Large Event Venues in London

What is a large event venue?

The term ‘large’ is fairly ambiguous in its nature, however for us, a large event venue is a space which can typically accommodate around 400+ attendees. Anything smaller than this we wouldn’t necessarily consider a ‘large’ space.

Some venues in London and beyond are much larger than others, such as ExCeL London, Business Design Centre and Tobacco Dock. Every large event venue is best suited to different event types and styles, depending on an array of factors, such as location, layout, and of course, size. You wouldn’t be able to deliver a product launch with 2000 guests in a space that can only accommodate a few hundred people.

There are plenty of large venues in London for all kinds of events, so it’s certainly worth taking the time to explore the options and work out what will be the best option for you and your guests.

Why are large event venues popular?

Many companies love to run huge events to bring communities together, deliver the greatest impact, attract new customers, reach as many people as possible and inspire and encourage people to engage in some sort of activity. This could be trying out their new product, celebrating a great achievement by attending a high-profile award ceremony, or connecting with like-minded people at large-scale conferences and exhibitions filled with educational content or experiences. It could also be a high-tech hybrid or virtual experience.

Many companies also like to throw huge parties for their customers, team and stakeholders, with a lot of exciting entertainment and food and drink. Large events stand out and can be extremely impressive if executed well, which is why they’re so popular.

No matter what kind of large event a planner wants to hold, the most important thing is to find a great venue which can seamlessly deliver the vision. For many companies, there is a ‘bigger the better’ mentality, so it’s important to find a venue to match the scale that the client is trying to achieve.

There are many considerations to keep in mind when looking for venues to rent for large events in London, which we’ll cover below.

What kind of events can I hold at a large venue?

Typically, large event venues work really well for exhibitions, multi-track conferences, award ceremonies, product launches, parties, brand activations, the list goes on! Any event that aims to bring a large amount of people together for a unique and impressive experience works well in a large space. Many venues also offer large outdoor areas, making these spaces perfect for weather-dependent events such as summer parties or the ethereal wedding of dreams!

What are the best large event venues in London?

There are so many large venues for events in London that it’s hard to pick! We’ve broken it down into areas so that we can mention our top picks of large event venues in the city. Check them out below. Warning: may cause severe event inspiration!

The best large venues in South London

South London has a plethora of large venues available for hire for all kinds of events. For example, you could host a spectacular award ceremony at the iconic Twickenham Stadium. For dining experiences, you could plan a large affair at the Kia Oval, or for an edgy underground party or brand activation, try Clapham Grand, Ministry of Sound or Brixton’s Phonox.

If you’re after a large conference venue, we like Evolution London nestled in leafy Battersea Park, or the swanky Chelsea Harbour Hotel. Or, for a truly beautiful and quintessentially British wedding, Hampton Court Palace is a no-brainer.

Check out other large South London venues for more guidance.

The best large venues in North London

When you think of the words ‘large events’ and ‘North London’, the first thing your mind conjures up is probably scores of crowds chanting and celebrating at Wembley Stadium. Whilst this is certainly an extremely popular venue in North London, there are plenty of other famous settings that will suit your large events perfectly. Alexandra Palace is another iconic venue, perfect for everything from exhibitions to summer parties on the lawns, as well as Lord’s Cricket Ground.

For a unique twist on a conference or drinks reception try the various spaces at London Zoo, or check out the Zoo’s neighbour Regent’s Park for large indoor and outdoor venues throughout the leafy gardens. For a spectacular setting ideal for a large dinner or reception, check out Grand Junction or Roundhouse for a unique performance setting.

For a more corporate feel that has plenty of potential for injecting creativity, the Business Design Centre is the one to beat. For a large seminar or awards ceremony with a twist, try Vue Islington!

Browse our other North London venues for inspiration!

The best large venues in East London

Trendy East London also offers its fair share of large venues for all kinds of events. Canary Wharf’s East Wintergarden offers a stunning architectural treat for the eyes and will certainly impress your guests. Host a conference with a view at Pergola on the Wharf or Tower Hotel, a party or brand activation of dreams at Tobacco Dock and Tanner Warehouse, or a grand exhibition at Shoreditch’s iconic Troxy.

For an edgy blank canvas space perfect for a large product launch, PR event or any other creative venture, Oval Space, Studio Spaces, Woolwich Works and Hoxton Docks are all great options. Famed for boxing, York Hall offers a unique backdrop for all kinds of events from large exhibitions to fashion shows, as does Shoreditch Town Hall. And of course, you can’t mention large East London venues without mentioning the vast purpose-built centre, ExCeL London.

For a more cultural approach, Museum of London Docklands has a whole array of versatile event spaces on offer, as does London Stadium and the National Maritime Museum. For more musical ventures, try indigo at the O2 or Canning Town’s FOLD. For an all-out summer soiree, try the HAC.

Here’s our full collection of East London venues to help you with your search.

The best large venues in West London

When it comes to large event spaces, West London has you covered. You could be planning a large-scale exhibition requiring a venue like The Design Museum, Olympia or the ILEC, or a content-driven conference at somewhere cultural like ISH, Science Museum, St Mary’s Venue or London Transport Museum. Maybe you’re planning on tying the knot at a stunning wedding ceremony at the Hurlingham Club, Fulham Palace or the Dorchester.

Or maybe you’re after the perfect space for your award ceremony? Eventim Apollo Hammersmith, Saatchi Gallery or Under The Bridge could be just the ticket. A casual away day for the whole company would fit right in at the Prince or even 100 Wardour Street.

Finally, for the wedding reception of dreams, you can’t beat the De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms. Whatever event you’re planning you’re sure to find the perfect backdrop in leafy West London!

Check out our other West London venues for more ideas.

The best large venues in Central London

Last but certainly not least, we have a variety of Central London venues on offer which can all provide suitable homes for your large events of all kinds. For example, a large conference would do well at Southwark Cathedral, The Brewery, The Mermaid or the Barbican Centre. To inject a smattering of historical charm, try Museum of London, Central Hall Westminster, Lincoln’s Inn or Plaisterers’ Hall.

Royal Horticultural Halls, 8 Northumberland Avenue or Somerset House’s Courtyard all make glamorous settings for a high-profile fashion show or product launch, and if you’re after an edgy setting for a music event or brand activation, Steel Yard or world-famous venue Fabric is a winner.

Maybe you’re planning a roaring Christmas party? Bloomsbury Ballroom is an art-deco dream! Browse the rest of our large Central London venues to find your perfect fit.

How much does it cost to hire a large event venue in London?

The cost of hiring a large event venue in London largely depends on many things. The usual considerations when hiring a venue apply, such as time of year, day of the week, location, number of delegates, catering packages, AV requirements etc etc. But when you’re dealing with large-scale events with many moving parts, this is likely to raise the hire cost considerably. To give you some idea, a 1000 pax conference at a popular Central London venue on a sought-after week in the year could cost upwards of a few thousand pounds, depending on the venue.

To keep costs down, consider going for a Day Delegate Rate package, which includes everything each delegate needs. This is not always the cheapest option though, so make sure you do your research and ask the venue for both options (DDR vs venue hire on its own with extras on top). Also consider whether you want to go for dry-hire or wet-hire, as depending on your needs, one may be cheaper than the other. We’ve written a piece weighing up the pros and cons, which may help you when deciding.

Our top tip? It’s always important to be completely up front with your clients and be transparent about the proposed cost. Work with the venue to keep costs down but don’t compromise on quality.

What are the main considerations when looking for a large event venue in London?

Finding the perfect large event venue, especially in a post-pandemic world, can bring its own challenges and considerations. Some of these include:

** Venue layout** - What will the flow look like? When attendees enter the event, will it be obvious where to go and does everything make sense? Is there enough space for registration that attendees aren’t going to have to queue for miles outside the venue? If not, what if it rains?

Inside the venue, you can never have too much signage. Make sure to ask the venue on your site visit exactly where you can put signage and branding. And where will your sponsors go? Are your most important sponsors more visible than others and placed in high-traffic areas?

Make sure you ask for floor plans and get sign off on exactly where everything will be.

Location and transport - If your event is really big, you’ll need to think carefully about how they’ll all get to the venue on the day. For example, if you go for a more rural venue for your conference, how is it going to work if thousands of people are all trying to pile onto infrequent trains and buses? If you choose a Central venue, how will that work if your attendees are battling rush hour on the tubes? Do you have international attendees flying in who need to be close to an airport?

Think carefully about how people will be coming to your event and make it as easy as possible for them. Ensure there are parking spaces, or if they’re more likely to use public transport, consider staggering your arrival times so it’s not so hectic. It’s also a good idea to consider how your attendees will get home. For example, will your award ceremony run past the time that tubes run, causing a lack of Ubers available and people having to resort to walking home? Not ideal.

Facilities - Do you know exactly what facilities are available to you and do you have it in writing? For example, it’s all good and well noting that there’s a cloakroom but this is useless if you’re not provided with a steward to manage it!

If you go for a dry hire venue option, are there things like kitchens and plenty of power points for your suppliers to be able to do their jobs? Do you have access to storage space?

Are their lifts/ramps around the venue so your event can easily be accessed by wheelchair users?

Access times - Do you know exactly when you’ll have access from and until, the days leading up to the event and the day itself? It’s crucial for you to walk around the venue in the morning and snag your exhibition stands for any issues, so you’ll need to know exactly when you can get in from. Also check access times for your suppliers - your branding guys won’t be happy if they turn up at 6am only to have to wait until the venue manager arrives at 9. Is there a goods lift for heavy equipment/materials?

While we’re on the subject of timings, are there any restrictions? Do you have to stop music or serving alcohol at a certain time because it’s in a residential area? Asking all of these questions is so important for large events and will help avoid any last minute crises.

This is just a taster of things you’ll need to consider when looking for a large event venue in London. It’s a good idea to do your own research too and think about what your event might require and work with the venue team to achieve your goals.

Top 10 tips for planning large events

We’ve discussed a few key things to consider when venue-sourcing for your large event above, so below we thought we’d list a few of our top things to consider when planning the event itself.

1. Go on LOTS of site visits! We recommend at least once a month on the run up to the event.
2. Allow a lot of time to plan (more time than you think you need!) and take on extra resources if you can. If your event is really big, we recommend allowing at LEAST 12 months and hiring trusted freelancers and eventprofs to come onboard to help deliver the project.
3. Find some good suppliers that you can trust. This goes for everything from tech and AV, branding, and catering, to entertainment.
4. Make sure you’re constantly in conversation with the venue team. By the time the event comes, you’ll practically have them on speed dial. Multi-track conferences and large exhibitions can get confusing so to avoid any miscommunication, this is super important.
5. When it comes to technology, make sure you do run throughs and ensure your AV partner is familiar with the venue and what you require of them. The pandemic has brought with it a lot of new technology for events, which bring new hurdles to overcome. Make sure you’re prepared and that you know exactly what technology you need for your hybrid or in-person event.
6. Things will inevitably change or go wrong, so ensure you have a solid contingency plan in place just in case. There are a few safety considerations that don’t necessarily apply as much for smaller events. Things like planning for terror threats and fire safety are paramount when running a large event, and even more simple things like train cancellations/strikes/road closures. Create a plan B, and then a C, D and even E! You can never be too prepared.
7. Run everything past your client, no matter how small. Have regular check-in calls and ensure they’re happy.
8. Prepare for the unexpected and prepare to feel overwhelmed. Planning a large-scale event can sometimes feel really daunting but keep pushing through! It will all be ok on the day if you’ve done all the leg work in the lead up.
9. Make sure you’re constantly updating the budget. Things can go unnoticed, costs can creep up, and especially as there will be lots of different people owning different areas of the event, if the budget isn’t updated regularly this can result in a nightmare. The last thing you want to do is have to go to the client telling them you’re over budget.
10. Last but not least - make sure your staff office on the day is fully equipped. Make sure you have lots of pens, tape, paper, a printer, portable chargers, clipboards and, most importantly, SNACKS. Keep your walkies charged and make time to pee!

There you have it, our top 10 tips for planning large events! Get in touch with our event experts if you need a helping hand.