Christmas at the Shelly

Christmas Party Venues in Sydney CBD

Whether it's 30 people from one team or 300 from the whole company, the Shelbourne Hotel has a private space for your Christmas party, a 5-minute walk from Town Hall and Wynyard stations.

Take over The Rooftop for drinks above Darling Harbour or book the whole of LinQ Bar, each with its own bar. For something more relaxed, reserve an area of Market St Garden Bar at street level. Our events team looks after the food, the drinks and the timings, so whoever's organising gets to enjoy the night too.

Check December dates Find your space
Guests at high tables in a bar at the Shelbourne Hotel, Sydney CBD, with green walls, pendant lights and tall windows
  • 30 to 300guests in a private space
  • Up to 150guests seated
  • 4 spacesincluding our own harbour cruiser
  • 5 minuteson foot from Town Hall and Wynyard

Which space suits your team?

Four ways to do Christmas at the Shelly. Tell us your numbers and the kind of night you're after, and we'll point you to the right one.

The Rooftop function space at the Shelbourne Hotel, with green walls, wicker chairs and an open floor

Best for drinks with a view

The Rooftop

  • Cocktail 120 to 300
  • Seated 50 to 150

Hamptons-inspired, with floor-to-ceiling windows over Darling Harbour and a retractable roof that opens on warm December evenings and closes if a storm rolls in. It has its own bar, bathrooms and AV for speeches and your playlist.

Exclusive hire Monday to Saturday

See the rooftop space
LinQ Bar at the Shelbourne Hotel, with rattan pendant lights, plants and high tables

Best for a department or mid-sized team

LinQ Bar

  • Cocktail 30 to 200
  • Seated up to 80

A leafy, light-filled bar across the whole second level, used only for private events. The bar sits in the middle, with lounges under the original 1902 windows on one side and bi-fold windows to the Darling Harbour skyline on the other. Big enough to feel like a party, small enough that everyone ends up talking to everyone.

Exclusive hire only

See LinQ Bar
The garden at Market St Garden Bar, with long high tables and rattan stools under a shade sail, and the Aperol cabana

Best for relaxed drinks with the team

Market St Garden Bar

  • Lounge North
  • Parkside
  • The garden
  • The Cabana

Our garden-inspired main bar, at street level on Market Street or upstairs from Sussex Street. Reserve an area for your group and keep the buzz of the bar around you: Lounge North, with its zebra-print wall and feather chandelier, Parkside by the DJ booth, or a section of the garden under the sail. Areas are booked in three-hour slots, at lunch or from early evening, and can be expanded to fit your group.

Semi-private areas in a public bar, so no speeches

See Market St Garden Bar
Sunset over Sydney Harbour and the Harbour Bridge from the deck of MV Enterprise

Best for a client thank-you or the leadership team

MV Enterprise harbour cruise

  • Up to 30 guests

The Shelbourne's own luxury charter vessel, with superb food and personalised service from a professional crew. A memorable way to thank your best clients before the year wraps up.

Private charter on Sydney Harbour

See MV Enterprise cruises

Christmas party packages

Pick a menu and a drinks package, and our events team will put a quote together for your date and numbers.

Bar plates at the Shelbourne Hotel, including fried calamari

  • CanapĂ©s and drinks

    For 30 guests or more

    Choose 6, 7 or 8 canapés a person, or a roaming three-course canapé menu, brought round by tray waiters. Add a drinks package for 2 to 5 hours, with champagne or a welcome cocktail on arrival if you like.

  • Seated lunch or dinner

    Set menu or share-style

    Two or three courses served alternately, or share-style dining for 25 or more: antipasto, then pizza or a family table with roast chicken and wagyu skewers.

  • Exclusive hire

    Lunch or evening

    Have The Rooftop or LinQ Bar to yourselves from 12 to 4 pm, or from 6 pm for up to four hours, with an hour beforehand to set up. Other times can be arranged. For a company-wide party, you can also hire the whole venue, for up to 1,050 guests. The cost depends on the space, the day and your numbers, so our events team will quote for your date.

Full function menus and drinks options are in our events brochure. Ask for it in the enquiry form below.

How booking works

  1. Send your date and numbers

    Use the form below and add a back-up date if you can. Not sure where you'd fit? Choose Any under Event Space.

  2. Get options back

    Our events team comes back with the spaces and packages that suit your group and your budget.

  3. Confirm and plan the night

    Sign the booking agreement and pay the deposit to secure your date, as dates can't be held without them. Then the team helps you plan the menu, drinks and timings, right down to when the speeches start.

Good to know before you book

  • Rain or shine

    The Rooftop's retractable roof opens on fine nights and closes if the weather turns, so a December storm won't stop the party.

  • Easy to get home

    Town Hall and Wynyard stations are a 5-minute walk, there's a taxi rank across Sussex Street, and Wilson CitiPark is next door.

  • Your own bar

    Hire a space exclusively and the bar is yours for the night, with no strangers at the next table.

  • Speeches and slideshows

    The Rooftop and LinQ Bar both have a cordless microphone, a projector and an 85-inch TV for the end-of-year speech, awards or a slideshow of the year that was.

  • Room to theme it

    Going all out on decorations? Run your plans past our events team first. Your stylist gets the hour before the party to set up, with the 20-minute loading zone beneath the venue for deliveries.

  • Everyone can get in

    All levels are wheelchair accessible by lift, with the accessible entrance on Market Street.

Companies that have held events at the Shelly

Logos of McDonald's, Zurich, Estée Lauder Companies, Westpac, Singapore Tourism Board, Universal, Macquarie, Salesforce, Flight Centre Travel Group, Red Bull, Sportsgirl and Ethos Urban

Just a small team?

For up to 25 people, book a table in one of our bars for Christmas drinks. Want an area to yourselves? Our events team can reserve a semi-private area of Market St Garden Bar, such as the Cabana or Lounge North, and expand it to fit your group. It's all in our public bar, so save the speeches for a private space.

Reserve a table

Questions we get every December

When should we book our work Christmas party?

As early as you can. December only has a handful of Friday and Saturday nights, and a date is only held once the booking agreement is signed and the deposit paid. Send an enquiry with your first-choice date and a back-up, and our events team will confirm what's available.

How many people can the Shelbourne Hotel fit for a Christmas party?

Our private spaces suit 30 to 300 guests cocktail style. The Rooftop holds 120 to 300 (50 to 150 seated) and LinQ Bar 30 to 200 (up to 80 seated), and the whole venue can be hired for up to 1,050. MV Enterprise takes up to 30 guests on Sydney Harbour. For a more casual night, you can reserve a semi-private area of Market St Garden Bar.

Do you have Christmas party packages, and what do they cost?

Yes. There are canapé menus, two- and three-course set menus, share-style dining and drinks packages from 2 to 5 hours. The cost depends on the space, the day and your numbers, so add your budget to the enquiry form and our events team will come back with options that fit.

Can we book a table for a small team instead of hiring a space?

Yes. For up to 25 people, reserve a table in one of our bars. For an area to yourselves, our events team can reserve a semi-private area of Market St Garden Bar, such as the Cabana or Lounge North, and expand it to fit your group. These are in our public bar, so speeches and large decorations aren't possible, but it's an easy way to get the team together.

Can we have speeches, music or a DJ?

Yes, when you hire The Rooftop or LinQ Bar. Both have a cordless microphone, a projector and an 85-inch TV for speeches and presentations, and you can play your own playlist. The venue can book a DJ for you, and any outside entertainment needs our events team's OK first.

What happens if it rains?

The Rooftop has a fully retractable roof. It opens on fine evenings and closes if the weather turns, so your party goes ahead either way.

How do guests get there and home afterwards?

We're at 200 Sussex Street, Sydney, on the corner of Market Street beside the Pyrmont Footbridge. Town Hall and Wynyard stations are both a 5-minute walk, there's a taxi rank across Sussex Street, and Wilson CitiPark is next door at 204 Sussex Street.

Can we decorate or theme the space?

Yes, when you hire a space exclusively. Run your plans past our events team first, as stylists and outside suppliers need their written OK. You get an hour before your event to set up, and deliveries can use the 20-minute loading zone beneath the venue.

Is the venue accessible?

Yes. All levels are wheelchair accessible via the lift, and the accessible entrance is on Market Street.

Check your Christmas party date

Send your preferred date, a back-up and your guest numbers, and our events team will be in touch with spaces, packages and pricing.

Not sure which space? Choose Any under Event Space and we'll suggest the best fit.

Prefer to talk? 02 9267 3100

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