Hire Space
Portico Terrace

The National Gallery

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Portico Terrace at The National Gallery with tall columns, ideal for upscale events.
  • From £7000
  • 100 Standing
  • Charing Cross
  • From £7000
  • 100 Standing
  • Charing Cross
The only venue in London offering alfresco dining with direct views over iconic Trafalgar Square from a historic National Gallery terrace.
Edward Poland
Edward Poland

Venue Expert @ Hire Space

  • Accommodates up to 250 guests
  • Portico Foyer extension available
  • Evening hire until 02:00
  • Dedicated event manager included
  • Trafalgar Square views
  • Black and white mosaic floor
  • Alfresco dining capability
  • Central Hall wet weather backup

With unrivalled views overlooking the iconic Trafalgar Square, the Portico Terrace is an extraordinary event space. It is ideal for a summer drinks reception or alfresco dinning on the exquisite black and white mosaic floor. In inclement weather Central Hall can be used as a wet weather option. The Portico Terrace can accommodate up to 100 guests for a drinks reception or 250 when used with the Portico Foyer.

Frequently asked questions

Dry venue hire starts from £18,000 + VAT, which includes the venue, an event manager, security, first aid, and cleaning/porter teams. For standing receptions, this covers a three-hour hire with guest access from 18:45/19:00 – 22:00, while seated dinners cost £20,000 + VAT for a four-hour hire with guest access from 18:45/19:00 – 23:00.

Yes, you can extend your event beyond 22:00 or 23:00 up to 02:00 at £2,000 + VAT per hour. All events must end by 02:00 maximum.

Evening events cannot be hosted on Fridays as the gallery is open to the public until 21:00. Events are available Monday through Thursday and weekends, with the gallery closing at 18:00 on these days to allow for evening hire from 18:45.

The venue is not available on New Year's Eve due to Trafalgar Square celebrations and road closures that prevent supplier access. Additionally, November tends to be heavily booked with limited availability.

Yes, catering, production, florist, and entertainment are in addition to the facility fee and must be provided through one of the venue's approved suppliers. You must select from their Accredited Supplier List and cannot bring in external vendors.

Daytime spaces are currently undergoing major capital refurbishment and are unavailable. The venue is taking bookings for autumn 2025 with new meeting spaces, with bookings opening in September 2025.

The Yves Saint Laurent room is priced at £10,000 + VAT and can accommodate up to 60 people for a four-hour hire from 18:45/19:00 – 23:00. The Pigott Theatre evening hire starts at £15,000 + VAT and can accommodate up to 300 people in theatre-style seating.

The venue cannot host ticketed events as per gallery policy. This means you cannot sell tickets to the public for your event, limiting it to private, invitation-only gatherings.

The venue gets heavily booked, particularly in November, so advance booking is essential. The booking process involves arranging a site visit of the spaces, after which they can place your event date on hold while you finalize details.

Exhibition access at the National Gallery is an exclusive benefit of Corporate Support only. For events that include private views of exhibitions, you must contact the Corporate Team separately, as this is not included in standard venue hire.

More about The National Gallery

The National Gallery is one of the most visited and best loved art galleries in the world. We're located in the very heart of Central London, with an iconic building overlooking Trafalgar Square.

Choose from a variety of spectacular picture galleries for hosting dinners for up to 350 guests and receptions for up to 1,200. You can also dance the night away until 02:00.

In our unique venue, we also have a range of modern conference facilities for between 2-328 delegates.

What better place to entertain your guests than the National Gallery located in the heart of London!