Christchurch Town Hall
Christchurch Town Hall is one of New Zealand’s premier performance venues. With multi-purpose event spaces for meetings, conferences and exhibitions; and a beautiful riverside backdrop for dinners, cocktail functions and special occasions; it’s hard to find a more impressive location than Christchurch Town Hall.
Accommodating from 20 to 2,250 guests, there are five key spaces to choose from including the celebrated Douglas Lilburn Auditorium, the James Hay Theatre and three large event spaces, the Limes Room, Avon Room and Victoria Room, that transform effortlessly to meet your event’s needs. This venue is enhanced further by combining integrated technology, including projectors, screens and sound systems, alongside iconic heritage features and a riverside backdrop.
Images
Walkthrough
Getting Here
The Christchurch Town Hall is located at 86 Kilmore St, Christchurch Central.
Plan Ahead
Always allow more time than you expect to get to and from the venue and aim to arrive at least 45 minutes before the start of the event. Traffic congestion can be heavy when there are events on especially during peak commuter travel times.
By Car
Kilmore street is a one-way street heading west. There is no onsite parking at the Christchurch Town Hall, however there are several public car parks you can view a carpark map here.There is a drop off zone in front of the building on Kilmore Street.
By Bus
The closest bus stop is on Victoria St opposite the Casino for routes 29, 95 and B. Bus timetables can be viewed on the Metro website.
By Taxi & Ride Share
Taxis and Ride share vehicles are able to use the drop off zone in front of the main doors. To find a Taxi at the end of the night there is a taxi stand on Victoria Street outside Christchurch Casino.
Pedestrians
Pedestrian access is via Kilmore Street or the Avon Entry via Victoria Square. Please be aware that this entry may be closed for some events.
By Bike:
Bike Racks are located near the roadside on Kilmore Street left and right of the main entrance.
Lime Scooter
People arriving via lime scooters are asked to park them away from the entrance doors and not to obstruct any emergency exits.
Ticketing Information
To Purchase tickets to events at Christchurch Town Hall:
For any ticketed events a box office will be open 90 minutes before the scheduled start time of the event. From here you can purchase tickets, arrange ticket collection and resolve any ticketing issues.
Online:
For Ticketed events in the Douglas Lilburn Auditorium and James Hay Theatre head to Ticketek.co.nz
Phone Sales:
Call: 0800 TICKETEK (842538)
In Person:
Isaac Theatre Royal,
145 Gloucester St
Hours: Mon-Fri 10am-5pm. (Closed Sat, Sun and Public Holidays)
The Palms Shopping Centre
Cnr Marshlands & New Brighton Roads
Customer Services Booth
Hours: Mon-Wed 9am-6pm, Thu & Fri 9am-9pm, Sat 10am-6pm, Sun 10am-5pm
To purchase Christchurch Symphony Orchestra Tickets:
Online:
Eventfinda is the ticketing provider for CSO tickets. To purchase online head to the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra Website
Phone Sales:
0800 BUY TIX (289 849)
In Person:
Christchurch i-SITE Visitor Centre
Arts Centre,
28 Worcester Boulevard,
Christchurch
Open 7 days from 8:30am - 5:00pm
Plan & Capacities
Capacities
Space |
Area (m2) |
Cocktail |
Banquet |
Theatre |
Standing Concert |
Douglas Lilburn Auditorium |
460 |
500 |
280 |
2,250 |
1,100 |
James Hay Theatre |
292 |
350 |
100 |
750 |
400 |
Limes Room |
545 |
400 |
260 |
410 |
- |
Victoria Room |
225 |
180 |
90 |
195 |
- |
Avon Room |
230 |
170 |
110 |
170 |
- |
Boardroom |
49 |
- |
- |
20 |
- |
*These numbers are indicative only. Exact capacities will depend on individual event requirements.
Floor Plans
Douglas Lilburn Auditorium Limes Room Victoria Room Avon Room
*These floor plans are indicative only. Exact capacities will depend on individual event requirements.
Ground Floor
Mezzanine Floor
First Floor
Food & Beverage
Whether you’re here as a guest for an event, or you’re the one organising it, we’ve got you sorted and it’s all about choice…
Coming to an event at Christchurch Town Hall?
We've got a selection of snacks and beverages available from the Bars. View what's on offer here. If you are after something more substantial there are lots of bars and restaurants nearby.
We're cashless!
All of our venues now use touchless payments at retail outlets meaning a safer and more efficient service for guests and staff alike. The health and safety of all of our guests and our team have always been front of mind, but now more than ever we are dedicated to ensuring we play our part in the nation’s efforts of creating healthy environments.
Planning an event?
If you’re organising a special event then you’ve got some choices to make. We have created our menu pack to suit the huge range of events we host here at Vbase so you can choose from a pre-set menu package, or customise your own menu from a large selection of individual items. Head on over to our Catering page and get inspired!
Conditions of Entry
Christchurch Town Hall is smokefree at all times, this includes the use of Vapes & E-Cigarettes.
Please note while we endeavour to communicate as much as possible, Promoters and Event Owners/Operators may amend these Conditions of Entry at short or no notice for reasons of safety and security.
Dress Code
All persons entering Christchurch Town Hall must be appropriately dressed.
The right of admittance is reserved to Christchurch Town Hall staff and the decision will be final. In particular, no person will be permitted entry to the venue with:
- Bare feet
- Clothing containing offensive messages (or gang patches)
- Inappropriate costume
- High vis reflective clothing
Behaviour
Patrons may be refused entry to or asked to leave the venue if they:
- Are not in possession of a valid ticket or pass
- Are the subject of a current trespass order
- Attempt to bring in, or are found with, prohibited items (Full list of items below)
- Appear intoxicated or under the influence of drugs, or otherwise behave in a disorderly or offensive manner
- Refuse to undergo a breathalyser test.
- Fail to comply with security or entry staff requests, including submission to a search
- Are carrying out illegal or unauthorised activities within the Venue
Age Restrictions
- Anyone aged 13 or under needs to be accompanied by a responsible adult.
Bag Restrictions
- Bags must be 30cm x 30cm or under to enter the venue.
Permitted Items
- Homemade food items for personal consumption eg. Sandwich
- Personal compact cameras and phone cameras.
Prohibited Items
- Alcohol or Illegal Substances
- Bottles or Drink Containers of any size (excluding baby bottles)
- Flasks / Thermos
- Commercial Food e.g. Fish and Chips, Subway, McDonalds, etc.
- Animals (except guide or hearing dogs)
- Chairs/Stools/Furniture
- Offensive Signs or Banners
- Whistles / Musical Instruments / Air Horns / Vuvuzelas
- Selfie sticks/ Flares / Fireworks / Laser Lights
- Dangerous Goods / Weapons / Anything that appears to look like a weapon
- Gang patches
- All commercial/professional grade recording devices including but not limited to video cameras, GoPros, iPads, tablets and DSLR/SLR cameras with detachable lenses.
Health & Safety
With so many precious guests walking through our doors every day we take our responsibilities very seriously.
You may be coming to a concert, a conference or a gala dinner to dance the night away so we’re here to ensure you not only have an amazing time but also a safe one at Christchurch Town Hall.
We’ve done our research, collaborated with the right people and put measures in place so we can confidently stand by our commitment to Health & Safety in our venues.
We hope you don't have to but if you have any questions or concerns about your experience at Christchurch Town Hall then please do get in touch so we can take the appropriate actions to ensure everyone's safe and sound.
If you’re planning an event however, then you’ll also need to be on board with all our policies and procedures so head on over to the Organisers & Exhibitors tab to get more information >>
Organisers & Exhibitors
Whoever said the devil’s in the detail must’ve worked in events!
Whether you’re planning your stand at the next big expo, or you’re organising the entire event from scratch, there can be a lot of information you need to take in. Here we try to break it down a little and make the process just a bit easier for everyone.
Before you think you’ve got it covered though please remember - as with any event planning, your specific requirements may differ from what’s listed here – every event is unique and your event is definitely a bit more special!
Food & Beverage
It's all about choice. We have created our menu pack to suit the huge range of events we host here at Vbase so you can choose from a pre-set menu package, or customise your own menu from a large selection of individual items. Head on over to our Catering page and get inspired!
Exhibitor Information
We are still ironing out some of the finer details when it comes to exhibiting. We'll be uploading our exhibitor guide soon! In the meantime, please feel free to contact us if you have any questions.
Health & Safety
Do you know where our responsibilities merge with yours? With the new legislations in play we’ve taken extra care and attention to making sure you have everything covered ahead of your next event. Here’s some sample of documents you may come across when planning your next event at a Vbase venue but your Event Planner will be in touch to let you know exactly what applies to your event.
Smart Stuff Check it House Rules - Smaller Events House Rules - Larger Events Health & Safety Policy Suite