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Hen Dos Stay Home While Stags Head Abroad, Chillisauce Data Reveals: Hen parties are increasingly choosing UK destinations, while stag groups are becoming more likely to head overseas, according to booking data from Chillisauce, which suggests the divide could widen further in 2027.
The company’s figures show that the proportion of hen bookings taking place in the UK rose from 69% in 2024 to 76% in 2026. Over the same period, the share of stag dos abroad increased from 59% to 68%.
Robyn Davis, Head of Stag and Hen at Chillisauce, says affordability and accessibility are helping to shape hen party plans.
“Hens tell us that they want a weekend everyone can say yes to. Staying in the UK keeps the cost down and makes it easier for the whole group to attend,” she explains. She adds that celebrations are increasingly centred on brunches, cocktail-making classes and spending time together, rather than one big night out.
Budgets reveal another difference between the two celebrations. Average UK hen party spend has edged up from £143 per person in 2024 to £145 in 2026. UK stag spending, meanwhile, has risen from £187 to £204 per person, reaching £245 for groups travelling to Europe.
According to Davis, stag weekends tend to last longer and have higher uptake of premium, activity-led experiences, alongside greater spending on bars and clubs. International travel costs also contribute to the higher budgets for groups heading abroad.
Booking habits are shifting, too. In 2024, hen parties booked an average of 49 days earlier than stag groups. By 2026, that gap had narrowed to just eight days, with hens booking 170 days ahead on average and stags 162 days ahead.
Liverpool remains the most popular hen party destination in Chillisauce’s rankings for the second consecutive year, followed by Bristol, Brighton and Manchester. Prague takes fifth place as the only overseas destination in the top five.
The most popular hen activities this year reflect the appetite for shared experiences, with cocktail-making, brunches, drinks and bar crawls, arts and crafts classes, and karaoke leading the way.
Looking ahead, Chillisauce predicts that more than 80% of hen dos could take place in the UK in 2027, while European stag spending could exceed £260 per person. If booking patterns continue to change, stag groups may also overtake hens when it comes to planning ahead.
For couples organising their celebrations, the figures suggest that the traditional hen and stag weekend is becoming less one-size-fits-all, with destination, budget and group preferences playing an increasingly important role.
