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Barbican Expands Event Options with New Lakeside Room

The Barbican will launch The Lakeside Room in September, catering to the increasing demand for mid-sized event venues in London. Designed for flexibility and functionality, it accommodates 20 to 120 guests for various formats, including meetings and parties, with modern features and accessibility. This addition enhances the Barbican's position as a premier conference venue.

Newsdesk R. Michael February 16, 2026 2 min read

New Space Targets Mid-Sized Events

The Barbican will open The Lakeside Room in September, adding a new option for London’s conference and events market. The launch responds directly to rising demand for mid-sized venues in the City of London.

Event planners continue to struggle with limited availability for gatherings between 20 and 120 guests. As a result, the Barbican is increasing its capacity to support this growing segment.

Designed for Flexibility and Flow

The Lakeside Room delivers a bright, modern setting filled with natural daylight. The venue team designed the space to create a smooth guest journey from arrival to departure.

Importantly, catering will take place within the same room. This setup allows organisers to avoid complex room changes and maintain event momentum. In addition, the room offers full accessibility for all guests.

Capacity includes:

120 guests for a drinks reception
80 guests for a seated dinner
60 delegates in theatre-style layout

Therefore, planners can adapt the space to suit both social and corporate formats.

Spacious, empty interior of a modern office with large windows overlooking an urban landscape.

A beautifully set long dining table with white tablecloth, crystal glasses, and small floral arrangements. The table is surrounded by wooden chairs and has a backdrop of large windows revealing a city view.

Supporting Modern Event Delivery

Today’s planners want venues that simplify logistics. They also expect flexibility without sacrificing atmosphere. The Lakeside Room addresses both priorities.

Jenny Waller, Head of Sales at the Barbican, said planners increasingly request welcoming spaces that are easy to operate. She explained that the room combines natural light, modern design and straightforward catering flow. Consequently, organisers can deliver networking events, festive parties or smaller conferences without added complexity.

Modern conference room featuring a long wooden table surrounded by brown leather chairs, with large windows allowing natural light, artwork on the walls, and contemporary lighting fixtures.

Wide Range of Event Formats

The Lakeside Room suits a variety of formats. For example, companies can host client hospitality events or networking receptions. Similarly, brands can stage product launches or fashion showcases.

The space also supports:

Smaller meetings and briefings
Private dining experiences
Christmas parties
Conferences for up to 60 delegates

Because of its scale, the room works well for events that need intimacy while retaining professional production standards.

A spacious conference room set up with round tables covered in black cloth and surrounded by orange chairs, suitable for events, with a projector screen in the background.

Production, Licensing and Availability

To support event teams, the room includes built-in AV for meetings and standard lighting for receptions. Furthermore, power provision meets typical event requirements. Clear signage will guide guests efficiently through the venue.

The Barbican will operate the space under standard licensing with a 1am finish. However, organisers can request late licensing, subject to approval. Background music remains permitted, and acoustic performances may also be possible within licensing limits.

The venue will offer availability from Monday to Thursday. Additionally, planners can secure overnight holds for rehearsals, production build or set-up.

Strengthening the Barbican Portfolio

The Barbican continues to position itself as one of London’s leading conference and arts venues. Located in the City of London, the venue accommodates events ranging from small meetings to conferences for 2,000 delegates.

Unlike many venues, the Barbican was built specifically to host both arts programming and business events. Therefore, organisers benefit from purpose-designed infrastructure and experienced production teams.

The addition of The Lakeside Room, the venue strengthens its offering for mid-sized gatherings while maintaining its architectural identity and cultural reputation.