York ahead of Benidorm and London for hen party bookings

Last Night of Freedom, which helps organise stag and hen dos, says York’s reputation as a ‘party paradise’ has seen it take become the third most-booked hen do location in Europe in 2023.

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Matt Mavir, the managing director of the Tyneside based business, said more women are shunning sunshine breaks to the continent and ignoring capital cities like London and Edinburgh to choose York as the base for their celebrations.

According to data analysed by leading stag and hen party firm Last Night of Freedom, the city was the third most-booked hen do location in Europe in 2023.

Last Night of Freedom managing director, Matt Mavir (Image: Supplied)

Mr Mavir said: “Hens appreciate the warm welcome they get from York’s buzzing city centre bars and restaurants and it’s always been a popular location for people celebrating ahead of tying the knot,” said Matt.

“Thankfully for businesses in the city, efforts to single out hen parties haven’t forced our customers to go elsewhere. Instead, booking numbers are going through the roof and York has moved up five places to third spot in our rankings of hen party destinations.”

York Central MP, Rachael Maskell, has accused the firm 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 is as popular as ever for hen parties (Image: Archant)

Matt said stags and hens take part in activities like sports, games and dance classes in York while many take in the city’s historical sights or enjoy attractions about its spooky past – as well as enjoying the local nightlife.

"Thousands of drinkers disembark at York Station every weekend from across the north of England to go on pub crawls and many more hit the town after a day at the races – a fact which I believe escapes meaningful criticism in comparison with the onslaught on ‘nearly-weds’," said Matt.

“Last Night of Freedom customers come from all professions and walks of life – they’re not aliens dropped into your city intent on causing trouble.

"The stats show that they love York and I can’t blame them, it’s a beautiful city with a great atmosphere – a real party paradise.

“Our hens simply want a laugh and a few drinks with their friends and I think most normal people in York understand this – and will welcome how successful the city has become.”

Only Liverpool and Newcastle were more popular than York for hen dos in 2023, the Last Night of Freedom rankings have revealed.

The city also finished ahead of neighbouring Leeds, as well as pipping Manchester and European destinations like Dublin.