Christmas parties at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford offer the chance to celebrate the festive season within one of the city’s most recognisable cultural venues. With a range of historic galleries and contemporary spaces available for hire, it caters to everything from intimate festive lunches to large corporate celebrations.
At the heart of the museum, the light-filled Atrium can host up to 150 guests standing or 40 seated, making it well-suited to festive drinks receptions and end-of-year gatherings with friends, family or colleagues. For larger events, the Greek and Roman Sculpture Gallery accommodates 180 guests standing or 150 for a banquet. Surrounded by an impressive collection of classical sculptures and framed by striking marble columns, it provides a dramatic backdrop for formal Christmas dinners and company-wide celebrations.
The Vaults, a cafe by day, transforms in the evening into a bar and dance space for up to 150 standing or 70 seated, ideal for parties with DJs or live music. For smaller gatherings, the Director's Boardroom on the rooftop hosts up to 20 standing or 16 seated, offering a quieter setting for private Christmas dinners. At the top of the museum, the Rooftop Dining Room and Terrace accommodate 100 standing or 70 seated. This contemporary space, with floor-to-ceiling windows, sage green seating and a terrace planted with greenery, provides panoramic views across Oxford and works well for lunches, afternoon teas or dinners.
Catering is delivered in partnership with Oxford Fine Dining and Benugo Event Catering, with options ranging from canapes and drinks receptions to formal seated meals and flexible multi-course dinner packages at varying price points. Exclusive hire is available, and the museum can also incorporate private gallery tours to create a memorable Christmas celebration.