We’re going to break down everything you need to know about how to throw an awesome event in Cardiff 2023, whether that be a work do, birthday party or your wedding!
Theme
Establishing a theme means you can tie everything together and help you choose all the smaller details. Another great aspect of the theme, is of course, the costumes if that’s something that floats your boat. There are plenty of fantastic fancy dress options to buy or hire in Cardiff.
You could try The Joke Shop on Duke Street.
Music
A great way of personalising your party is creating a playlist that suits your guests and en captures your theme. Our Bluetooth package makes this super easy, and allows anyone to connect to the speakers via a Bluetooth receiver and be in control of the music. Our QSC speakers are of the highest audio quality.
Alternatively, there are numerous options for wedding DJs and live bands in Cardiff. Our party packages are perfect for creating a dance floor with atmosphere and guarantee to get everyone up dancing.
Entertainment
Whether you want to stay low key, or go all out, party entertainment is a must and of course, isn’t just for kids. Some options available for hire in Cardiff that could elevate your event into something extraordinary include, magicians, giant party games, bubble performers, stilt walkers and acrobats.
Venue
Not just for students, house parties are a perfect economical choice to celebrate without the cost of hiring somewhere and other costs associated with this.
Transforming your own living space into a suitable setting for a party can be a lot of fun and is easily done with the help of our live party package. This package will sort your speakers, lights and smoke and help you celebrate in style.
Or if you’re looking to hire somewhere, the opportunities in Cardiff are wide ranging and diverse. There is everything from basic halls, to cocktail clubs, warehouses and chapels.
Most clubs in the city centre will hire out space for private events with capacity up to 100. We have compiled a list covering weddings, parties and corporate events that include something for everyone.
Temple of Peace
The temple of peace is a truly unique grade II listed building in Cathays Park, close to Cardiff city centre. It can serve 160 sit down guests and up to 200 for your evening party.
The temple provides a stylish and enchanting setting with staggeringly high ceilings and a team of esteemed chefs offering a range of cuisines. The temple is owned by the charity the Welsh Centre for International Affairs.
The marble hall features marble pillars, art deco lighting and 34 feet picture windows and serves as a highly memorable backdrop for your special day. There is also the smaller cosy council chamber which can host up to 60 guests and is home to Lord Davies’ impressive book collection.
The temple has an in house wedding planner who can assist you with all aspects of planning, and you will have exclusive use of the temple to celebrate your wedding. A visit to the Temple is highly recommended to truly appreciate it’s majestic surroundings.
City Hall
City Hall is a spacious and majestic wedding venue with a range of elegant spaces that can cater from large weddings of up to 500 guests down to much more intimate ceremonies.
City Hall was opened in 1906, one year after Cardiff received its city status and is built from Portland Stone. Internal features of the building include an extensive art collection, ornate stained glass windows, a grand dome, carved oak panelling and marble pillars.
It also has extensive gardens and has a pool and fountain located at the front of the building which is the perfect backdrop for wedding photos, and makes it one of the most popular locations for weddings in Cardiff. The in house catering team will provide a bespoke dinner menu for your big day.
Cardiff Castle
Cardiff Castle is one of the most exclusive wedding venues in Cardiff and a luxurious setting for an extra special occasion. It has an array of options to choose from depending on how many guests you need to accommodate.
The castle is a medieval and dates back to 55AD. It stands proud in the centre of Cardiff and boasts fairytale towers, unique architecture and magnificent decor. The castle could be a perfect location if you’re looking for an intimate and traditional celebration, with space for between 30 to 100 guests.
The castle’s towers can provide accommodation for up to 30 guests and can take care of catering with a personalised dinner menu to suit your preferences. There are stunning grounds that can provide a great space for your wedding photos.
Wedding Package
Parties
Inkspot Venue
Inkspot Venue is a creative community space set in an old church on the corner of Clifton Street in the Splott area of Cardiff and is known for supporting local artists. It is absolutely full of character and has hosted all kinds of events from drum and bass and live music gigs to festivals to flea markets.
It is large and versatile, with plenty of space for dancing the night away until the early hours. The experienced team promises to help you put together an awesome night.
Ocean Arts Centre
The Ocean Arts Centre close to Cardiff Bay is a multipurpose centre that has regular community sessions taking place every week, but is also available for private hire for all types of parties. They have a bar licence from 6pm to 11:30pm and they can host you until midnight on a weekend.
Their facilities include a good sized stage, two halls, a lounge bar, kitchen and store room. They are prized for their friendly atmosphere and accessibility, and run popular regular live music nights.
The intimate space can be personalised in whichever way you see fit and provide an excellent base for a night to remember. Get in touch via their website to see what dates are available.
Chapel 1877
Chapel 1877 is a restaurant and bar in a restored three storey chapel built in 1877 and situated on Churchill Way, in the heart of town. The building is French-Italian gothic themed and features stone walls and authentic windows, providing a magnificent backdrop for a stylish night.
They have a range of options depending on the size of your party. There’s the gallery restaurant, gastro bar serving luxury cocktails and a function suite, with a capacity of 100 people.
They also have dedicated staff to support you with organising all the details. There are a number of catering packages to choose from, including buffet, and canape menus. Chapel 1877 is a truly unique setting for a celebration with a difference!
Our party package is the perfect accompaniment to planning an awesome party in Cardiff. It includes two QSC K8 speakers, a party light, a smoke machine and all cables and stands. This package is ideal for around 150 guests and will ensure you have a real party atmosphere.
Corporate
Hilton Hotel
The Hilton Hotel in the centre of Cardiff is an obvious choice for a corporate event as they are kitted out with world renowned facilities.
They have a whole floor dedicated to meetings and events, and a business centre and executive lounge that serves as a perfect break out space. The hotel boasts lots of natural daylight, air conditioning and views of Cardiff Castle.
For smaller meetings, the Bute suite will comfortably accommodate fourteen people in a boardroom set up. They will provide a meeting package with a choice of menus to cater for up to 25 delegates.
If you have guests travelling to you from across Wales or beyond, the Hilton has 197 spacious rooms for those needing to stay overnight. On top of this, there is also an in-house restaurant, lounge and health club all on site and the venue is well connected to public transport.
Royal Welsh
The Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama is an architecturally unique and world class conferencing centre. The stunning building is set in the grounds of Cardiff castle and adjacent to Bute Park.
They have ten state of the art breakout and meeting rooms as well as much bigger facilities catering for larger numbers of guests, making them a sought after choice for corporate events of many sizes.
They also have a versatile exhibition gallery, cafe, bar and open air terrace that overlooks Bute Park.
Their in house catering can offer everything from refreshments to buffets and canapes and they can even provide musicians to perform to really create a memorable experience.
Bute Park Visitor Centre
The Bute Park Visitor Centre is an unique small conference and meeting venue in the heart of Cardiff. Grade 1 listed historic Bute park certainly provides an awesome backdrop, with 130 acres of landscaped parkland that once formed the grounds of th castle.
The building is used for a number of functions, built to be a hub of information and learning.
Its features include a grass roof, solar panels and timber clad facade, built with sustainability in mind.
It is suited to meetings, workshops, seminars and small conferences, and can host up to 50 people.
There is a main classroom, optional break out room and a reception area. Fantastic high quality catering can also be provided.
We have a number of corporate packages that can be tailor made to you and help your event run smoothly, no matter how big or small.
Food And Drink
Bars
An ideal solution if you’re looking to throw an event in your own house, or from a smaller venue that doesn’t have their own bar, is to hire your own portable bar. This ensures there will be the perfect drink for every guest!
The Pop Up Bar Co.
The Pop Up Bar Hire Co based in Cardiff have a number of custom built bar units that can be used indoors or outdoors.
With a range of packages available, you can hire just the bar and provide your own drinks, or go the full hog and hire licensed bar staff and mixologists who will create a custom cocktail menu just for you, covering everything from rum to lager.
Their bars can be set up pretty much anywhere, across Wales and only take around 30 minutes to be set up.
The Roaming Caravan Co.
The Roaming Caravan Co is a bespoke mobile bar restored from a 1972 Sprite 400 Caravan. They can provide a full bar service including hand crafted cocktails and hot drinks if required.
They provide a really unique service and will bring a festival vibe to your celebration. They are available for hire for weddings and parties across Cardiff and South Wales.
Grazing Tables
One food trend that doesn’t look set to go anywhere in 2023 is grazing tables. They are a stylish alternative to a sit down meal, like a cooler version of a buffet. They work great for more informal events and mean that guests can snack as and when they want.
Alongside being very Instagram friendly, they are simple but effective, can cater for multiple food and dietary preferences, for guests of all ages and can be very budget friendly if you want to make your own.
Alternatively there are some great Cardiff businesses that are highly experienced in creating them and can do all the work for you.
Cardiff Grazing Co.
Cardiff grazing co.offer bespoke platters using local produce and are champions of Welsh cheese and charcuterie.
Little Pickers Grazing
Little Pickers Grazing creates show stopping tables and platters for pretty much any event in Cardiff and South Wales.
Street Food
If grazing isn’t your thing, then there are some brilliant options for pop ups and street food style vendors across Wales that will bring an extra level of cool and that festival feel to your event.
Meet and Greek
Meat and Greek are a family run company who bring “flame grilled Greek goodness” to events around Cardiff. Their exceptional BBQ catering is hugely popular for good reason.
Ffwrnes Pizza
Ffwrnes Pizza serve up freshly baked Neapolitan pizza from their wood fired ovens featuring toppings from some of Wales’ best independent producers and are key players in the Cardiff street food circuit. They are available for catering events of all sizes.
Knowledge is Power
By using our guide on how to plan an awesome event in Cardiff 2023, and taking advantage of some of the fantastic venues and businesses on offer, we think you’ll have everything you need to create a day or night to remember.