Southampton could be set to become a stag do hotspot in 2024, as the number of parties looking to head to the city for their pre-wedding celebrations rose sharply in 2023.

According to one of the UK’s leading stag party providers, StagWeb.co.uk, there was a 200% increase in stags looking to go to Southampton this year.

With an average of 14 people per group, that would equate to hundreds of extra stags heading to the city.

Niamh Pease, StagWeb’s Southampton Specialist said: “More and more stags are looking at alternative destinations to classics like Liverpool and Dublin and Southampton enquiries really shot up this year."

Daily Echo: Southampton is being seen as an alternative option to places like Liverpool and DublinSouthampton is being seen as an alternative option to places like Liverpool and Dublin (Image: Getty Images)

Why has there been a rise in interest in stag dos in Southampton?

Miss Pease attributed the spike in enquiries to a move away from boozy weekends to more experienced-based celebrations.

She added: “We’ve noticed a shift in preferences and more and more stags are looking to head somewhere for the experiences on offer, rather than just head somewhere for a booze up.

“Being a port city, Southampton has a great mix of classic activities like go-karting and bubble football as well as some coastal adventures for the guys to take on.

“Whilst nights out are still a big part of people’s weekends, guys want a weekend they’ll remember, rather than one they can’t remember.”

The increase in enquiries for Southampton was even more stark given the rise in European stag weekends in 2023.

“For the first time since the pandemic, European travel was back up and running fully, so we saw a massive rise in people heading abroad rather than staying in the UK," Miss Pease said.

"Most of our UK destinations suffered a dip in enquiries, which is why Southampton’s rise in popularity is even more standout.”

So looking for stag spots? Why not give Southampton a go?