The National Gallery has reported its strongest year for events following the relaunch of its Sainsbury Wing, with a significant rise in bookings driven in part by increased demand from TV, film and large-scale production clients.
The transformation of the Sainsbury Wing, which included a newly designed entrance and refurbished theatre space, has expanded the Gallery’s capacity to host higher-value, higher-production events, contributing to a 150% year-on-year increase in events revenue.
It comes at a time when the venue continues to see a strong underlying demand for events across its offering. While 40% of revenue generated came from events held at updated Sainsbury Wing, the other 60% is attributed to events held at the many other grand spaces, including Central Hall, The Barry Rooms and Room 32.
The increase in revenue has been driven by a sharp increase in the number of events held at the famous London venue, which saw an increase of 172% compared to the previous financial year. The venue has also seen an increase in budget for events held, with a projected 87% increase for events in the next 12 months, across all event incomes streams including production, catering and floristry.
Recent events hosted in The National Gallery’s Sainsbury Wing include the FOX premiere of The Faithful, Amazon’s premiere of The Girlfriend and the London premiere of the new season of The Real Housewives of London.
Commenting on the success of the past year, Clare Arouche, Head of Events & Hospitality at the National Gallery, said:
“With our unique location in the heart of the West End it’s been interesting to see the surge in demand for events at The National Gallery from the world of entertainment, utilising London as a backdrop and hosting events within creative and culturally relevant spaces.
“This rise in demand is exciting for those of us in the events industry. It’s a sign that the world of entertainment is increasingly thinking outside the box when it comes to these sorts of events, seeking out recognisable cultural locations that are visually distinctive and changing up the traditional definition of what these sorts of events can look like.”
