Shelter Hall in Brighton takes private events from a meeting of eight on a day delegate package up to 620 guests on a full venue buyout. The food hall stands on the seafront at Kings Road Arches, with seven kitchens, two bars, a mezzanine with balconies and a first-floor cocktail bar facing the sea and the piers.
Seminars and company events
For daytime meetings, Shelter Hall sells a day delegate format for groups of 8 to 20, running from 9 am to 5 pm. It includes exclusive use of a private bar, Wi-Fi and a TV screen, tea and coffee with pastries on arrival, still and sparkling water, a lunch allowance to spend in the kitchens, an afternoon snack and an on-site event manager. Audio and visual equipment can be requested in the Skylark Cocktail Bar. Larger teams can take the mezzanine for a summer party or an end-of-year dinner, or book the whole building for a company celebration. A shared experience package suits groups of 13 or more who want a reserved area, a welcome drink, food credit and a drinks token without hiring a full room.
Rooms and capacities
The main hall is the largest space, with up to 230 seated or 400 standing, ringed by the seven kitchens and a 10-meter bar. Guests can be served buffet style or order freely, and organisers may bring in their own entertainment. The mezzanine on the first floor overlooks the hall, seats up to 105 or holds 150 standing, and has sole access to five balconies. The Skylark Cocktail Bar, also on the first floor, takes groups of up to 50 with its own bar and a view of the water. Full venue hire combines the main hall, mezzanine, cocktail bar, balconies and dining room for up to 620 guests, with a layout planned by the organiser across the spaces.
Catering
Food comes from the seven kitchens and drinks from the bars, so a single event can mix several cuisines on one floor. The kitchens rotate; the current line-up includes pizza, burgers and Japanese hand rolls. The mezzanine offers food and drink packages built to order, and the main hall works either as a buffet or with guests ordering at the counters. There is no outside caterer to coordinate.
History and setting
The building dates from the 1880s, when it was put up on the seafront to shelter fishermen and beachgoers and to sell them refreshments. A glass dome and a ten-sided glass kiosk lit the interior from above. The dome was lost in the 20th century, and the hall later served as an amusement arcade and then a gym. Structural failure closed it in 2012, and it reopened in 2020 as a food and drink hall. The first-floor spaces and balconies look out over the beach toward Brighton's piers, which gives evening receptions a seaside backdrop in every season.
Getting there
Shelter Hall is on Kings Road Arches, Brighton BN1 1NB, on the lower promenade of the seafront. Brighton station has direct trains from London Victoria, London Bridge and Gatwick Airport, and the walk down to the seafront takes around 15 minutes. Gatwick is the nearest airport. The hall opens every day, with late closing at midnight on Fridays and Saturdays, which suits evening parties.
