• Elegant floral arrangement on a fully laid up top table of a wedding, looking out at the sea.
  • A beautifully dressed room of elegantly decorated fully laid banqueting tables and chairs with florals and linens.
  • Bubbling glasses of champagne, with two glasses on a tray in the foreground and more glasses in rows being topped up with a bottle in the background.
  • A table featuring a delicious plate of elevated chicken and sweetcorn ribs and a pot of french fries. A beautiful floral centerpiece sits behind this, with glasses of wine, water glasses and cutlery.
  • A vertical view of the top table of a wedding; dressed with green foliage and white flowers, green and white sashes on the chairs and laid up with cutlery, side plates and cloth napkins.

Cliffs Pavilion

Home — Venues — Cliffs Pavilion Southend Venue Hire

Overview

An unforgettable experience at a unique seafront venue.

One-of-a-kind sea views, direct beach access and outside areas to take in the air means that Cliffs Pavilion is sure to blow you away.

You’ll experience something new across each of our spaces, in a multi-functional complex that rivals the best of the UK’s national arts venues. We’re proud to be the venue of choice for a number of A-list comedy, music, and entertainment productions. Cliffs Pavilion is an iconic spot to host large scale events, ceremonies, and banquets with a unique in-house catering and events operation.

Please note that the Cliffs Pavilion remains open during our 60th anniversary refurbishment.

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Our History & Programming

Work began on the iconic Southend-on-Sea theatre in the 1930s, with plans to create the venue in the shape of a hexagon.

After World War II put the building work on hold, the venue remained unfinished for nearly 30 years. After a major redesign, the venue finally had its grand opening almost three decades later, in 1964.

Since the construction of a foyer bar and balcony in 1991, the Cliffs Pavilion has established itself as the south-east’s leading live entertainment venue. We welcome half a million visitors each year with an eclectic programme of classical music, West End shows, comedians and rock concerts as well as exhibitions, balls, and seminars.

Marking nearly 100 years since the inception of Cliffs Pavilion, a major refurbishment is underway while the venue and hire spaces remain open. This will see extensive upgrades to the venue to improve customer experience and guests will be able to look forward to a new entrance, lobby, and outdoor piazza to enhance their day.

Capacity

Our theatre seats up to 1657 guests, with additional capacity across our multi-purpose spaces, such as the Admiral’s Room and the Maritime Room. See Our Spaces below for full information.

Facilities & Technical

Catering: Specialist in-house catering with expertise across food and beverage, including high-end bars service.

Events: Our events operation specialises in and spans conferences, awards, ceremonies, ticketed events, banqueting, experiential events and more. Our dedicated in-house events team will offer you the pinnacle of high-quality guest experience.

Weddings: Cliffs Pavilion is a licensed wedding venue, and is one of the most unique locations to spend your special day with friends and family.

Technical: We have a highly advanced and capable team, with facilities including high level AV, sound, projection and wifi.

Location & Access

Address: Cliffs Pavilion, Station Road, Southend on Sea, Essex, SS0 7RA

How to get here:

By train: Cliffs Pavilion is served by two mainline rail services, with local stations a 10 and 20 minute walk away.

  • Westcliff Station: C2C, 10 mins walk
  • Southend Victoria Station: Greater Anglia, 20 mins walk

By car: Large car parks provide ample space for a number of guests and attendees.
80-space pay & display car park on-site. Parking fees apply from 8am to 6pm.

By bus: There is a bus stop directly outside the venue, serviced by the 17 Leigh-on-Sea – Southend.

Gallery

Explore our venue through our gallery of pictures and videos.

Testimonials

  • ‘The attention to detail and level of care taken by the entire team at The Cliffs Pavilion is second to none. Nothing is too much trouble and every corporate event Olympus has hosted with them has been a huge success!’

    Olympus

  • ‘The Cliffs Pavilion team, from hospitality to production, consistently go above and beyond to ensure the event runs smoothly. The feedback from our guests is always positive, and we truly value the strong relationship we've built with the team over the years, helping us deliver successful events to raise vital funds for the charity.’

    Havens Hospices

  • ‘We love holding our yearly event at the Cliffs Pavilion, Southend. We have around 800 staff attend and they all love it. we are well looked after from start to finish!’

    Stockvale – Star Awards

  • ‘We’d highly recommend the team at Cliffs Pavilion for any type of event. We’ve used them on multiple occasion for all types of events and the highly attentive team are on hand for all of our requests, no matter how big or small. Their knowledgeable team are on hand to offer support (and advice!) which goes a long way during the planning stages.’

    Southend United

Book your event with us

Interested in hosting your next event at Cliffs Pavilion?

Tell us all about your plans, and we’ll work with you to make it spectacular.

Contact Our Events Specialists Today

FAQs

What kind of events do you host at Cliffs Pavilion?

Cliffs Pavilion is a versatile venue hire space suitable for a wide range of events, including weddings, corporate conferences, concerts, theatrical performances, private parties, and charity events.

How many guests can the venue hire accommodate?

The main auditorium can seat up to 1,657 guests, while the Maritime Room and Admiral’s Room can accommodate between 30 and 300 guests. See full capacity details under Our Spaces, below.

How do I make a booking?

Contact our booking team or submit an enquiry to check availability and book the venue. The booking team will provide specific details, including deposit information, during this process.

What kind of food is available at the venue?

We offer on-site catering with a range of options depending on your event’s needs. Menus can be customised to suit your preferences and dietary requirements. With our upcoming refurbishment, the venue will also host a dedicated stand-alone restaurant.

What are the parking arrangements for guests?

There is a large, free on-site car park available for guests. Additionally, there are several public parking options nearby if extra spaces are needed.

Get in touch with our team
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