All About Renting Festival Venues in London
Who doesn't have fond memories of their favourite festival? Festivals come in all shapes and sizes, from music to art, to food, and each type will function best in a specific space. Holding music festivals outside often makes the most sense, whereas an art festival likely needs covered space away from the elements.
Like other cities of its size, London has a ton of venues suitable for your next festival, and all the best options are on the Giggster platform. Whether the festival's ideal setting is an industrial London rooftop, an entire floor in an East London building filled with character, or a Norfolk garden, a budget-friendly option is just a few clicks away.
So, don't host your ultra-fun festival in the back room of your local pub (unless you want to, of course), and instead, welcome the invitees, performers, and staff to the perfect London festival venue found on Giggster. Quickly start your search today!
Amazing London Festival Venues Hand-Picked by Giggster
Whether it's a festival dedicated to music, sport, culture, or film, our festival venues in London promise a good time in the best-suited space.
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Set up bouncy houses, games, and carnival-type food on the grounds of an expansive villa and watch the families pour in. Just make sure to include an area on the site for the parents, too!
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Trying to get a festival going that rivals Glastonbury (eventually)? Start things off small the right way and choose a Giggster venue on the app with loads of outdoor space and the ability to set up audio equipment easily. Warehouses can also offer a rave-like vibe with the right lighting and decor.
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Celebrate your culture by planning a day of music, food, dancing, and art all centred around your traditions. Fill an 800-person capacity warehouse in no time, but make sure you have a team that can handle it all.
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Food festivals aren't just about food trucks. Why not host a food-themed event at a local Indian restaurant? Whether you want to go African, Italian, English, or beyond, Giggster's festival venues in London are just the ticket.
Impressive Festival Venues in London Starting at Just £16/hour
With Giggster, we don't just provide a platform to find the perfect venue from our vast selection. We help you keep within your budget, offer optional protections, and convenient booking flexibility.
Exceptional Variety & Quality: We have the right space for a small and intimate festival, like a cozy room in a historic house, to large industrial warehouses and sprawling villas complete with massive grounds. When you need space to move around, dance, and connect, you're bound to find the right London venue for your special occasion from our 1279 total listings.
Hassle-Free Booking: Our intuitive mobile app makes searching and booking festival venues in London a breeze. Dive into the detailed descriptions and images, rest easy with upfront pricing, and even get in touch with the super helpful hosts for additional questions.
24-Hour Free Cancellation Policy: The whole process of organising an unforgettable event can be daunting and mistakes can happen. Did you book the wrong date or change your mind? Users can cancel without penalty within 24 hours of making the reservation. Just make sure you book at least 48 hours out to qualify.
Platform Protections: Depending on the type of festival, damage and accidents may be more common. Dancing may cause injury and large events might cause damage to the venue. Either way, you have the option to get our liability and damage protection to cover these unforeseen issues. It's also possible to opt-in to additional cancellation protection, which can be handy for outdoor events that may get postponed due to weather.
Top Venues for Every Type of Festival in London
As a highly-populated world-class city, it's not hard to find people who want to attend a festival. Just be selective as to which type of space you book to ensure it matches the event's needs and target audience.
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Film Festivals – Showcasing Favourites. It may be obvious, but a film festival needs a cinema. And while you can't just walk up to any theatre and expect to hire it for the night, with Giggster, you can search and find cinemas with seating capacity for over 500 or cozier spaces with a capacity of 30 or 40 guests.
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Food Festivals – Culinary (and Culture) Celebration. When food is on the table, venues like restaurants are ideal. But, food trucks also draw big crowds. Set up your food truck extravaganza on an estate with level lawns just outside central London and watch the hungry festival-goers show up in droves.
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Music Festivals – Dance the Day (or Night) Away. A smaller musical event might make sense in a bar or club. Giggster has plenty of those. Or, take the party outside and hire a garden event space surrounded by historic buildings.
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Cultural and Arts Festivals – Recognize Talent and Traditions. These festivals run the spectrum of possibility, just like Giggster's many venues. Inside, outside, small, large—the only limit is your vision and imagination.
Top Features to Look for in a Festival Venue in London
Not every venue will fit the bill for your specific event. Consider these factors before finalising your Giggster booking.
Is it big enough? While you likely want to accommodate as many people as possible, there is a limit. Pay attention to the clear capacity restrictions on the app and go with venues that won't have you turning too many attendees away but will also fill up enough to avoid looking sparse.
What amenities do you need? Will you be providing toilets for the masses? Does the venue allow Portaloos? Also, consider the catering and kitchen requirements if food and drinks are on the menu, and a sound system for music, instructions, and speeches is usually a must.
Is the venue accessible? Depending on your audience, ensure that there are accessibility options to stay inclusive. Evaluate the parking availability and regulations or you risk people showing up, circling for a spot, and leaving if there isn't space.
Pros and Cons of Hiring a Festival Venue in London
Advantages
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As a big and bustling city, London has tons of venue choices. Whatever your vision, the huge selection of parks, gardens, warehouses, galleries, and homes is a definitely plus.
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Venues in London benefit from the city's network of Tube stations and other public transport. With festival-specific venues spread all over the city, from central London to the outskirts, finding a convenient spot is a cinch.
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London festival venues will often already have the infrastructure you need to host a successful event. Audiovisual equipment, tables, chairs, etc. on site already means avoiding additional fees for rentals.
Disadvantages
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There will be rules. London festival venues each set rules and may limit outside food, electricity usage, alcohol, or pets.
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The top festival venues in London are useful for other events, like weddings, parties, and family gatherings. You can easily miss out on tour favourites if you don't book well in advance.
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Size can be an issue. Even in a city as big as London, there just aren't that many venues that can hold thousands of people. It will be more difficult if your festival has an invite list of more than 1,000 people.
Planning a Memorable London Festival
Feeling overwhelmed? Don't waste the energy. Whether the event is months out or in a few days, it's never too late to get your ducks in a row.
Stick to the Budget – Skyrocketing costs have a way of ruining the festivities; don't let things get out of hand. Don't spend more than you have, so set and stick to an overall budget.
Hire Performers and Exhibitors – Music festivals need bands, arts festivals need artists, and film festivals need emcees. Get the jump on the competition by booking popular or well-known artists, bands, and other talent ASAP.
Work our Logistics – Extra toilets? Check. Menu sorted? Check. Sound equipment tested? Check. You get the idea... Make a to-do list to keep everything on track.
Ask Permission – Whether it's from the venue owner or the city of London, getting the necessary festival permits and permissions is essential. Miss this and you risk getting shut down when the event is in full swing. Investigate noise and other limitations to be safe.
Set a Timetable – Guests will know what to expect (and when), as will the staff.
How to Save Money on a Festival Venue
While it's never good to cut corners, you can still save money with a little out-of-the-box thinking.
Can you keep it short and sweet?
Most festival venues in London rent by the hour, like the St John's Church, Hyde Park, so you can save money by shaving an hour or two off the total time. Have everything organised for the day so that setup and take down are quick. Book with Giggster and your festival can get started for as low as £16/hour.
Summer isn't the only festival season.
Off-peak festivals can draw on people who aren't already committed to other events. Summers are busy and venues are often pricier as demand increases. Hold a winter festival or a spring arts festival and just ensure there is a space where people can escape the elements.
Don't double-buy.
Check with the venue to see what's already included in the cost. Some spaces might already have audio equipment, decor, and lights, which will save to the price of renting your own.
Plan Your Festival with Giggster
Green spaces, warehouses, studios, and stately homes are all at your disposal with Giggster. Get searching now and you're sure to secure the best London festival spot.
