Office Friday bar ideas

Set the mood with a good playlist

Music helps loosen the atmosphere and put the working week behind you. Have a good playlist ready before the first colleagues arrive, so Friday feels like Friday from the start.

Let the office help choose the music. A shared playlist where everyone adds a couple of favourites gives different tastes a place. Start at a volume that still allows conversation, then let the energy follow the mood.

Give colleagues something to gather around

Board games, card games, UNO or a nail-hammering game need not cost much. Small, fun games are useful conversation starters and can help colleagues build connections beyond their usual teams.

If your colleagues are up for something livelier, try beer bowling, beer darts, Mario Kart or Twister. Choose something that suits your group and is easy to join. Keep the social side at the centre; drinks can of course be alcohol-free.

For a simple option, play our cocktail quiz in small teams across departments.

Offer alternatives people want to choose

An office Friday bar is about spending time together, not whether someone drinks alcohol. There should be something for everyone: designated drivers, people taking a break and colleagues who simply do not drink.

Give alcohol-free choices the same care as the rest of the menu. A delicious mocktail in a lovely glass with fresh garnish feels like a choice in its own right. You earn extra points when you provide an alternative and make it inviting.

Take inspiration from Alcohol-free Mojito and Alcohol-free Piña Colada, and make water easy to find too.

Make the Friday bar something you create together

Dressing up or choosing a creative theme can give the event its own atmosphere. It works best when the whole office gets behind the idea. Get the managers involved, lead by example and make it easy for everyone to take part. A theme can fall flat if only a couple of people support it.

Go beyond a generic fancy-dress party. Here are five themes to make your own:

• Netflix: Come as a character from a series or film and add familiar soundtracks to the playlist.
• The internet: Memes, viral moments and internet nostalgia. Who recognises their colleagues’ references?
• Après-ski: Ski goggles, knitwear and an upbeat playlist.
• The 2000s: Music, style and references from the decade.
• The future: Imagine office life, fashion or the world in 50 years.

Choose the theme together, announce it in good time and let both the music and cocktail menu support it.