Full Venue Hire at Sway

Taking over all five rooms across two floors turns Sway into something more than a bar hire — it becomes a 920-capacity multi-zone event space in the middle of Holborn, ninety seconds from the tube. The ground floor and lower ground floor each have their own distinct energy, connected by the internal staircase but operating independently enough that guests can move between atmospheres as the evening develops.

Full Venue Layout at Sway

The ground floor Bar & Kitchen sets the initial tone: an open-plan restaurant and bar with floor-to-ceiling windows onto Great Queen Street, cosmopolitan styling, and an in-house kitchen producing sharing plates, pizzas, and bespoke event menus. It takes 200 standing or 200 seated for dining and works naturally as a reception space or the base for daytime conferences (150 theatre). Below, the lower ground floor splits into four distinct rooms — the Club (300 standing, full nightclub sound and lighting, own street entrance), the Cocktail Lounge (250 standing, New York-style booth seating), The Hide (100 standing, private bar, intimate atmosphere), and Studio 61 (70 standing, the most exclusive space with its own entrance and cloakroom).

Sway’s Full Hire for Multi-Format Events

The real value of full venue hire isn’t just the headcount — it’s the ability to run different things simultaneously or create natural event progression. A corporate gathering might use the ground floor for a seated dinner, then move guests downstairs to the Club for dancing with the Cocktail Lounge handling overflow and The Hide providing a quieter conversation space. Christmas parties work particularly well across the layout because different energy levels coexist without competing. The 3am licence on Fridays and Saturdays means late-night events can run their full course.

Sway Exclusive Hire — Practical Details

In-house catering covers everything from canapé receptions to five-course dinners, with the kitchen team building bespoke menus around the event brief. The minimum spend model means you’re paying for what your guests consume rather than a flat hire fee on top — a structure that often works out more efficiently for large groups where bar spend alone covers a significant portion. External DJs are welcome, the Club’s sound system handles professional production, and the two-floor layout means you can have music driving the energy downstairs while maintaining conversation volume on the ground floor. Mixology masterclasses can be woven into the event as interactive entertainment, particularly useful for team-building events and client entertaining where structured activities help. Holborn station is literally around the corner, with Covent Garden five minutes’ walk and King’s Cross within fifteen. For corporate events drawing guests from across London, the central location and late licence create a combination that keeps attendance high and departures late.