So you're organising a stag do? Forget ideas of heading abroad to eastern Europe, London is the best place to organise a pre-wedding event the groom — and most importantly everyone else — won't forget. Whatever your group of lads is after from sports to quirky ideas, you can find it in London and we've trawled them all for the sake of your good name as a best man. Here's the best of what London has to offer for stag parties — organised by theme.
Sporty
Bringing the stag’s disparate friend groups together means you’ll need to break the ice. And some healthy rivalry will certainly bring people together. Grab your sports kit for one of these energetic events:
Bubble Football
Some of the most sports-related fun we’ve had on a stag do is Bubble Football. Split into teams, you each clamber inside a body-sized inflatable ball before attempting to play the beautiful game. And beautiful it certainly is not: you’re free to crash into each other and physically knock opponents off the ball in your quest to score. No real football skills are needed, as wearing the bubble would bring even Ronaldo down to your humble dribbling ability. And if it doesn’t, you can just crash into the bastard.
Watch this and tell us this isn't amazing fun:
It’s knackering, hilarious and certain to have the stag on his knees. Our advice: don’t do this the morning after a boozy night out. Just trust us on this one.
Turbo Cricket
Well, this definitely isn’t cricket, chaps. This six-a-side, 10 overs per innings game is played on a smaller pitch, and batsmen can have as many goes as they like (but have to retire at 20 runs). Everyone has to bowl, and three overs per innings are Turbo Overs — meaning runs score double. Howzat?
Foot golf
You know what this is: it's golf, but you whack a football-sized ball with your foot. And you can do it all over London. Why not bring the 19th hole with you all the way round and create forfeits for things like missed shots, going off the course, and going over par?
Paddleboarding
Yeah you thought this was just what you did on holidays in warm countries, didn't you? Well, you can wetsuit up and make your way along London's famous watery landmark, seeing the sights of the city as you paddle. Standing up on the boards is not as hard as it might seem, and Active 360 has great instructors to help you and the boys venture out into the city by a different route.
Quirky
If you’re looking for something out-of-the-ordinary that’ll give the stag something to remember (apart from the size of his headache), go for a quirky stag do. These activities are infinitely better than a curry and a pub crawl, and will provide plenty of stories for that best man’s speech.
Escape Room
Give your drinking arm a rest and use your brain instead to solve the puzzles at one of London’s escape rooms. Become a secret agent, get away from a zombie, think like Sherlock or even save the world — London has a bewildering variety of options to choose from.
Stage fighting
Wannabe warriors get ready. Embrace your inner John Snow and learn hand-to-hand combat like in the movies at True Edge stage combat school at the Royal Military Academy in Royal Arsenal. Here you can swashbuckle like Jack Sparrow or weald a weapon like Luke Skywalker at dedicated group sessions. Just make sure not to take your new-found skills onto the streets of the city afterwards.
Crystal Maze
The 90s cult TV show is now an immersive adventure you can do with your mates. As a team of eight you’ll solve the puzzles across the Aztec, Industrial, Futuristic and Medieval zones, collect the crystals, and compete to come out top in the Crystal Dome. If you’re a big group you can go head to head, or for smaller teams see if you can make it onto the leaderboard. Start the fans!
Mini Adventures
Channel your inner Michael Caine and embark on an Italian Job-style caper across London — in Mini Coopers. A getaway driver whisks you through the city with a boot stuffed with gold. Can you make it through without getting nicked by the old bill?
Pop video
Move over Boyzone, now’s the chance for the stag party to take over. At The Star Factory, you and the boys can make your own pop video, immortalising your talent forever. No Matter What your skill level, you can Rule The World like Take That and make the Best Song Ever, just like One Direction. That’s what makes you beautiful.
Boozy
Drinking is a core part of most stag dos, but if touring the bars of London isn’t going to be enough to slake your collective thirst, get involved with one of these activities:
Drink n ride
Bring your best Lance Armstrong game and use the performance enhancing abilities of alcohol on a Pedibus. Grab a load of drinks and hop aboard one of these one-hour tours of the city. You can bring music as you all pedal. Each pedibus can fit up to 12 people — eight on cycle points and four on the VIP (lazy) platform on the back, or you can hire smaller ones for four people. If all that effort doesn’t cause you to lose your legs, all the booze will.
Whiskey Tasting
A stag do doesn’t have to be about lager and lads — the more refined gentlemen can enjoy sampling whiskey in London. Many places offer the experience, but our favourites are at Cadenheads (probably the best whiskey shop in the city), and Milroy’s in Soho. Both personalise your experience so you can sample drams that are more suited to your palate, and the knowledge of the staff is second-to-none. Cheers!
Craft beer crawl
If the stag is more into vinyl, beards and succulents, head for Shoreditch and one of Secret Food Tours’ Craft Beer Tastings. Over the course of seven drinks you’ll discover how IPA was invented in London, try stouts, sour beers, smooth ales and other liquid gems as you totter from pub to bar. There’s even a secret venue to discover on your way. It’ll put a hop skip and jump in your day.
Party boat
Ahoy me hearties! Get the groom all ship shape with a trip on the Thames aboard a party boat. You can hire the whole thing and make the river your own with DJs and drinks — you they’ll even organise entertainment for you. Or join one of the disco cruises and spend four hours showing off your best moves.
