If you don’t know Leicester, we would certainly recommend that you find a chance to visit, if only to experience the great parties, awards or celebrations at Athena, the city’s leading party venue. PA Life Club took its members to the unforgettable Christmas Party World on December 8th to experience Athena doing what they do best.
Most of our 25 strong group arrived by train from London, a quick and frequent 75 minute service from St Pancras station. Leicester, in the Midlands, is easily accessible from any corner of the UK and the station is just a few minutes walk from the city centre. Athena, situated next to the new Curve Theatre in the city’s Cultural Quarter is a ten minute walk from the station.
For the Christmas Party World 2023, Athena had chosen ‘A Night in New York’ as the theme which fitted this landmark art deco, former cinema venue perfectly. The award-winning, 1000 seat capacity venue has earned a reputation as Leicester’s leading Christmas party venue over the past 18-years when Sandeep and Simrin Singh transformed it to an events venue. It is easy to see the attraction of its parties and events as soon as we arrived at The City View Lounge for our pre-dinner drinks to be welcomed by the lovely couple and members of their events team. We enjoyed fantastic pre-dinner cocktails and ice-cold bubbles, and admired the city views to kick off a great festive evening.
The Christmas Party World Each at Athena hosts an incredible range of guests; from small private tables of 8, to larger companies into the 100’s at Leicester’s leading events venue.
Christmas Party World 2023 Experience at Athena
It was time to take our seats at The Cinema Suite which was beautifully laid out in banquet style. The suite has tiered levels giving everyone a great view of the large stage which also serves as a dance floor, and there is a large bar too as well as table service for drinks during dinner. The jaw-dropping cirque style aerial show and the dancers on the ground were truly world-class. What a fantastic way to enjoy a delicious three course dinner!
The food was fantastic. Our seafood starters were superbly fresh and the tomato soup ever so tasty. As a main course we enjoyed a lovely roast chicken with perfectly prepared roast potatoes and all the veg and trimmings you’d expect for a Christmas dinner. A choice of a yummy New York cheese cake with a fruit compote or warm chocolate brownie served with vanilla ice cream was offered as pudding. Not to forget the selection of wines either – the house wines and house champagne were all fantastic. The Athena kitchen team did an outstanding job catering for such a large number and still delivery top quality food.
With the show coming to an end and our dinner finished, it was time to take the party up a notch and open up the dance floor on the stage. It took no time to fill up and we joined in to work our delicious dinner off. There were also traditional fair ground games on offer throughout the venue. The large Foyer space housed some of the fun games and is used as an event reception area, ideal for meeting and greeting your guests. A large bar and cloakroom facilities are available along with a plasma screen capable of displaying images of your event. A spectacular chandelier is a great centre piece and the chrome doors lead into The Cinema Suite.
The party carried on until 1am with the party goers being fulled with bacon or veggie patties at midnight. Such a nice touch by the event team.
Luxury stay at The Gresham Aparthotel in central Leicester
We stayed the night in very comfortable studio suites at the recently renovated The Gresham Aparthotel. It is an affordable luxury stay in the heart of Leicester with a range of apartments to suit any need. The Gresham is also situated just a short walk from both the station and Athena.
We also had a chance to tour Leicester the following morning with an expert guide organised by the city’s tourism board. The one hour walking tour took us through the city’s historic streets, markets and we stopped by The Grey Friars car park where the remains of Richard III were found in 2012. He was reburied in 2015 in Leicester Cathedral which reopened to the public in November this year after recent renovations and transformation.
More about Athena
Athena is Leicester’s flagship events venue in the city centre, offering professional event security, free cloakroom, designated taxi pick up and drop off point, and it’s just 5 minute walk from the train station.
As a landmark building situated within the cultural quarter of the city centre, Athena combines original features such as its exceptional acoustic insulation with state of the art technology, to provide an ideal venue for exhibitions, concerts or festivals.
Experienced, award-winning staff will work with you to ensure all your requirements are met, and you can be assured of a professional, slick operation ensuring your event will be a success.
Layouts can be tailored to your specific requirements, providing you with a bespoke event no matter how large or small.
Learn more about The Athena Experience here.
For any event enquiries please get in touch with the helpful Athena team at contact@athenacb.co.uk
