, and half the audience is there because their manager said so. Material that kills at a conference can die completely.

These eleven comedians all work December rooms. They run loosely from the biggest names down to the value picks, and every one of them has been tested in front of a distracted, well-fed audience.

What should you look for in a Christmas party comedian?

Look for broad, tested material and someone who's worked corporate December rooms before. A Christmas party audience spans every age and every department, nobody chose to be there, and they'll talk over you unless the act is strong enough to pull them back. Recognition helps. A strong client list helps more.

Twenty to thirty minutes is the standard set. Get the comedian on before the room gets too far into the evening, and give them a proper stage and sound, because a comic working from the corner of a function room with a handheld mic is fighting your venue as well as your audience.

When should you book a comedian for a Christmas party?

Book by September for a December date, and by July if you want a named act on a Friday or Saturday in the second week of December. That fortnight is the busiest window in the UK comedy calendar, and the best acts are held long before most organisers start looking.

If you're booking late, midweek dates and the first week of December open up far more options, as does a slightly less famous name with a stronger corporate track record. That trade is usually the better one anyway, because a comic doing forty corporate rooms a year will read yours faster than a bigger name who does four.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long should a Christmas party comedy set be?

Twenty to thirty minutes. Longer and a drinking room starts to drift, whoever's on stage. If you want more, book two shorter sets either side of a break rather than stretching one act.

When in the evening should the comedian go on?

After the main course and before the room fragments, usually between 9pm and 10pm. Too early and people are still eating and arriving. Too late and you're asking a comedian to compete with the bar and the dancefloor.

Can you ask a comedian to keep it clean?

Yes, and everyone here works to a brief. Say what clean means for your organisation, since it ranges from no swearing at all to no material on specific subjects. Ask at enquiry rather than on the night.

Should the comedian also host the evening?

It often works well and saves a second booking, though hosting and performing are different jobs. Our guide to what you're actually booking when you book a comedian sets out the difference, and the comedians who host awards ceremonies covers who does both.

💡 Still looking for your Christmas party act? Tell us the date, the venue and the size of the room, and we'll find the perfect PepTalk expert for your organisation. Send us a message and we'll set up a free strategy call. Remember, it's always a good time to get a PepTalk!