If you’re lost for ideas of what kind of Christmas party you’re after this year, you would be best advised to check out one of Northampton’s most popular venues, The Picturedrome.
Over the course of a typical month, the Kettering Road bar and restaurant offers everything from a quiet drink or a meal with friends to live music, comedy and quiz nights, and tea dances.
And that doesn’t change much in December, when the usual fare is of offer alongside Christmas Party nights where local bands and DJs play all the classics that get everyone in the festive mood.
Formerly part of the Richardson group, The Picturedrome was the subject of a management buy-out six years ago by Chris D’alessio, who had managed the venue under the previous owners, and his business partner Suzy Keeping. Since then, the pair have worked hard to offer as wide and varied a calendar as possible, retaining the character of The Picturedrome but building on its popularity and adding touches of their own including a recent refurbishment and the introduction of catering and equipment hire for outside events.
Suzy Keeping said:
“Chris was manager here before we bought it, so we knew didn’t need to change things radically, it was already pretty much the way we wanted it to be.
“Our aim is just to give people a good reason to come out and have a good time. Throughout the year we put on a lot of tribute nights, local DJs, comedy nights, quiz nights, and we’re very selective about the quality of the music and acts we book.
“At the beginning, we invested a lot in our sound stage and lighting and there’s not really anywhere similar locally that comes close in terms of sound and equipment. A lot of acts agree to play here simply because the sound is so good.
“And we try to give customers a variety, something different every time, and, unless it’s an event with an external promoter, when it’s out of our hands, we like to keep it aff ordable, mostly under £15 a ticket.”
Events in the run-up to Christmas include:
- November 30 – Boombastic’s Christmas Silent Disco
- December 5 – Comedy Night
- December 6 – Boombastic Footloose 80s Christmas Party
- December 7 – Boombastic Christmas Decades Party
- December 11 – Luke Combs UK
- December 13 & 14 – Christmas Party Nights
- December 16 – Billy Lockett’s Christmas Show
- December 20 – Link N Park tribute night
- December 21 – Superfly Disco
Suzy added:
“A lot of our customers are businesses or groups of family and friends who want a night out but don’t necessarily want to go all the way into town, and who are looking for a clean, safe venue where the emphasis is on customer service.
“Most of our events tend to turn into a party night anyway, so it’s ideal if you’re looking for something informal and casual, and we will always try to accommodate larger groups with their own seating area wherever we can. We can also do private hire with space for up to 120 people.
“Food options range from a bar snack or sharing platter through to the full menu, so everyone can choose for themselves once they get here. The menus are gastro-pub style and we’re very popular with businesspeople, couples, young families during the day, and, at the other end of the scale, with the mainly retired people who come to our regular rock-and-roll tea dances.”
The food at The Picturedrome is from local sources wherever possible and cooked fresh on the premises. Since Chris and Suzy took over, they’ve also added the option of outside catering for customers who are holding their own events or parties.
Equipment hire is also available, so a sound stage and lighting can be set up at customers’ own premises or venues, or for marquee events.
“If anyone is considering holding their own Christmas party, maybe at their offices if they have space, we can provide food either from our catering menus, or bespoke if they would like something a little bit different. And, with a full range of equipment hire, we can set up and help run an event, for example, with music or a stage for presentations, if they need it.”
Christmas is booking up fast at The Picturedrome, and all details including times and prices of events throughout December can be found on the website.
Find out more by calling 01604 230777 or visit www.thepicturedrome.com
