The creative alternative for your next event

The National Gallery of Australia is the creative alternative for your next event. Offering a range of venues and services in the heart of Canberra, it is the perfect place for conferences, annual general meetings, workshops, presentations, product launches, corporate and private functions and more.

Photograph: John Gollings

Dining cafes | Venue hire | Enquiry form

Overview

Events at the National Gallery of Australia will ensure your experience is individual and world class.

Our distinctive venues within the National Gallery of Australia offer unique and diverse settings for your occasion.

The following information is a starting point towards developing a distinctive and personal catering experience. Our creative team will work with you to tailor and individualise our services in line with your vision.

Please do not hesitate to contact us to discuss any detail further. We look forward to working with you in the near future.

The National Gallery of Australia has chosen Ten and a Half as its catering partner.

Contact

For enquiries regarding corporate or private events please contact Events at the Gallery.

• Events enquiries

Download information packs

• Wedding pack
• Menu package
• Event pack
• Events venue hire
• Conference venue hire
  
  
Photograph: Nicky Ryan

Access to the Turrell Skyspace

• The Skyspace is a public space. Exclusive access cannot be booked as part of private events held in adjacent venues or in its own right. As such, it is not possible to deny access to other groups or individuals seeking access to the Skyspace during such events
• the maximum capacity for the Skyspace is 24 people
• food, beverages and glass of any kind are not permitted within the Skyspace
• climbing on the Skyspace is not allowed
• commercial photography is not permitted without prior arrangement with the National Gallery of Australia.
• please respect that the Skyspace is a work of art and subject to the same conditions of access and entry as the rest of the National Gallery of Australia

Venues

• Gandel Hall
  

  The Gandel Hall is a majestic new multipurpose venue that is sure to make an impression on your guests. The hall is spacious, light-filled and exquisitely detailed with gold-leaf doors and red ironbark floors. It opens onto the new Australian Garden in which James Turrell’s monumental Skyspace Within without offers guests an extraordinary experience of Canberra’s skies. The Gandel Hall accommodates 350 seated guests or 900 guests for cocktails. The Gandel Hall can also be divided into three separate spaces. Each space accommodates 110 seated guests or 300 guests for cocktails.

  Gandel Hall Photograph: John Gollings

• Gallery Cafe
  The Gallery Cafe makes a grand impression with its 10-metre-high ceilings and large windows overlooking the Sculpture Garden. This spectacular area creates a spacious and elegant atmosphere for cocktail receptions, formal dinners, functions and ceremonies. The Gallery Cafe accommodates 135 seated guests or 200 guests for cocktails and is available after 6.00 pm, seven days a week.
• Level 1 Entry
  Located on the bridge level, this open space borders the Gallery’s collection displays, providing a perfect backdrop for receptions, cocktail parties and functions. The Level 1 Entry accommodates 300 guests for cocktails and is available after 6.00 pm, seven days a week.
• Members lounge
  The exclusive Members Lounge features floor-to-ceiling windows and overlooks the tranquil Lake Burley Griffin. The area is perfect for intimate cocktail receptions and dinners. The Members Lounge accommodates 80 seated guests or 100 guests for cocktails and is available after 6.00 pm, seven days a week.
• Seminar spaces
  The James O Fairfax Theatre (seating 267) and the Small Theatre (seating 70) are available for hire. Your concert, seminar or presentation can be catered with morning and afternoon teas, stand-up lunch or cocktails served in the foyer areas outside each theatre. Gandel Hall can also accommodate seminars and concerts.
• Sculpture Garden Restaurant is now open for lunch from midday daily, Wednesday to Sunday and for Events after 5.30pm
  
• The Sculpture Bar is available for events after 5pm on enquiry dependent on availability $450 per hour expect Fridays. Visit the Sculpture Bar website.
  
• There are a number of sites in the Sculpture Garden that are also available for wedding ceremony hire. These include The Carillon Outlook, The Grassy Knoll, The Piazza Area and The Beach Area. Please contact events organiser for more information.