Karaoke stag do

Karaoke in Amsterdam is booked as private hire of a small venue for two hours, so the room is yours and nobody else is waiting for the microphone. Expect a catalogue of thousands of songs, proper sound equipment and a welcome drink each. Sessions mainly run at weekends, with early-evening starts around 4pm or 6pm, which places it neatly between the afternoon activity and dinner. A minimum of about ten people applies, and it is 18-plus with ID checked. Agree an opening song for the stag in advance; it saves ten minutes of arguing at the start.

Private karaoke rooms in Birmingham are central: around Victoria Square, on Broad Street and at Five Ways, about 20 minutes' walk from New Street. Rooms are booked by the hour, typically for eight to twenty people with a couple of drinks each. The Broad Street option runs two-hour sessions with an hour of free-flowing prosecco, on Friday and Saturday only. Smart casual works everywhere. Book the room for early evening and walk on to Broad Street afterwards, so nobody needs a taxi between stops.

Private karaoke in Cardiff is all central: rooms off Queen Street, a Bavarian-style bar on Mill Lane and a games bar about five minutes from Cardiff Central. Rooms are booked for an hour, or two with table service, and catalogues run to thousands of songs. The Mill Lane package pairs two hours of karaoke with an hour of free-flowing prosecco, on Friday and Saturday only. Most packages want eight people or more. It works as a late-evening stop between dinner and the clubs on St Mary Street.

Edinburgh's private karaoke rooms are in the New Town, including on Rose Street, which keeps the group close to its bars. The Rose Street package gives a room for an hour with two drink tokens each, for groups of 8 to 20. A pool hall also has a private karaoke room for two hours with a welcome cocktail, for 8 to 16, with drinks brought to the room and pizza as an add-on. Smart casual is expected there, and ID for 18+ is checked. A late-evening slot works as the bridge between dinner and the clubs.

Private rooms are the usual Liverpool format: an hour with two drinks each for eight to twenty people at Rainford Square, or an hour with a drink at a crazy-golf bar. Stanley Street, in the gay quarter, runs a drag-hosted karaoke night on Fridays from 5pm to 11pm with queue jump, reserved seats and 90 minutes of free-flowing drinks; that venue is not wheelchair accessible. Smart casual is fine. Book the room for early evening, then walk on to Concert Square or Mathew Street.

London has private karaoke rooms in Soho, Covent Garden, Shoreditch, Victoria, Fitzrovia and Battersea, so you can book one near wherever the group is drinking. Sessions are 60 minutes to two hours, and packages often include a welcome drink plus two or three drinks each, with more ordered to the room. Some booths only hold about six, so a big group gets a reserved area and rotates through. Late slots run until about 1.30am at some venues, and weekend afternoons are available. ID for 18+ is checked.

Private karaoke in Newcastle is a city-centre booking: rooms on Collingwood Street, at the heart of the Diamond Strip, and booths in a multi-floor venue on Pilgrim Street. Sessions run one, two or three hours, and most include a welcome drink. Booths typically hold six to twelve, while one larger room takes up to 20, so a big stag either books two booths or the bigger room. It is 18+, ID may be asked for, and smart casual applies. Book it for late evening and the clubs are a short walk away.