Festive parties need festive songs, but not all night. The trick is to choose the ones everyone knows and place them where they'll have most impact.
The essentials
- Merry Xmas Everybody, Slade
- I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday, Wizzard
- Fairytale of New York, The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl
- All I Want for Christmas Is You, Mariah Carey
- Last Christmas, Wham!
- Do They Know It's Christmas?, Band Aid
- Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree, Brenda Lee
- Merry Christmas Everyone, Shakin' Stevens
For a smoother, swing feel
- Let It Snow
- White Christmas
- It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas
- Santa Baby
The Michael Bublé tribute lists a Christmas show, and the Karen Carpenter tribute has a Christmas show too.
How to use Christmas songs in a set
- During dinner: soft festive swing at background level.
- Mid-set: two or three Christmas singalongs once the dance floor is full.
- Finale: a big Christmas anthem to end the night.
Too many festive songs in a row can empty the floor, so ask the act to mix them with party hits.
Requests
Ask your act which Christmas songs they perform. Bands such as Maxed Out can often add one or two festive favourites with notice.
Quick answers
Should the act play Christmas songs all night?
No. A handful, placed well, works better.
Which song is best for the finale?
Big singalongs such as Merry Xmas Everybody or All I Want for Christmas Is You are reliable choices.
Next steps
Ask for a festive act for your Christmas party.
Ready to find your act?
Flair Entertainments has been booking entertainers for clients across the UK since 1984. Send us your date, venue and the kind of night you want and we’ll come back with acts that suit.
