The Oxford Union

You can put up to 360 people on the benches of the Oxford Union’s own Debating Chamber, then move a smaller group to a dinner cooked by the Union’s chefs, all on one site 12 minutes on foot from Oxford station. The Oxford Union is an independent, student-led debating society founded in 1823, with members drawn mainly from the University of Oxford, and it lets six rooms in its grade II* listed buildings on St Michael’s Street, OX1 2DU, by the hour through an online booking form that prices your request as you fill it in.

Event spaces and capacities

You can stage a full debate, a lecture and a seated dinner without leaving the site. The Union publishes six bookable spaces. The Debating Chamber is the largest, at 69 ft 8 in by 40 ft (about 259 m²), with up to 360 seated on its fixed benches on the ground floor and a two-hour minimum booking. The Goodman Library takes up to 100 for talks and seminars on folding seats and has a 98-inch screen with HDMI. The Macmillan Room holds 60 around a U-shaped table or at 14 tables and 100 standing, and it is the room used for private dinners. The Morris Room seats 18 at a long boardroom table or 30 theatre style, and the Gladstone Room holds 45 seated or 60 standing. The Members’ Bar takes 100 standing on a four-hour minimum. There is no exhibition hall.

Capacities as published by the venue on its private hire room pages, checked 11 November 2026. Areas are converted from the room dimensions the Union gives in feet. The Goodman Library is listed for up to 100 with no layout stated, the Gladstone Room’s 45 seated is lounge seating, and the Morris Room also seats 25 around five tables.

Getting there and parking

Your delegates can arrive by train and walk: the Union says Oxford station is 12 minutes away on foot. There is no on-site parking, but the Worcester Street and Gloucester Green car parks are a five-minute walk. Taxis can set guests down at the gate on St Michael’s Street, reached from New Inn Hall Street; look for the “Oxford Union Members Only” plaque. For suppliers, the Union points to a small loading bay outside Mallams Auctioneers, with observation periods on the double yellow lines of 20 minutes for vans and 5 minutes for cars. Deliveries should be booked with the General Office, usually open 10am to 3pm on weekdays, and the gate is 98 cm wide at its narrowest, which limits what you can bring in.

Catering, AV and accommodation

You avoid sourcing caterers, because food comes from the Union’s own kitchen, which normally does not allow outside caterers. You can add tea, coffee and biscuits to any room, order canapés and lunches, and book a private three-course dinner for up to 60 in the Macmillan Room, with access from 6pm to 10pm and service starting between 6pm and 7.30pm. The Union says its chefs adapt dishes for dietary needs and want dietary lists and seating charts two weeks ahead. Wine can be ordered with the booking, or brought in for a corkage fee by arrangement. Otherwise this is a dry hire: your team runs the event, and the Union’s terms limit outside suppliers to its accredited list. Every room has WiFi, which the Union reports tested at over 100 Mbps down and 180 Mbps up; the Chamber has microphones and speakers, the Gladstone Room and Members’ Bar have projectors, and the Macmillan Room has a Kawai grand piano and a 98-inch screen. There are no meeting cameras or smart boards. Filming needs a fee, a location agreement and an approved crew; still photography is free. The Union has no bedrooms.

For access, portable ramps reach the Debating Chamber, Goodman Library and Members’ Bar at no charge, and there is a RADAR-key accessible toilet on the ground floor. The Gladstone, Macmillan and Morris rooms are up stairs and there is no lift. The licence runs to 10.30pm on Sundays, midnight Monday to Wednesday and 2am Thursday to Saturday.

What to ask before you book

• Is the Debating Chamber free on your date? The Union runs its own debates and speaker events there during term, so ask which weeks are open before you plan around the benches.
• If anyone in your group uses a wheelchair, can the whole programme run in the Chamber, Goodman Library and Members’ Bar? The Macmillan, Gladstone and Morris rooms are reached only by stairs.
• How much set-up and break-down time do you need? You pay for every hour you are in the room, and the terms set early-arrival and overrun fees of at least £350 per half hour.
• Can you meet the cancellation terms? The 50% deposit is non-refundable, cancelling within two months costs 75% of the fee, and within one month the full fee.
• Do your suppliers and you hold public liability cover of at least £10 million? The terms require it, plus a list of suppliers and equipment and a guest list 14 days before the event.
• Does your plan need candles, haze or balloons? The terms ban naked flames including tea lights, smoke and haze machines, dry ice and balloons.

Related on Events Review

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• Surgeons Quarter in Edinburgh
• Churchill College, Cambridge
• Choose the venue around the event, not the headline capacity
• Turn venue accessibility claims into a usable event plan

Sources: Oxford Union private hire and room pages, private hire FAQs, terms and conditions for venue hire (PDF) and About us, checked 11 November 2026.