Dec 4 • Jo Cox-Brown

Top Tips for Staying Safe While Going Out & Partying This Christmas

The festive season is here, it’s a time to celebrate, reconnect, and dance the night away. 

From office parties to New Year countdowns, December brings people together in all the best ways. But with the sparkle comes responsibility to yourself, your friends, and those around you.

At NTES, we’ve spent years helping cities and venues make nights safer. So, as you head out this Christmas, here are our top tips for keeping safe while having fun, drawn from real experience on the ground.

NTES' Top Tips

01

Plan Your Night Before You Leave:

Before you step out, know the basics:

  • How you’re getting there and home (and who you’re travelling with).
  • Where you’re meeting friends if someone gets separated.
  • What time does public transport finish, or when do taxis get busy?
  • Is your phone charged, and do you have a backup charger?
  • Do you have cash as well as a card?
  • Do you have a spare key stored somewhere safe, at a friend's or in a lock box?
  • Does someone know where you are going and what time you are likely to return?

A quick check-in before you go saves panic later. Screenshots of routes and taxi numbers are your best Christmas accessory.

02

Keep an Eye on Your Drink

Drink spiking is rare, but it does happen and awareness is your best protection.

  • Never leave drinks unattended
  • Only accept drinks from the bar or someone you trust
  • Go low and slow and remember to drink water between drinks. Merry is fun, but drinking too much, although fun in the moment, tends not to be fun in the long run.
  • If your drink tastes strange or you feel suddenly unwell, tell venue staff and someone you trust immediately trained teams know what to do.

Many venues now use anti-spiking kits and cup covers. Don’t hesitate to ask for one or buy yourself some; they are cheap and a good investment for you and your friends.

03

Look After Each Other

The best nights out are built on care.

  • Stay connected with your group
  • Don’t let anyone go off alone, especially if they’re unwell or upset
  • Step in if you see someone vulnerable. A gentle “Are you OK?” can make all the difference

If something feels off, trust your instincts and ask venue staff or security for help.

04

Know Your Route Home

Whether you’re walking, taking a taxi, or using rideshare apps, plan ahead:

  • Download an app that allows you to share your route with others, such as WalkSafe.
  • Only use licensed taxis or pre-booked private hire vehicles.
  • Sit in the back seat, if you are on your own sit on the side away from the driver, share your route with a friend, and make sure your phone is charged.
  • If walking or using E-bikes or scooters choose well-lit routes and stick with others don’t go through parks, near bodies of water or deserted places, doing an extra 10 minutes on the long route is better than risking your safety.
  • If using trams, tubes, buses or trains, sit in a carriage close to the driver, and one that is busy with a mixture of people.

Small decisions like these create big safety margins.

05

Check In, Before, During & After

A quick message saying “home safe” isn’t just polite, it’s powerful. Agree to check in with a friend when you arrive and when you get home. And if someone doesn’t check in with you, don’t ignore it, reach out or alert others.

06

Mind Your Mental Health

Christmas can be emotionally charged. If you’re struggling, remember it’s OK to take a breather or step away.

  • Drink water
  • Get fresh air
  • Say no when you need to
  • Surround yourself with people who respect your boundaries
  • Get support from a counsellor or mentor, asking for help is not just courageous but essential.

Kindness to yourself and others is the real festive spirit.

07

Choose Safe Spaces

More and more venues are investing in staff training around anti-harassment, safeguarding, and vulnerability awareness. Look for venues with visible safety commitments Ask for Clive, Safe Spaces, or NTES-trained venues. When venues care, it shows. Support the ones that do.

08

Remember: You Deserve to Feel Safe

No one should ever feel unsafe or disrespected on a night out. If something doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t and it’s always OK to walk away, speak up, or ask for help. The best nights are those where everyone gets home safely, with good memories and warm hearts.
Write your awesome label here.

Final thoughts

If you work in hospitality, events, security, local government, education, or the night-time economy, you can go one step further in protecting yourself and others.

NTES has developed five specialist online courses designed to make nights safer, kinder, and more resilient:

  • Anti-Sexual Harassment Training
  • Safeguarding & Vulnerability Training
  • Bystander Intervention Training
  • Drink Spiking Awareness Training
  • Violence Against Women & Girls Training (VAWG)

These are self-paced, practical, and grounded in real-world night-time experiences from cities across the UK & Ireland.
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