Hire Space
Barbican Theatre

Barbican Centre

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Barbican Theatre auditorium with tiered seating, ideal for conferences and performances.
  • From £13250
  • 1,154 Theatre
  • Barbican or Moorgate
  • From £13250
  • 1,154 Theatre
  • Barbican or Moorgate
Europe's largest performing arts centre with a 1,154-seat theatre where no audience member sits more than 20 metres from the stage.
Joana Seguí Rubio
Joana Seguí Rubio

Venue Expert @ Hire Space

  • Private registration and catering area included
  • Halal catering available upon request
  • No seat more than 20 metres from stage
  • Seating for 1,154 people with excellent sightlines
  • Dedicated personnel for event management
  • State-of-the-art lighting system
  • Professional kitchen with in-house Searcys catering

A private registration and catering area adjoining the Theatre will be available for your event and is included in the hire charge of the Theatre. A dedicated personnel is there to make sure your event will go as smoothly as possible. A professional kitchen can provide in-house catering by Searcys and Halal catering is available upon request. There is seating for 1154 people and no seat is more than 20 metres from the stage, all sight lines are excellent so no one in the audience will have a bad view of the stage. Ths events space is ideal for conferences, award ceremonies and private events.

Frequently asked questions

The Garden Room & Conservatory costs £7,800+VAT for evening hire (17:30-00:00) with a minimum catering spend of £3,000+VAT. The Frobisher Triple Room is £3,200+VAT for day hire (08:30-17:00) with overnight hold at £950+VAT and minimum catering spend of £1,500+VAT. Cinema 1 day hire is £6,100+VAT (08:30-17:00) and evening hire is £5,100+VAT (17:30-23:00), both with £5,000+VAT minimum catering spend.

Cinema 1 has a total capacity of 280 in raked auditorium style. The Garden Room & Conservatory accommodates 220 banquet, 180 dinner/dance, 450 reception, 180 seated buffet, or 350 fork buffet. Frobisher Triple Room holds 170 theatre style or 96 cabaret style. Both Cinema 1 and Auditorium 1 have 220 capacity spaces.

Cinema 1 includes a 34000lms 4K DLP cinema projector, screen, PA system, 3 cabled microphones, Wi-Fi, full house lighting system, and dedicated technician. Frobisher rooms include LCD projector 8000lms with WUXGA resolution, screen, and Wi-Fi. Additional options include PA system & microphone for £111+VAT and 55" LCD screens for £175+VAT.

Day hire runs 08:30-17:00 and evening hire runs 17:30-00:00 or 17:30-23:00 depending on the space. Tenancy times include setup and de-rig - they recommend 1.5 hours for setup and 30 minutes for de-rig. For additional hours beyond standard times, you must speak to your sales contact for pricing.

Invoices must be paid prior to the event going ahead. Contracts must be signed before the event can proceed. The venue requires both payment and signed contracts as mandatory prerequisites, with no exceptions for events to take place.

Popular spaces like Cinema 1 and Auditorium 1 (both 220 capacity) can be fully booked months in advance. Large conference groups can block availability for multiple days (such as 8th-10th September periods). The venue regularly has no availability for requested dates, particularly for their most sought-after spaces.

In-house catering is provided by Searcys with professional kitchen facilities available. Halal catering is available upon request. All spaces have mandatory minimum catering spends that must be met, ranging from £1,500+VAT to £5,000+VAT depending on the space hired.

Cinema 1 features raked auditorium seating for 280 people with excellent sightlines - no seat is more than 20 metres from the stage and every audience member has an unobstructed view. It includes a state-of-the-art 4K cinema projector, full house lighting system, and dedicated technician for sound and lighting operations.

The Conservatory is described as a "hidden tropical oasis in the heart of the city" housing exotic fish and over 1,500 species of tropical plants and trees. It currently hosts site-specific art commissions, making it one of London's most unusual event venues with a distinctive atmosphere.

The venue sales team will actively help find alternative venues if your preferred dates are unavailable. They have established processes to "find the customer an alternative venue" when the Barbican Centre cannot accommodate the requested dates, demonstrating their commitment to client service even when they cannot host the event.

More about Barbican Centre

The Barbican Centre was developed in the Brutalist style of architecture. It is a performing arts centre, the largest of its kind in Europe. The Barbican Centre was built after Barbican Estate which is a housing complex situated in an area that was bombed heavily in WWII. The centre holds theatre performances, film screenings, music concerts, and art exhibitions. As well as being a world class arts venue, the Barbican Centre also boasts one it's very own tropical Conservatory, which is one of the most unusual venues in London for weddings.