Evening Receptions and Dining

If you are looking for an exclusive venue to really impress your guests, you can’t get more unique than mingling with a drink beside a Spitfire, dining underneath the legendary Avro Lancaster or the mighty Sunderland Flying Boat.

With four different areas available in separate locations around the Museum we offer a wide range of options for hosting a variety of evening events including receptions, awards, product launches, dinners and dinner dances.

Hangar 1: Sunderland Hall

Imagine your guests dining and dancing underneath our iconic Sunderland in our brand new event space which, under normal circumstances, is capable of holding up to 600 people for a dinner or cocktail reception. Allowing for 1m+ social distancing measures this space is still capable of accommodating dinners for up to 300 people.

For smaller groups, both the dinner and drinks could take place in our modern and stylish Mezzanine area with your drinks reception overlooking our brand new exhibitions, ‘RAF Stories: The First 100 Years, 1918 – 2018’ before guests move to the other end of the Mezzanine, and enjoy dinner with views of the stunning Sunderland flying boat.

Hangar 2: The Grahame-White Factory

Containing our First World War in the Air exhibition which tells the story of the development of flight from aerial reconnaissance to the protection of civilian populations and ground troops during the First World War, the Grahame-White Factory provides a truly authentic and unforgettable setting for evenings events.

With social distancing measures The Grahame-White Factory can accommodate up to 100 people for a reception and 50 people for a dinner.

Hangars 3, 4 and 5: Historic Hangars

Built around the original aircraft hangars with parts dating back to 1915 the Historic Hangars are an impressive venue for any exclusive event. Guests can enjoy drinks amongst aircraft such as the Tornado, Spitfire and Lightning, fly with the Red Arrows in our 4D Theatre before dining underneath the legendary Avro Lancaster.

With social distancing measures The Historic Hangars can accommodate up to 400 people for a reception or 180 people for a dinner.

Hangar 6

Celebrating the RAF from 1980 to today and boasting a stunning display of suspended aircraft and split level viewing – Hangar 6 is the perfect venue to impress your guests. During receptions, guests can come face to face with some of the most important aircraft of the last 30 years and enjoy drinks underneath the suspended Eurofighter – creating a memorable event in a dynamic and atmospheric setting.

Hangar 6 can accommodate up to 75 people for a reception or 30 for a dinner.