Portsmouth Guildhall

About the venue

Victorian civic hall in the centre of Portsmouth, gutted in the Blitz and reopened in 1959, now run by The Guildhall Trust charity. Its Main Auditorium seats 2,000 theatre-style or 420 for dinner. Weddings run up to 200, with ceremony rooms for 100, and Asian weddings take up to 750. It is a two-minute walk from Portsmouth & Southsea station.

The Zodiac Gallery at Portsmouth Guildhall holds the largest acid-stained glass mural in the world. It overlooks Guildhall Square from the first floor and seats 88 for a wedding breakfast. The building has been the city's main hall for 128 years. It was gutted during the Blitz in 1941, then rebuilt and reopened in 1959.

The Guildhall Trust, an independent charity, runs the venue and puts its income back into music and arts work in the city. The team says it has 125 years of experience in running events, and the building now hosts about 400 a year. Guests come in through a pair of grand bronze doors. For a wedding, the outside of the hall can be lit up in the couple's colours.

The Main Auditorium recently had a £600,000 upgrade. All 2,000 seats were replaced, and the stage finish and sound desk are new. It seats 2,000 theatre-style, 420 for dinner or 336 in cabaret style. Smaller rooms include the Lord Mayor's Banqueting Room, the Portsmouth Room with its own bar and the Lens Studio. The Freda Swain Lounge has floor-to-ceiling windows over the square.

Food is cooked on site by the head chef's team, with locally sourced ingredients. For every conference in the Main Auditorium, the Guildhall funds 50 trees through Ecologi. Portsmouth & Southsea station is a two-minute walk away, and there is parking nearby.

Civic hall rebuilt in 1959 after Blitz damage

Run by The Guildhall Trust charity

Main Auditorium: 2,000 theatre, 420 dinner

Weddings for up to 200; ceremonies for 100

Asian weddings for up to 750, room hire from £5,500

Zodiac Gallery with a giant acid-stained glass mural

On-site catering with local ingredients

Two minutes' walk from Portsmouth & Southsea station