Kensington Palace Pavilion marks first 12 months of events

Kensington Palace, one of six palaces cared for by independent charity Historic Royal Palaces, is celebrating a successful first year of events for the Pavilion.

The venue was built last year as a temporary replacement to the Orangery during its major conservation and building project. 

Since its opening in March last year, Kensington Palace Pavilion has welcomed over 13,000 guests, with events ranging from intimate parties for 60 to its full 800-guest capacity.

Among the occasions hosted so far include milestone birthdays, summer parties and weddings, charity fundraising dinners and award ceremonies, across industries including financial services, education, media and legal sectors.

Situated in the heart of the palace grounds, the Pavilion has attracted clients including InterContinental Hotels and Cosmopolitan for its annual Influencer Awards, as well as hosting 14 Christmas films over the course of one festive week for its very first Luna Winter Cinema.

The venue’s management say the Pavilion’s covered terrace overlooking the East Front and Sunken Garden and its access to the leafy Cradle Walk have made it a popular location for hosting summer parties, while the indoor truss has enabled several large-scale production events to completely transform the space.

As well as being a standalone venue, the Pavilion has often been used in combination with the State Apartments, with guests enjoying drinks receptions inside the palace before their main event.

Alex Donnelly-Palmer, Events & Operations Manager at Kensington Palace, said: “We have experienced such an incredible first year of events at the Pavilion and the variety of event capabilities our versatile, blank canvas space provides is enormous! It has been amazing to see the extensive range of creative transformations taking place – accommodating intimate events for smaller guestlists right up to large events for up to 800 people – and we’re excited to see what the next chapter brings.

“Clients booking events in the Pavilion also contribute to Historic Royal Palaces’ charitable cause, as income raised from all commercial activities is reinvested in conservation, public access and educational activities to ensure the palace continues to be well-maintained and open for all to enjoy.”  

www.hrp.org.uk