Versatile events at The Grand Pier, Weston-super-Mare

Last week I was invited to a rather special event on the Grand Pier, Weston-super-Mare; a showcase to demonstrate what an amazing venue the Pier can be for events.

I should say that I haven’t been asked to write this article, and am not being paid to do it (although I did get a lovely goody bag); I went via an invite for a things to do website I write for, but was struck by what a unique setting the Pier offers. 

The main take away was how versatile the Pier is as an event space - whether you’re looking for a wedding venue or are planning a corporate function, the Pier consists of various different sizes areas, which are even versatile within themselves. 

The Great Hall is the area of the Pier you see most as a tourist - it’s the home to a massive amusement arcade complete with go karts, dodgems and a haunted house. As a venue it can hold up to 2,000 people with doors sliding back to open Captain Jack’s bar into the main space to give even more room. If you need the whole space, the amusements are all cleared back (and stored on the dodgems track, if you’re curious), or if you want to allow your guests to have all the fun of the fair, you can start your event with some time in the arcade before you sit down to eat. A supplier of staging and lights told me that the Pier’s team are a well oiled machine and can have the Great Hall cleared of arcade games and rides in an hour from closing to the public.

The Great Hall itself can then be curtained off to be a smaller, more intimate space if you need it to be, as it was for last weeks event when we had a stage and circus performers to ourselves whilst the arcade was open as usual around us. As you might expect from the name, the Great Hall can be decorated to be really spectacular, with a massively high ceiling and the options for round tables, cabaret tables or theatre seating, along with a dance floor.

Next you’ve got The Tiffany Room - a beautiful Edwardian style space at the end of the Pier which means you’re surrounded by glass looking out to see on 3 sides, and are always flooded with natural light. The glass consists of a lot of doors so your guests can step outside for even better views. The layout of the Pier means the Tiffany Room has ground floor level access, as does the Great Hall, along with disabled facilities. There’s also air conditioning, and late hire available until a staggering 4am.

Upstairs you’ve got the Regency Suite which again, using curtains, can be made smaller or larger as required, with views back along the beach.

I also discovered The North Tower which can seat 24 people for a meeting with prices from £200 per day. As a business who went remote after the pandemic and so hires meeting rooms in Bristol when we spend the day with clients, this is a very cost effective option in a very different setting to a city centre. Usually we pay over £300 in Bristol for a small room with refreshments, and then take our clients to lunch, which is easily another £100 (there’s usually just about 4 of us, and we head for a lunch time offer). In The North Tower you could spend £40per head, with a minimum of 10 people, and get room hire all day, unlimited tea and coffee, breakfast pastries, a buffet lunch (and I’ve sampled their food - I know it’s good), afternoon cakes and biscuits, stationery, a TV screen, water and cordials.

There’s also the Coral Room and Captain Jack’s Bar but I didn’t get chance to explore these fully.

At lunch time we were treated to an expansive and impressive buffet, highlighting their fish and chips, vegan curries, grazing boards and salads, as well as a vast array of mouth watering desserts. I was on a table with 4 other people and we all really enjoyed the food, with someone wrapping up some cheesecake to take home for later!

Over the last year the Pier have been expanding their events team so that now it really is a team - not just one individual made to sound like a department as is often the case - who work hard to make every event on the Pier a true success. This showed last week, as we were guided from venue to venue with activities along the way.

Overall I’d highly recommend considering the Grand Pier in Weston-super-Mare the next time you’re planning an event in or around North Somerset, as it’s a hugely adaptable space with a friendly and hard working team ready to make your event truly great.