Between the Bridges

London’s largest riverside pop-up occupies the Queen’s Walk next to the London Eye, transforming between seasons from an open-air summer festival destination into a heated, roofed winter wonderland — with 2,000 capacity and the City of London skyline as permanent backdrop throughout. Between the Bridges isn’t a traditional venue so much as a purpose-built seasonal events complex, with multiple hireable spaces, six bars, eight street food traders, and the kind of festival-grade infrastructure that makes large outdoor events work without the logistical pain of assembling it all from scratch.

Between the Bridges — Spaces and Seasonal Identity

The venue operates across distinct hireable areas. The Pier is the flagship — a self-contained space with its own entrance, dedicated food vendors, private bar, toilets, stage, DJ booth, and AV setup, accommodating 800 standing with 600 inside and 200 on a private terrace. The Dock sits centrally within the site, a festival-market hub surrounded by street food traders and cocktail bars, taking 400 standing in a buzzy, social atmosphere. The Garden handles 200 standing with outdoor and covered areas that come into their own during summer months. The Knot, a 50-capacity cocktail bar added in 2024, provides an intimate option within the larger complex.

Each space transforms between summer and winter configurations. Summer brings an indoor-outdoor mix with open-air terraces and a relaxed festival energy. Winter adds heating, roofing, weather-proofing, and seasonal festive theming — covered enough to function in December, atmospheric enough that the outdoor character survives. The venue typically operates from April through to Christmas, reopening each spring with a packed programme of entertainment, drag brunches, themed club nights, and live performances alongside the private hire operation.

Events at Between the Bridges on the South Bank

The venue’s sweet spot is large-format social events — summer parties, Christmas celebrations, product launches, and corporate socials — where the festival infrastructure handles the complexity and the Thames views provide atmosphere that no amount of event styling can replicate. Corporate summer parties and Christmas events represent the core private hire demand, but the spaces also handle conferences at 400 theatre in The Pier, seated dinners, and drinks receptions at scale. Full venue hire brings all areas together for up to 2,000 guests.

South Bank Location at Between the Bridges

Waterloo and Westminster tube stations are both a short walk away, with Embankment nearby across the bridge. The Queen’s Walk position places events directly on one of London’s most recognisable stretches of riverside, between Westminster Bridge and Waterloo Bridge, with the London Eye as immediate neighbour. The City skyline across the Thames provides a panoramic backdrop that shifts from afternoon sunlight to illuminated evening cityscape over the course of a long event.