Christmas Party Venues in Cairns

Standout Christmas party venues in Cairns

Top picks are the highest-rated venues of each type that publish a starting price.

Best-rated by venue type

Restaurant
Rufus
4.8(156)
Cairns CityUp to 40 guests
From $85 per person
Bar
The Conservatory Bar
4.9(344)
Cairns CityUp to 40 guests
From $76 per person
Pub
Madisons Function Rooms @ The Red Beret
4.2(948)
RedlynchUp to 200 guests
From $20 per person
Hotel
The Crown Hotel
4.2(457)
Cairns CityUp to 150 guests
From $100 room hire

More well-reviewed venues, compared

The next highest-rated venues that publish a starting price, with capacity and cost side by side.

Venue	Type	Area	Capacity	From
Dundee's on the Waterfront 4.6(6,013)	Type:Restaurant	Area:Cairns City	Capacity:Up to 250	Price:From $35pp
NOA Restaurant 4.6(1,837)	Type:Restaurant	Area:Edge Hill	Capacity:Up to 70	Price:From $38pp
Palooka 4.5(566)	Type:Restaurant	Area:Stratford	Capacity:Up to 160	Price:From $49pp
Lighthouse Room @ The Bluewater 4.4(1,750)	Type:Bar, Restaurant	Area:Trinity Park	Capacity:Up to 150	Price:From $3,000 min spend
Edge Hill Cairns Bowls Club 4.3(216)	Type:Club	Area:Edge Hill	Capacity:Up to 120	Price:From $35pp
The Pier Bar 4.2(1,989)	Type:Bar	Area:Cairns City	Capacity:Up to 50	Price:From $200
Alfresco Deck @ Palm Cove Tavern 4.1(1,082)	Type:Pub	Area:Palm Cove	Capacity:Up to 120	Price:From $20pp
Central Hotel Port Douglas 4.0(1,637)	Type:Pub, Hotel	Area:Port Douglas	Capacity:Up to 150	Price:From $1,500 min spend

Easier on the budget

Lowest per-person prices

Madisons Function Rooms @ The Red Beret
RedlynchUp to 200 guests
From $20 per person
Alfresco Deck @ Palm Cove Tavern
Palm CoveUp to 120 guests
From $20 per person
Dundee's on the Waterfront
Cairns CityUp to 250 guests
From $35 per person
Edge Hill Cairns Bowls Club
Edge HillUp to 120 guests
From $35 per person
NOA Restaurant
Edge HillUp to 70 guests
From $38 per person

Lowest minimum spends

Central Hotel Port Douglas
Port DouglasUp to 150 guests
From $1,500 minimum spend
Lighthouse Room @ The Bluewater
Trinity ParkUp to 150 guests
From $3,000 minimum spend

What to Know Before Booking Christmas Party Venues

End-of-year functions in the far north land at the start of the wet season, so December parties come with heat, humidity and the odd afternoon storm. That makes air conditioning or a well-fanned covered space the first thing to check, ahead of the menu.

Many workplaces in the region break up in the same few weeks, which crowds the Fridays in early and mid December.

Rooms that work for an office break-up:

A convention centre gala room seating 470 with in-house catering and AV, for a large company dinner with speeches.
CBD restaurants and wine bars with private rooms, from $76 per person for a hosted tasting or $85 per person for a fire-cooked set menu.
Esplanade restaurants and a balcony cocktail bar above the waterfront for teams of 30 to 200.
A Northern Beaches sports club with four function areas, and a Palm Cove tavern deck from $20 per person.
Port Douglas pubs with verandah and garden bars, one on a $1,500 minimum spend, for teams based up the coast.

If the team would rather be on the water than at a table, the wider Christmas party guide covers boats and reef days too.

Lock in the date well before the end of the year; Fridays in the first half of December go first.
Ask whether the venue runs shared Christmas functions, where several small groups share one room, or only private bookings.
Choose an indoor, air-conditioned room for a sit-down meal; decks suit a cocktail-style party once the evening cools.
Storms often build late in the day, so confirm the indoor fallback for any open-air area.

Budgeting for a team

Per-person packages start from $35 per person at a waterfront seafood restaurant beside the reef terminal.
A minimum spend, such as $3,000 minimum spend at a room above a marina, suits a bigger team that will spend it on food and a bar tab.
Ask whether a drinks package is timed, and what it covers.

Getting staff home

Book a coach or minibus for a party at the beaches or in Port Douglas, with a set departure time.
In the city, arrange a hired driver or transport to the main suburbs rather than leaving people to sort it out.
Send the transport plan out with the invitation so nobody is caught short.

Venues for Christmas Parties: Your Questions Answered

When should a work Christmas function in the far north be booked?

As early in the second half of the year as you can, since Friday nights in early and mid December fill first. A Thursday or a lunch function is often easier to secure.

Which rooms can take a big company Christmas dinner?

The convention centre's gala room seats 470, the casino hotel has ballrooms on Trinity Inlet, and a yacht club on Smiths Creek has a lower level for 300. Each handles catering in-house or through set menus.

Does a Christmas party on the Northern Beaches work for a city team?

It can. Trinity Beach and Palm Cove venues have covered decks and function rooms, but plan a coach so everyone gets back to the city at the end of the night.

What does a December storm mean for an outdoor Christmas function?

Pick a venue with a covered or air-conditioned room as well as the deck, and ask how quickly the group can be moved inside. Afternoon storms are common once the wet begins.

Do Port Douglas venues take Christmas bookings?

Yes. Queenslander pubs on Macrossan Street and a marina brewpub host Christmas functions, with verandah, garden and waterfront areas. Teams staying in the city will need a coach both ways.

Christmas Party Venues Cairns

See Your Christmas Party Venue Options in Cairns