The Great Hall
The Great Hall is our flagship room, and the jewel in the crown of Central Hall Westminster. The Hall’s unique architecture was and still is considered a marvel of engineering in its time. Its stunning period features include a self-supporting domed ceiling that remains the largest of its kind in Europe.
As central London’s largest purpose-built event space, the Great Hall offers an expansive capacity of over 2,000 guests. It also features a brilliantly designed stage area and excellent acoustics that create a surprisingly intimate ambience for live concerts, award ceremonies, graduations, television recordings and conferences.
Features at a glance
- Circular shape with self-supporting domed ceiling
- Space for over 2,000 people, concert style
- Spans Floor 3 and Floor 4
- Original 4731-pipe Arthur Hill and Son organ
- Grand foyers spread over two floors
- Adaptable stage extending to 60 ft
- Large backstage area with two stage-access points
- Backstage dressing room
- VIP balcony overlooking Westminster Abbey
Set ups and sizing
Theatre | 875 |
Cabaret | 320 |
Dinner | 400 |
Boardroom | 80 |
U Shape | 60 |
Classroom | 340 |
Exams (single desks) | 340 |
Exams (double desks) | 140 |
Concert Standing | 2000 |
Balcony | 875 |
Banqueting | 400 |
Choir | 100 |
Total Space | 734 sq m |
Width | 36.5 m |
Length | 20.1 m |
Height max | 21 m |
Height min | 4.5 m |
Floor Loading | 488 kg/sq m |
Stage Height | 0.9 m |
Stage Depth | 4.2 m |
Stage Width | 7.6 m |
Total Space | 734 sq m |
Three height hydraulic stage with wheelchair access | low 0.38m med 0.74m max. 1.1m |
Stage Width | max. 20m min. 1.1m |
Stage Depth | max. 6.6m min. 3.7m |
Technology and AV
We have fully modernised the Great Hall to complement its period beauty with state-of-the-art technical facilities.
The Great Hall’s permanent features include natural light and blackout facilities, a purpose-designed PA system, a magnificent 4731-pipe organ, and an adaptable stage that extends out up to 60ft. A choir of up to 198 voices can also occupy the seating around the organ if needed.
White Light, our award-wining audio visual partner, can also offer bespoke technical solutions to support your event.
For the Great Hall, our standard package includes:
- A 20” edgeless floating screen, fed by two in-house 15,000 lumen Christie projectors – providing superb viewing angles for presentations and camera relays
- An extensive Crestron DM control and distribution system – to route video audio signals throughout the Hall
- Eight permanent 800kg SWL hoists – for extensive rigging capabilities
- A highly flexible in-house lighting rig, combining LED generic fixtures and an array of moving head profiles and LED washes
All our AV packages are quoted individually to reflect the variety of events taking place in the Great Hall. For a tailored quote, get in touch with us.
Menus and catering
Catering options in the Great Hall are varied and flexible. Our on-site catering partner Green & Fortune offers a wide selection of menus, perfect for a conference , allowing your delegates to take a break but and also network. From arrival pastries or bacon sandwiches to standing lunch menus and post conference reception packages, the menus offer a great deal of choice and easily encompass all dietary requirements to.
All catering and refreshments are usually provided in the Great Hall’s grand foyers. They lead on from our Grand Staircase and span two floors, giving your guests ample space to mingle and enjoy the food and drink on offer.
Alternatively, you can choose to serve food in the Great Hall’s two circular rotunda areas, which offer breakout space for up to 60 people each.
An illustrious history
The Great Hall has a long history of hosting illustrious guests and events. The Great Hall was the setting for the first ever meeting of the United Nations in 1946, and we also have welcomed world icons such as Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King onto its stage.
Its exceptional technical capabilities have made the Great Hall a key venue for several significant public events too, including:
- Andrew Lloyd Webber concerts
- A live performance from Kanye West
- New Year’s Eve BBC concerts featuring Gary Barlow, Queen + Adam Lambert and Robbie Williams
- Channel 4’s Stand Up to Cancer
- The Late, Late Show with James Corden
- The FIFA Interactive World Cup
- London Symphonic and Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
We also regularly hire out the Great Hall as a filming location. Both its exterior and interior have featured in numerous television broadcasts and Hollywood blockbusters.