After New Year's Eve, a lot of crowds slow down. People are tired, some are taking a break from going out, and the first weekends of the year can feel empty.

They still go out in January. They just pick fewer events and need a clear reason to choose yours. These 10 ideas are built for the weeks after the holidays, with the 2027 dates worth knowing and a short checklist at the end.

The January 2027 dates to know

• Fri, Jan 1: New Year's Day. Most people are recovering from the day before.
• Sat, Jan 2: The first Saturday of the year. Expect a lighter crowd.
• Sat, Jan 9 and Sat, Jan 16: The first full weekends back for most people.
• Sun, Jan 17: MLK Day is Monday, Jan 18, so Sunday works like a Saturday for anyone with the day off.
• Sat, Jan 23 and Sat, Jan 30: The last two Saturdays of the month.

For the rest of the year, Planning Your 2027 Event Calendar? walks through every month.

10 January event ideas

1. A New Year's Day reset. Start earlier, end earlier and open with slower music before the room warms up. Put the start and end times in the description so people who were out on New Year's Eve know it's an easy one (Create an Event).
2. The MLK weekend Sunday (Jan 17). A long-weekend Sunday can draw a Saturday-sized crowd. Check what else is on that weekend first with How to Pick a Date for Your Party.
3. The first edition of the year for your series. If you run a monthly party, keep your usual slot and call it the first one of 2027. Send a post to the guests of your last event so they hear about it first (Create a Post). New to series? Start with How to Turn a One-Off Party Into a Monthly Series.
4. A smaller room on purpose. A packed 120-person room feels better than a half-empty 300-person room. If your January turnout is usually lighter, move to a smaller venue and set the ticket quantity to match (Create Ticket Options).
5. A free RSVP warm-up. Test a new concept or a new room with a free ticket option, then sell paid tickets to a bigger event later in the month. Free RSVP vs Paid Tickets covers when each one works.
6. Local openers in the headline slots. Give the openers from your scene a bigger moment. Add each one to the lineup so it links to their artist profile and their followers can find the event (Add Performers to an Event Lineup). Ask them to post about it to their own followers too (Message Your Fans with Posts and Text Blasts).
7. A theme that gives people a reason to dress up. A '90s and 2000s throwback, an all-black dress code or a single-genre takeover gives a quiet month some energy. What Should My Party Theme Be? has 12 ideas.
8. A January birthdays party. Invite everyone with a January birthday to celebrate together. Birthday crews buy as a group, so set a maximum per order that fits a group of friends (Create Ticket Options).
9. An event that works for people who aren't drinking. Some of your crowd takes January off from drinking. Ask the venue about alcohol-free drinks, and say in the description that they'll be there.

Announce before the holidays end

January events sell best when people hear about them in December, before their calendars fill back up.

• Announce during your December events. Your holiday and New Year's Eve crowds are your warmest audience. Mention the January date at the event and in your thank-you post. Holiday Party Season and the New Year's Eve week-by-week checklist cover those events.
• Give people a reason to buy early. An Early Bird ticket option with a sale end date, like Friday, Jan 8 for an event on Saturday, Jan 16, stops selling on its own when the date passes (Create Ticket Options).
• Let your followers know. If your series has a community profile, fans who follow it stay up to date on your future events (Create a Community).
• Check sales every week. The At a glance section in the Orders tab shows how sales are going, and View insights opens a deeper look (Manage Your Orders).
• Send a text blast on the day. A short day-of reminder with the start time catches the people who were still deciding (Send a Text Blast).
• Lock the next date before people leave. A January event is a good time to announce February. 10 Things to Do the Day After Your Event has the full list.

Your January event checklist

• Pick your date and check it against MLK weekend and other events in your scene.
• Choose a room you can fill, and set the ticket quantity to match.
• Write start and end times, dress code and entry details in the description.
• Add every performer to the lineup.
• Create an Early Bird option with a sale end date, plus General Admission.
• Announce at your December events and in a post to their guests.
• Ask performers and co-hosts to share the event with their followers.
• Check At a glance in the Orders tab every week.
• Send a day-of text blast with the start time.
• Announce your February date before the room empties.

Ready to put a January date on the calendar? Create your event and set up your ticket options with sale dates (Create Ticket Options).