YORK is rapidly becoming the place to have your hen night in the winter months as well as the summer.

According to new data, the city, which has always been popular with brides-to-be in the warm weather, is now also set to become an all year round destination for hens, after a dramatic surge in bookings during the cold months.

Data supplied by stag and hen party specialists Last Night of Freedom shows that York is now outselling almost every location in Europe for hen parties staged late in the year.

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The boss of the Tyneside-based company said the all-year-round boom is a result of York earning a reputation for being a 'party paradise'.

“Hens simply can’t get enough of York, it has become the ultimate hen party do destination,” said managing director Matt Mavir.

York Press: Matt Mavir, the managing director of Last Night of FreedomMatt Mavir, the managing director of Last Night of Freedom (Image: Supplied)

Figures from the firm shown that York is currently outselling almost any other party powerhouse for hen weekends staged between October 2023 and February 2024.

The likes of Prague, Krakow and Amsterdam – traditionally some of the biggest party destinations during the winter period – now trail in York’s wake.

Ahead of the coming winter period, only Liverpool and Newcastle are outselling York, something Mr Mavir said was “once unthinkable”.

He said: “Before Covid, Dublin outsold York by almost five-to-one during the winter months. This year, York has overtaken it.

“The buzz about the city is off-the-charts, and you can see why it would be really appealing for a group of hens during the winter.

“The Shambles is fantastic whatever the month, while the Christmas markets are also a huge pull for hens later in the year. When the snow falls, the city has a fairytale feel.”

The out-of-season sales surge comes amid an ongoing battle in the city between party organisers and politicians, including York Central MP Rachael Maskell, have tried curbing York’s growth as a stag and hen party destination.

Ms Maskell previously accused Last Night of Freedom of 'wanting to make profit out of the misery' of people living in the city and said that if Mr Mavir lived anywhere near York, he would clearly hear the concerns that residents have across the city with the prevalence of groups drinking in the city, including those here for stag and hen weekends.

York Press: Rachael MaskellRachael Maskell (Image: Newsquest)

However, Mr Mavir says York’s growth has brought huge economic benefits, with stags and hens alone are estimated to be worth tens of millions to the city each year, sustaining thousands of jobs across York.