Guide to festive and New Year parties

Prepare yourself for the Christmas party season, not to mention dancing into 2010. SIMON PARKIN offers our guide to the hottest Christmas club nights and the places to be on New Year's Eve.

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DECEMBER 22

t Live Snowball Christmas Party

Open

Norwich's brand spanking new youth venue delivers more big names in its pre-Christmas bash. Swedish DJing phenomena Basshunter returns to the city just a few weeks after his UEA date. He's joined by Booty Luv, plus many more special guests promised. As usual its strictly for ages 13-17 and is an alcohol and tobacco free event. Tickets �15.

DECEMBER 23

t Jingle Ball + Wraith

Waterfront

The Waterfront's official Christmas party promises to be suitably festive, even running a Christmas fancy dress competition - so dust off your angel wings and Santa outfits. The main room will have festive rolics with a full on Christmas party!. Music will range from dance, pop and indie to cheesy party tunes. In the Studio, Wraith will be delivering alternative rock, goth and metal. There will be party giveaways and treats too. Entry �4.50/�3.50 on the door.

CHRISTMAS EVE

t Xmas Teatime Shuffle

Karma Kafe

A gentle post-last minute Christmas shopping rush, pre-big night out festive chill-out. Acoustic artists performing 5-8pm. Free entry

t Festive Flange

Mercy

Mercy's resident DJ Gary Sulter playing chart, cheese and pure Christmas party tunes, smooth and sexy R&B with DJ T, plus Christmas karaoke classics, and let's be honest we'll all know the words to Merry Xmas Everybody and Fairytale of New York off by heart by then.

t Trashed On Christmas Eve

Po Na Na

The longest running, most loved, and most excellent Student night in Norwich, packed to the rafters on a weekly basis, fifty-two weeks of the year. Expect a legendary soundclash of indie, pop, electro, techno, disco, drum and bass, hip hop and rock, and full fat drinks deals at the bar.

t Xmas Eve Love

The Birdcage

Mince pies, mulled wine and general festive cheer as the traditional and the alternative mix at this Christmas party right through to the big day itself. Cheesy tunes, merry Christmas one and all. What better excuse to splash out on sparkling and dance through 'til morn? Free entry.

t Sexy Santa

Mojos

DJ Rob Mac will be hosting a party to put you in the festive mood. Don't forget your Santa hat! 9pm-late. Free entry.

t Electric Voodoo

Mustard Lounge

A brand new night enjoying its first festive bash, Electric Voodoo brings its double-decker delights to you for their first ever Christmas Eve special. Matt Diamond and his guest Jonny Moy will be keeping it tough, techy and electro upstairs while Uncle Jon-Jon and his guests fill the bar with funk, classic house and disco magic. Free entry before 10pm, �3 10-11.30pm, �4 thereafter. www.mustardlounge.com

BOXING DAY

t Boxing Day Fancy Dress Party

Mercy

DJ Gary Sulter in the main room playing house classics, dance anthems and festive floor fillers. Cheesy Christmas tunes from down the ages in room two, plus smooth and sexy R&B and hip hop in the VIP lounge. Free entry with fancy dress or flyer before 11pm.

t Big Bad Boxing Day Bash

Fuel

Drum and bass masters Rumble take charge for one night only with Full Cycle's very own mighty DJ Krust headlining supported by an impressive roster of deck-spinning talent, including Fatman D and Shaydee, Hazard, Drumsound and the EZ Rollers with Lady MC bringing the noise on the night as well, as always, resident DJ Perfection. A second room is dedicated to a roots n culture vs streetwise face-off featuring dub step, old skool, jungle and hip hop, while Oblivion, Ballistik, Clueless, Tom Wilkes and Tank will be appearing in a third room. Tickets �11, more on the door.

t Smiley Culture Winter Wonderland

Media

No fewer than 15 DJs spread across two rooms, topped with a debut by the legendary hard trance maestro Sam Punk who has more than 200 releases on his own and other labels, and has previously headlined the Berlin Love Parade. Others taking their turn at the desks will be Andy James, Bumble, Rush GBH, Mr Peterz, Tolous, Glenn Hands and DJ Bounce. The venure will suitably festive with dancers, visuals, free giveaways and that Smiley's atmosphere! 10pm-6am. �5 entry before 11pm.

t Cheese & Wine

Mustard Lounge

The Cheese N Wine DJs - hangover permitting - will be spinning all their favourite tunes, so expect the usual fun filled night with a festive twist. 1980s, pop, electro, and retro-stylee will all be on the agenda.

DECEMBER 27

t Stuff The Turkey

Mojos

The classic post-Christmas bash. Time to dance off those big meals to commercial club tunes. 9pm-3am. Free entry.

DECEMBER 28

t The Bomb

Mojos

Norwich's newest student night featuring UEA DJs gets festive. Commercial vibes all night with a fun party atmosphere. Plus Face paints, student photographer and sweets. Free entry all night.

t All Sorted!!

Mustard Lounge

All Sorted's alternative sweety treat weekly night promises to continue the Christmas week partying - perhaps they should re-name it the Selection Box Special. As usual they'll be bringing the very best local DJs spinning the freshest sounds around. Expect electro, dubstep, drum and bass, break-beat, fidget, indie, hip hop - whatever takes their fancy really. Like kids in a sweet shop that lot! 9pm-2am, free entry all night.

DECEMBER 30

t One Stop Funk Shop

Essence

�1.50 drinks, �1.25 shots Free entry

DJ Scott Blake playing the sexiest R&B, funk, hip hop and soulful house.

t The Lick + Dead Cat Bounce

Havana

Funk, reggae and more funk, plus a bit of hip hop and such.

NEW YEAR'S EVE

t New Year's Eve Circus

Po Na Na,

Po Na Na's Saturday night house event stages a festive special in full New Year's Eve fashion, with stunning Circus performers, a complete venue makeover, and, as always, a sophisticated deliverance of soulful, smooth and twisted house sounds. Tickets �10 adv/�15 VIP adv.

t NYE Pam's House

Fuel

East Anglia's biggest and most respected dance promoters, now in their 13th year of running ever crazier party nights, will be offering a typically diverse selection of tunes, from hard dance in the main Pam's House room, Ibiza club classics, electro and funky house in Pam's Phunky and Daft Disco, offering the best in classic house, funk, French house, pop, eclectic, future and retro disco.

t NYE 2009

Waterfront

The Waterfront parties into 2010. Expect lots of party treats, a complimentary glass of bubbly (very civilised), and a live link up to Big Ben for the big countdown to 2010. In the main room, Meltdown meets the 80s for a party not to be missed. In the sudio, DJ Flob! will bring the best of his studio clubs, Britpop & Loaded!, featuring the best of indie, rock and guitar greats. Only �8/�7 tickets bought in advance guarantee entrance.

t Somewhere NYE 09

Henry's

Those Somewhere folk excel themselves here with a special guest in the form of Fabric's Terry Francis. With Fabric celebrating its 10th birthday this year and constantly at the pinnacle of the underground electronic music scene, there is surely no better way to see in a New decade. They'll also have the super cool Le Jockey, currently blazing a trail across the music press with imminent releases on Luke Solomon's Music for Freaks, plus Ricky Cox, Carl Woodward, Bogart, Faust and Tripster. A night of house, techno and dubstep. Tickets �15 (including after show party) on sale at Henry's now. www.somewhere4u.co.uk

t NYE@Mustard

Mustard Lounge

Expect the very best selection of alternative music to welcome in the New Year. Electro, dubstep, breakbeat, hip hop, funk, party anthems, drum and bass plus much, much more. For more info see www.mustardlounge.com

t Glitter Party

The Birdcage

Glitter freaks rock on. Join the glitterati for a night of "Getting on Down" to the beats and celebrating the year gone by, expect plenty of sparkle. Dress to shine.

t Karma NYE

Karma Kafe

The new owners of this Bedford Street establishment have been kind enough to line-up three rooms full of New Year cheer. The Groove Establishment, PHunky Overdose and Georgetown Funk will be providing the grooves to shake your booty to well into 2010. 9pm-6am.

t NYE Norwich Rocks

Rivergarden

Local music collective offer up a night of top talent, including Four Days in May, Killamonjambo, Ame Just Sing, Dumbfoundus, Hemingway, The Delaney and The Acoustics. Tickets �10. 7pm-late.

t Carry On Swinging

The Talk

An end of 2009 extravaganza with cabaret kings Bo Nanafana. With a Carry On movie theme, they're promising a big bouncy night of doctors and nurses, sergeants and sailors, spies and saloon girls, cowboys and Cleopatras, constables and campers and teachers and toilet salesmen! Headlining will be The London Showband - an 11-piece a line-up of musicians who'll be playing a Tijuana brass set and a swing set. More music from seven-piece Norfolk funk band Killimonjambo. Cabaret comes from the legendary Goronwy Thom, Matt Barnard, Richard Garaghty, Vince Henderson and Gareth Jones. Plus look out for Cling Film Escapology, Find the Lady and The Sand Dance. DJ Lornegerie and DJ Greg will be spinning their sounds. Carry On fancy dress. 8pm until late.

Tickets �25 from Black Lace, on Dove Street. www.bonanafana.com

t Pop Champagne

Mojo's

A big end of year party promised. Two DJs, two floors, one commercial and one dedicated hip hop and R&B will see you into 2010 in style. Champagne will be on ice ready to celebrate. 9pm-3am Entry �7.