Hire Space
Pigott Theatre

The National Gallery

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  • From £100 per person
  • 300 Theatre
  • Charing Cross
  • From £100 per person
  • 300 Theatre
  • Charing Cross
The only venue where you can host business events surrounded by world-class art in the heart of Trafalgar Square with dedicated in-house AV support.
Caitlin McCavitt
Caitlin McCavitt

Venue Expert @ Hire Space

  • 5 wheelchair spaces for accessibility
  • Located in Sainsbury Wing Level -1
  • Two visitor engagement staff included
  • Theatre-style seating for up to 300 guests
  • State-of-the-art projector and upgraded audio facilities
  • Dedicated in-house AV team
  • Small foyer area for refreshments

The Lecture Theatre is located within the Sainsbury Wing of the National Gallery on Level -1 and can accommodate up to 300 guests in a theatre style capacity.

Included in the hire of this space has in built AV with a state of the art projector and recently upgraded audio facilities, all supported by a dedicated in house Audio Visual Team.

The space also has a small area located outside in the foyer which can be used for refreshments or light lunches.

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. Catering, production, florist, and entertainment are additional costs provided through accredited suppliers only.

Events cannot be hosted on Fridays as the gallery is open to the public until 21:00, preventing evening events. New Year's Eve is also unavailable due to Trafalgar Square celebrations and road closures that prevent supplier access.

Daytime meeting spaces are currently under major capital refurbishment and unavailable until May 2025. Bookings for the new daytime event spaces will open in September 2025, with events starting from Autumn 2025.

Evening events start from 18:45 with guest access typically from 18:45/19:00. Standing receptions run for 3 hours (ending at 22:00) and seated dinners for 4 hours (ending at 23:00). Extensions beyond these times cost £2,000 + VAT per hour, with events able to run until 02:00.

No, all catering, production, florist, and entertainment must be provided through the National Gallery's accredited suppliers only. You must select from their Accredited Supplier List and cannot bring in external vendors.

The Yves Saint Laurent room is priced at £10,000 + VAT and accommodates up to 60 people. The Pigott Theatre evening hire starts at £15,000 + VAT. These smaller spaces have lower minimums than the main £18,000 + VAT venue hire.

No, the National Gallery cannot host ticketed events according to their gallery policy. This restriction applies to all event types regardless of size or purpose.

The venue gets fully booked well in advance, with November dates typically unavailable and December having limited availability. The booking process includes arranging a site visit to view spaces, after which your event date can be placed on hold.

Evening hire for 300 people starts at £18,000 + VAT. The venue can accommodate dinners for up to 350 guests and receptions for up to 1,200 guests in their picture galleries, though specific room capacities vary significantly.

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!