Dublin crowned EU's busiest hen and stag party hotspot

The Irish capital beat the likes of Prague, Benidorm, and Amsterdam to take the top spot.

Only Newcastle and Liverpool are now busier than Dublin in all of Europe, data supplied by Last Night of Freedom, Britain’s leading stag and hen organiser, shows.

Also making the top 10 destinations for hen and stag dos are Edinburgh, Bournemouth, Manchester, Prague, Benidorm, Brighton, and Budapest.

“Groups typically want a destination that’s either sunny, or somewhere with cracking nightlife,” said the firm’s Managing Director, Matt Mavir.

He said that while the weather in Dublin and the north of England “isn’t usually warm, the people are – and they know how to party.”

“That’s clearly a massive driving force behind so many people choosing to have their stag and hen weekends there.”

Last Night of Freedom expects there to be 55 groups celebrating hen and stag parties in Dublin this weekend alone, the fourth most popular destination in Europe - even though we are well past the stag season peak.

The business has sent almost 200 groups to Dublin in 2022, recommending popular hotspots like Dtwo, Whelan’s, and Café en Seine to hopeful partiers.

Other activities that made the list include the Guinness Factory tour, Irish dance parties, spa days in local hotels, and nude life drawing workshops.

Stag and hen parties have only just returned as we know them for the first time since the pandemic hit two years ago.

With long-delayed weddings finally taking place, groups are now heading off in record numbers but, according to Mr Mavir, brides and grooms-to-be in the UK haven’t been flocking too far.

“We’ve seen more demand for stay-at-home stag and hen trips this year than ever before,” he said.

“There are various factors. Some people are still a bit nervous about going abroad due to Covid, while the cost-of-living crisis means people are looking at more budget-friendly alternatives.

“The war in Ukraine also impacted Eastern Europe hard at the start of the summer, but Britain has benefited from all of those factors.

“Groups seeking a bit of sunshine have shunned Spain in favour of Brighton or Bournemouth, while stags – who may have visited Prague or Krakow a few years ago – are now choosing to play it safe and save a few quid by heading to Manchester or Liverpool instead.

“I believe customers are becoming increasingly conscious about the environment, so some may choose to stay in Britain rather than fly.”