Dry hire venues in London
Get a tailored shortlist from an expert
Your Questions, Answered
True dry hire means you get the space as a blank canvas with freedom to bring your own suppliers. Tobacco Dock exemplifies this perfectly, offering 16,000 square metres where you control everything from catering to production. Most London dry hire venues operate on an 'approved supplier' model rather than completely open access. Places like Old Billingsgate provide the shell while maintaining a curated list of caterers who know the building's quirks. The key distinction: you're paying for space and infrastructure, not locked into package deals.
Budget expectations vary wildly based on scale and prestige. Hackney Town Hall publishes transparent rates starting at £1,650 for three hours in their Assembly Rooms, while Royal Festival Hall commands £29,750 for daytime auditorium hire. Mid-range options like Bush Hall charge from £3,850 for parties. Remember dry hire typically means additional costs for everything from security to cleaning. Most venues require 25-50% deposits, with final payments due two weeks before your event. Factor in VAT plus production costs which can easily double your venue spend.
East London dominates with warehouse clusters around Shoreditch and Wapping. The Old Truman Brewery provides 50,000 square feet of interconnected spaces perfect for fashion weeks, while Studio Spaces E1 offers three black-box studios with Funktion-One sound systems. Central options include heritage sites like Banqueting House in Whitehall and One Marylebone near Regent's Park. South of the river, Magazine London at North Greenwich leads the modern dry hire movement with its steel-and-glass pavilions.
Most London dry hire venues maintain approved supplier lists rather than offering complete freedom. Roundhouse provides 24-hour hire blocks but requires using their technical team for rigging and sound. Shoreditch Town Hall lets you choose from featured caterers or propose your own for approval. Insurance requirements typically include £5-10 million public liability cover for external suppliers. Some venues like Protein Studios offer genuine open-door policies, particularly for brand activations and experiential events where creative control matters most.
Alexandra Palace's Great Hall tops the scale at 10,250 standing or 5,000 banqueting, while intimate options like Conway Hall's Library accommodate just 60. Sweet spots for corporate events include Islington Assembly Hall at 430 theatre style and Lindley Hall at 650 standing. Remember that stated capacities assume basic layouts. Complex productions with staging, screens and catering stations typically reduce numbers by 20-30%. Fire regulations also vary between boroughs, affecting how you can use spaces.
Premium dates at venues like Old Billingsgate and Tobacco Dock book 12-18 months ahead, particularly for November-December. Summer terraces at Magazine London fill by January for the following year. However, dry hire venues often have last-minute availability for weekday corporate events. Battersea Arts Centre's Grand Hall sometimes has gaps three months out, while warehouse spaces in zones 2-3 regularly offer deals within 6-8 weeks. January and August remain the easiest months to secure prestigious venues at standard rates.
Tobacco Dock has become the unofficial home of London tech events, with dedicated loading bays and 57 spaces for breakouts. Magazine London suits product launches with its 8.5-metre ceilings accommodating large installations. Protein Studios in Shoreditch offers five modular white-box studios with three-phase power for heavy tech requirements. For smaller summits, Studio Spaces E1 provides three interconnected studios with built-in streaming capability. Most tech-friendly venues include dedicated bandwidth upgrades and power distribution as standard.
Magazine London's Showground accommodates 7,000 outdoors alongside its indoor pavilions. Alexandra Palace combines indoor halls with panoramic terraces overlooking London. Loft Studios features two courtyards creating natural flow between five warehouse spaces. Southbank Centre's roof pavilions offer Thames views for 220 guests. Weather contingencies matter: venues with retractable elements or covered outdoor areas command premium rates. Most outdoor spaces require separate licensing for amplified sound after 9pm.
Basic inclusions vary dramatically between venues. Lindley Hall includes tables, chairs and operational support within their dry hire fee. Roundhouse provides full technical infrastructure during their 24-hour hire blocks. Conversely, warehouse spaces like F Block at Old Truman Brewery deliver completely empty shells requiring everything from lighting to toilets. Most heritage venues include house lighting and basic PA systems. Always clarify what's included: some venues charge separately for items like cloakroom rails, signage boards and even bins.
Beyond price and capacity, consider operational factors that affect your event's success. Hackney Town Hall publishes transparent pricing and has strong event management, making execution smoother. Tobacco Dock's 57 spaces allow complex multi-stream conferences impossible elsewhere. Old Billingsgate's riverside location and three distinct spaces suit brands wanting variety within one booking. Check loading access (vital for exhibitions), ceiling heights (for production), and whether venues have dealt with similar events. Recent refurbishments at Battersea Arts Centre and Banqueting House mean better facilities but potentially less flexible policies.