London’s hen party market has exploded ‘due to Putin and the pandemic’ – but British brides-to-be could soon ditch the capital due to the spiralling cost-of-living crisis.

Currently the city is Europe’s second biggest hen hotspot, after bookings to the capital surged in 2022.

One leading stag and hen firm has revealed London jaunts are up 40 per cent this year – although brides currently outnumber grooms by almost eight to one.

“We’ve never had so many hens flock to London in one year,” revealed Matt Mavir, founder and Managing Director of Last Night of Freedom.

The Gateshead firm is one of Britain’s biggest hen do organisers. Since launching in 1999, it has sent tens of thousands of stags and hens across the world.

And 2022 has been the company’s busiest year ever – with British destinations like London benefiting the most.

“We’ve effectively had three years of business all rolled into one, given this was the first year since 2019 without any covid restrictions,” said the businessman.

“So many weddings and stag were kicked back to 2022, which has been a big factor, but groups have also just been desperate to get away having spent the pandemic stuck on the sofa watching Netflix.

“But because there’s still some lingering uncertainty over covid, we’ve seen more groups opt for stay-at-home stags and hens.

“The war in Ukraine has also scared a lot of people away from Eastern Europe. Up to 60% of bookings there were cancelled at the start of the invasion, so a lot of those groups simply rebooked in Britain.

“And if you are going to stay in Britain, London is an obvious choice – it is firmly in the Champions League of hen do destinations, as it has world class nightlife, incredible culture and some of the best transport links om Earth.”

And exclusive industry data shows London’s booking boom now has the city trailing only to Liverpool as the most visited hen destination in the continent.

This weekend alone, an estimated 54 groups of hens will descend on the city for a weekend of cocktails, culture and cheeky fun while the city sizzles in the latest heatwave.

That’s more than the likes of Edinburgh, Dublin and Manchester – while London is expected to have more hens than Ibiza, Barcelona and Budapest combined.

Yet Matt added that, long term, the Cost of Living crisis could ultimately lead to stags and hens seeking cheaper alternatives to London.

The city was recently named the fourth most expensive on Earth, and Matt added: “We are still unsure how rising bills are going to impact the industry – obviously everyone is tightening their belts, but stags and hens are also a really special event and one people like to push the boat out on.

“As long as there are weddings, there will be a place for stags and hens. However it is conceivable that groups may seek a more budget-friendly option than London.”