One of the best office Christmas party ideas in Krakow is to start somewhere other than the dinner table. A two-part plan works well: an hour of bubble football in a sports hall in the afternoon, Christmas dinner in the evening and a transfer in between. Exercise loosens everyone up, and there’s plenty to talk about over the borscht. The same plan suits Mikołajki (St Nicholas Day, 6 December) and any winter team event.
Poles call the office Christmas party Wigilia firmowa – after Wigilia, Christmas Eve – and hold it in the days before 24 December. We’ve been running bubble football matches in Krakow for years. Below you’ll find a sample day plan, St Nicholas Day ideas, a budget and what to sort out before December gets hectic.
Why start your office Christmas party with a match?
At office Christmas parties, people usually sit with their everyday colleagues. Fifteen minutes in the bubbles ends that: teams mix departments, the CEO falls over just like the intern, and photos of the tumbles do the rounds on the company chat until New Year. It’s also a good start for newcomers – it’s easier to chat at dinner with someone you’ve just bounced off than with someone you only know from emails.
A match first makes practical sense too. In winter we play indoors, so the weather doesn’t matter, and an hour of exercise balances out the pierogi and poppy seed cake. But the order matters: match first, then dinner and toasts – never the reverse. Only sober players go in the bubbles.
Office Christmas party ideas in Krakow: a sample plan for the day
| Time | What’s happening |
|---|---|
| 14:30 | Meet at the office and transfer to the hall |
| 15:00–16:00 | Bubble football: briefing, matches and games (about 45 minutes of actual play) |
| 16:00–16:30 | Optional: play extended by 30 minutes |
| 16:30–17:30 | Change into dinner clothes and transfer to the restaurant |
| 18:00 | Christmas dinner: sharing the opłatek (Christmas wafer) and good wishes, prizes for the match winners |
| around 21:00 | Transfer back or carry on at a club |
You can shift the times, but leave at least an hour between the game and dinner for changing, travel and a breather. A hall and restaurant close to each other make life easier. We’ll help book a table and arrange group transport.
10–12 people play at once, so we split a bigger group into teams for a mini tournament – it’s then worth extending play by 30 minutes, or planning 2 hours for 40 people. Ready-made formats are in our article on the bubble football tournament for companies.
A sporty St Nicholas Day for your team
In Poland, St Nicholas Day is celebrated on 6 December with small gifts, so you can hold your office celebration on the nearest working day or combine it with the Christmas party. A match adds a sporty touch, and a few simple ideas add festive spirit:
- “Santas” versus “Reindeer” teams – the two ball colours do the rest;
- a Christmas playlist in the background – the game host and referee add-on includes a speaker for music;
- a gift draw after the match – the winning team draws first;
- a trophy for the best team and a chocolate Santa for every player;
- photo coverage for €34 (20–25 photos plus a group photo) – ready-made material for your company’s Christmas greetings.
For St Nicholas Day, keep it shorter: an hour of play on a Friday afternoon, then pizza and the gift draw at the office or nearby. No wafer, no speeches – but there is a trophy.
If employees’ children are invited, those aged 10+ and about 150 cm tall can play – ideally in a separate round. For younger ones, plan something else, such as a children’s entertainer or an arts and crafts workshop.
How to organise a match before dinner – step by step
- Count the players. This decides whether the standard hour is enough or you need a longer tournament.
- Choose a hall. We play at Com Com Zone, ul. Ptaszyckiego 6 in Nowa Huta, and at al. Jana Pawła II 37. We can also find and book another venue, e.g. closer to the restaurant.
- Book dinner and transport. We help with a restaurant table and transfers: from the office to the hall, from the hall to dinner and back.
- Brief the participants. For the match – PE kit: shorts or a tracksuit, a T-shirt and trainers. Dinner outfits go in a separate bag.
- Check the requirements. Players should be at least about 150 cm tall and weigh no more than 100 kg. Non-players can keep the scoreboard or cheer from the bench.
- Have your invoice details ready. We issue VAT invoices to companies and institutions.
A match before your office Christmas party
We’ll book the hall, bring the balls and help with the transfer to dinner. We reply within 24 hours and issue VAT invoices to companies.
Ask about a December datePrefer to call? +48 509 196 229 – Sylwester. We reply within 24 hours.
Winter team events – what to remember
Winter events have a few easily avoided pitfalls:
- A hall, not the outdoors. In December we play indoors, where it’s dry and bright even when it gets dark early outside.
- A change of shoes. Bring clean trainers and change on arrival – nobody wants snow and mud on the pitch.
- Dress in layers. A coat for the journey, sports kit underneath and your dinner outfit in a bag.
- Water. In winter it’s easy to forget to drink, and it gets hot inside a bubble fast. In the VIP package everyone gets a bottle of water; otherwise, bring your own.
- Extra travel time. Leave time to spare for both transfers, especially in the afternoon rush hour.
How much does an office Christmas party with a match cost?
We price the sports part per person: the package without a hall costs €17, with a hall €22 and the VIP package €28. With VIP you also get a game host and referee, souvenir photos, a bottle of water for everyone and a professional warm-up. Useful add-ons are photo coverage (€34) and a short HD video (€78); extended play, transfers and catering are priced individually. The full list is in our bumper ball price list.
Example: a 12-person department on the package with a hall pays 12 × €22 = €264 for the sports part. With photo coverage it comes to €298 – and you have photos ready for the team’s Christmas card.
Dinner costs depend on the restaurant and menu, so work out a per-person budget for the whole evening – our breakdown of company event budgets in Krakow for 20, 50 and 100 people will help. Team package details are on our page about bumper ball matches for company events in Krakow.
When should you book a December date?
Under Polish law, 24 December has been a public holiday since 2025, introduced by the Act of 6 December 2024 amending the Public Holidays Act (in Polish). So your office Christmas party has to be earlier in December. It’s peak season for company events, so don’t leave booking the hall, restaurant and transport to the last minute.
Just send us 2–3 possible dates and a rough headcount. We reply within 24 hours and will fit the match around your dinner plans.
Who is this plan for, and when should you choose something else?
This plan works best for teams that like a bit of exercise and don’t see the party as a purely formal occasion. It suits a department of a dozen or so as well as a bigger company playing a mini tournament. Non-players needn’t be bored – they can cheer, commentate or hand out the prizes at dinner.
To be honest: if most of the team isn’t keen on exercise, or the party is meant to be a short get-together at the office, choose a calmer activity or just dinner. Nobody enjoys forced fun – not even in an inflatable bubble.
What happens after dinner?
If the evening goes on, we’ll help book a VIP booth at a club and transport home or to hotels – including for out-of-town guests staying over. For an unusual after-party, ask about dates on the Tram Party party tram. More winter team event ideas are in our list of 20 team building activities in Krakow.
Book a match for your office Christmas party
Give us the number of people and 2–3 possible dates, and we’ll plan an afternoon with the hall, the balls and the transfer to dinner.
Check availabilityPrefer to call? +48 509 196 229 – Sylwester. We reply within 24 hours.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to hold an office Christmas party?
On a working day before Christmas, in the afternoon or evening, so the team can finish work early. The sooner you fix the date, the more halls and restaurants you can choose from.
Can we fit a match and dinner into one day?
Yes. A standard game lasts an hour, so starting at 15:00 leaves plenty of time to change and get to dinner at 18:00.
Do you need to be sporty to play bubble football?
No. The referee picks games to suit the group, and all you need is sports kit and the ability to laugh at yourself – tumbles are part of the fun.
Can you provide catering at the hall?
Yes, catering is priced individually. Light snacks and water are enough before the party – save the rest for dinner.
