Venue hire
Your very own Picture House
Following the completion of our major redevelopment project, the Hyde Park Picture House is now available to hire once again – now with even more accessible facilities to enjoy. Unlike most other cinemas, we're a hugely flexible space, run by a dedicated team of passionate and skilled staff, on hand to support with a wide range of different hires – from private screenings and work outings, to school visits and weddings.
Why hire us?
We're truly one of a kind
Built in 1914, we’re a magnificent Grade II listed Edwardian building, with a wealth of original features. In fact we're the only gas-lit cinema in the UK (and possibly even the world) thanks to our nine gas lights, which we continue to light every day.
And following a major refurbishment project supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the cinema has now reopened with a brand new second screen, hugely improved access facilities and a modern extension with café bar and meeting spaces.
We have state-of-the-art equipment
The cinema offers a wide range of the best projection and screening equipment, including 2K projection, two 35mm projectors and superb high-end sound. Our audio-visual set up is designed to be flexible and configurable for whatever your event or screening requires.
You'll be supporting your local community
As a charity and non-profit community cinema, any money we receive from venue hire goes straight back into supporting our heritage building, and helps us deliver more free and accessible screenings for our local community, including dementia-friendly and parent & baby screenings.
What can you hire us for?
The Hyde Park Picture House can be used for dozens of different occasions, including but not limited to:
| Private screenings | School visits | Weddings |
| University lectures | Touring festivals | Work outings |
| Film/photo shoots | Birthday parties | Film testing |
How to Book
You must complete this general hire enquiry form for all hire enquiries and availability.
This form helps us to understand the shape of the event or screening you want to put on and to provide a more accurate quote and options. Please be as detailed as you can and be sure to read Terms & Conditions (at the bottom of this page) carefully.
If you have any questions, please email hires@hpph.co.uk.
We’d like to welcome as many people as possible to the Picture House and be fully accessible as a public and community-focused resource. However our new release and core film programme takes up the bulk of our schedule.
Private hires are usually only available outside of our regular screening programme. Our regular screening programme is generally from 5pm daily (including weekends), and weekend mornings until 1pm.
Please be flexible in your requests and we’ll do what we can to accommodate your hire.
• We need at least 30 days' notice for all hires or longer, depending on the type of hire.
• We are a small team and receive many hire requests. We aim to process these as fast as possible, but it can sometimes take up to a week for us to respond.
• A non-refundable deposit may be required to secure a booking.
• Screening a feature film during any hire will usually require a film licence which is an additional fee of approximately £150 - £200 +VAT.
• Extra technical requirements, catering or staging that requires anything above our standard setup may incur a surcharge. Please be as detailed as you can on the enquiry form and we can discuss this with you.
• By confirming a hire, you are agreeing to our Terms & Conditions and Code of Conduct. You agree to take care whilst in the cinema and act responsibly. If anything is broken or damaged during your hire you may be liable to pay for replacement or repair.
“It was fantastic to have a day that shouted ‘us’ with popcorn and a celebration that incorporated the big screen.”
Kathryn Penny
Wedding booker
Screen One
“Thank you so much for hosting us last Sunday. We really enjoyed the evening; the cinema is so beautiful, and the staff couldn’t have been more helpful and welcoming. We also appreciate all you did with marketing the event, it was one of the best turnouts.” – The Hoolan Ensemble (Live music + silent film 2024)
Our main auditorium, fully refurbished, with its large comfortable space comprising stalls and balcony, original gas-lighting and state-of the art screening facilities, has the very best projection and sound, including two 35mm projectors.
If you are hiring Screen One, the Community Room on the first floor of our extension is usually included for free, depending on the hire. It can seat around 10-12 people.
Specifications
- 237 capacity, including four dedicated wheelchair spaces.
- Some removable seating for extra floor space or wheelchair spaces.
- Projection: DCP (digital), Blu-ray, 35mm, Digi Beta, computer (file or streaming).
- Native scope with variable hard masking.
- Audio - from Mono to 7.1.
- Hosting and conference / presentation / laptop connection facilities.
- Raised stage area for presentations, Q&As or bands.
- See full tech specs below
Community Room
Upstairs in our extension, we have the Community Room, a flexible new space that can be booked for free. This room can be made into a private space, suitable for small groups such as charities, local film clubs, small school groups or community meetings.
Specifications
- 10-12 capacity (seated).
- Projector, speakers and a retractable screen for presentations.
Screen Two
“Just wanted to say thanks for today, and a huge thanks to the team who were on site. They honestly couldn’t have been more accommodating and let us crack on with what we needed to – and even helped with popcorn!! Really happy with how it went, and as I say – thanks again for yours, and the teams help with that.“ - Andy, Prohibition PR, Leeds (filming hire 2024)
Our brand new auditorium, which is fully flexible and has its own dedicated top of the range projection and sound. We also have the option of 16mm projection for this screen.
If you are hiring Screen Two, The Nook – a seating area adjacent to the Screen Two entrance – is usually included for free, depending on the hire. It can seat around 5-8 people.
Specifications
- 51 capacity, including up to two dedicated wheelchair spaces.
- Projection: DCP (digital), Blu-ray, 16mm, Digi Beta, computer (file or streaming).
- Native scope with variable hard masking.
- Audio - from Mono to 7.1.
- Hosting and conference / presentation / laptop connection facilities.
- See full tech specs below.
Catering
Our kiosk includes a full range of classic cinema snacks like popcorn, soft drinks and ice cream, together with sweet and savoury snacks, including our much sought-after tiffin! We also sell a full range of barista-quality coffees and teas alongside a selection of beers, wines and spirits, which can be available to buy at your event. Our menu can be found here.
Our offer is wide ranging but also has a specific focus on local and independent suppliers and the management of our carbon footprint.
Depending on the number of people at your event we can also offer bundle deals or point you towards a range of affordable and tasty outside caterers who we work with regularly. They can also offer vegan, vegetarian and gluten free options. Due to the nature of the building, we can usually only offer catering for cold food (buffet style).
Please note: unless you are hiring the whole cinema, the ground floor café bar will usually be open to the public throughout the day.
Allergies: Recognising the implication of severe allergies on staff and audience members, we are a nut and shellfish-free cinema. Please speak with a member of our team if you need more information on this.
Pricing
Below are our standard hire fees. Hire fees can change due to date/time of hire and the nature of the hire requirements. We offer competitive price options, alongside generous discounts for charities, schools, universities, community organisations and students.
| Screen One | £250 p/h |
| Screen Two | £150 p/h |
| Community Room | Please make a donation |
| Whole cinema | Please ask for a quote |
The above prices are excluding VAT and there is a minimum of two-hours for most paid hires (see T&Cs). Hire duration needs to include time for any setting-up, arrival and leaving.
Meeting & Community Spaces
We have seated and general meeting spaces in our new extension:
- Café Bar area (ground floor) approx. 25-30 capacity (seated).
- Community Space (first floor) 10 - 12 capacity (seated).
- ‘The Nook’ (basement) 5-8 capacity (seated).
Aside from our two auditoriums, our Community Space is also available to book . The room is a more private space suitable for smaller meetings and activities, such as workshops and film club discussions. This space has flexible technical facilities including a projector and retractable screen for presentations.
The space also has lift access and two toilets so can be closed off from the rest of the building during private events. Please note the Community Space is not suitable for screenings.
The hire price (donation) is dependent on the date/time and length of hire. Please general hire enquiry form for availability and booking.
The Nook is included in bookings of Screen Two and whole venue bookings include private use of all spaces, including the café bar area, which is normally a public area.
Wedding Hire
Wedding Ceremony Hire
The Hyde Park Picture House is a stunning, unique venue for your wedding, where your special occasion can become part of our long and fabulous history. It’s also a perfectly picturesque backdrop for your all-important wedding photos.
We are fully licensed to hold wedding ceremonies and have many other facilities to make your wedding part of a wonderful day, in the attractive surroundings of our historic Grade II listed cinema.
The standard price for a wedding ceremony hire is from £2,800 + VAT.
- Hire of the entire cinema exclusively for up to 5 hours. (All hires should include time for setting up and cleaning down).
- Three consultation meetings. Usually an initial in person/online meeting, an interim meeting when your plans are more fixed and then a tech test and walkthrough to finalise everything before your big day.
- Front of House staff and an experienced projectionist to set up and support tech and projection requirements, to ensure your wedding runs smoothly.
- An accessible building, including a fully accessible toilet and platform lift. (See our access guide here).
- A kiosk with a wide range of delicious drinks and snacks, together with options for bundle deals and outside catering/celebratory drinks.
- Dedicated PA speakers with recording available. Boundary mics and auditorium cameras for monitoring and recording.
YOU WILL NEED TO BOOK WEDDINGS AT LEAST 6 MONTHS IN ADVANCE
This is to ensure we can agree everything that will make your day special. As the Picture House is a working cinema, we have smaller capacity to host wedding ceremonies – but we love them!
The summer months (June – August) on weekdays are more available (and can be cheaper) than weekends. Basically, the more flexible you can be, the better we can accommodate you.
REGISTRARS
You are responsible for booking, and paying for, the registrar to officiate your ceremony. Information on weddings at outside venues (including ours!), how to book a registrar and their prices, can be found on the Leeds Council website.
RECEPTIONS
Due to our building’s size, best described as ‘cute’, we’re unable to host full receptions. However, we can offer some catering, including celebratory drinks, as part of the package. There are also suitable reception venues nearby, such as Left Bank and Brudenell Social Club.
CATERING
The cinema has a kiosk stocked with popcorn, drinks, confectionery, and other delicious snacks. We sell a selection of beers, wines and spirits which can be available to buy at your event.
We can also offer bundle deals and organise outside catering. We work with a range of brilliant local suppliers such as Latitude and Wayward Wines, That Old Chestnut and Kirkstall Brewery amongst others. We’ll be happy to discuss options and prices with you.
DRESSING & DECORATIONS
We have some restrictions on dressing and decoration of the cinema, due to the nature of our Grade II heritage building – we’re already very pretty to look at! However, we’ll be happy to discuss your requirements.
General Photography & Filming Hire
General Photography & Filming Hire
When enquiring about a filming hire, please be as detailed as possible. We generally need to know how long you will need, the equipment you’re bringing, how many actors and crew are attending, what it is that you are wanting to film (the content of the filming). This is to ensure we can accommodate what you need and so we can satisfy our health & safety and fire evacuation requirements.
- Minimum notice: 30 days.
- Filming hire is usually only available on a Monday during the day. Anything outside of this may incur a surcharge depending on the day/time for hire.
- We cannot offer ad hoc, walk-up hires.
- Filming hires are by the hour (minimum two hours).
- Hire times must include setting up and packing down.
- As we run a full public film programme, you may need to be flexible with your dates and times.
- Any extra set up, tech or staff support may require a surcharge.
- Depending on when the hire is, you may need to work around other activities and maintenance happening around the building. Filming hires that need complete privacy may incur a surcharge.
- PAT testing of plugged in electrical equipment or risk assessments may be required before hire goes ahead.
Heritage Cinema Tours
Heritage Cinema Tours
We also host cinema and projection tours of our beautiful heritage building. These need to be booked at least 30 days in advance and you may need to be flexible with dates and times available, due to staff availability.
- Tours are generally 90mins long
- Tours are generally available on weekdays morning/early afternoons
- 20 people maximum each tour
- £10 (inc. VAT) per person (minimum 15 people per tour).
- Payment must be received prior to the hire to secure your booking.
Public Screenings
Public Screenings
Private hires for a public audience may be arranged on occasion, depending on availability and suitability within our public film programme. These will be subject to negotiations with the Hyde Park Picture House to ensure financial viability.
HIRE DETAILS
- Minimum notice: 30 days.
- Terms (at a minimum) are the private hire fee (based on length of hire/day/time) plus a 30/70% split of ticket sales in the hirer’s favour. The hirer will also be required to pay for the film licence if applicable.
- It is the hirer’s responsibility to ensure a film has an appropriate certificate. Audiences will only be admitted based on that certificate. Please ask us for details.
- Ticketing will be hosted on our website for all screenings.
- Due to our capacity, the hirer is responsible for all marketing arrangements and costs.
Terms & Conditions
Please read our terms and conditions carefully and you’re welcome to get in touch if you have any questions.
- For every hire, you need to complete this general hire enquiry form.
- If you have any questions about hire of the cinema, please email hires@hpph.co.uk.
- General hires are available dependent on our regular film programme.
- Minimum hire time for any hire is two hours (apart from weddings and basic photography).
- All bookings must be confirmed at least 30 days before first date of hire. This is with the exception of wedding hires (6 months).
- Late bookings available only by negotiation and may require a surcharge.
- All prices quoted are subject to VAT.
- A full deposit may be required for any hire, which must be paid before the first start date of the hire. All deposits are non-refundable.
- The balance of the hire fee must be paid/cleared by our bank within 30 days after the hire date.
- All technical requirements must be confirmed at least two weeks in advance of the event. Any late requirements may not be possible, or incur a surcharge.
- Any films, slides or other content for your hire must be received at least two weeks in advance of the event. Any content sent late may not be possible to include, or incur a surcharge.
- If the hire requirements are changed significantly within two weeks without prior communication, we reserve the right to cancel the hire without a refund.
- All hires are non-refundable if cancelled, due to the loss of income incurred by the cinema. Hires are otherwise 50% refundable if cancelled at least seven days before the hire date.
- Full staffing is provided to ensure the health and safety for all participants of your private hire. Depending on the hire we may produce a bespoke risk assessment for you beforehand. All hirers must adhere to our health & safety and safeguarding policies and procedures.
- Any hires must not replace or disrupt scheduled screenings unless otherwise agreed in advance. If agreed, this may incur a surcharge.
- Any part hours under 30mins will be charged at half the hourly rate for your hire. Part hours over 30mins will be charged at the hourly rate for your hire.
- Bank Holidays will usually be charged at a premium rate.
- Concessions, bar requirements or extra catering can also be discussed as part of the hire agreement, which we can quote for accordingly.
- Additional technical and special requirements e.g. extra lighting, additional staffing, extensive set dressing, must be discussed as part of the hire agreement and may incur a surcharge.
- We may require any equipment that needs plugged in to the mains be PAT tested before the hire can go ahead. We will ask you about any equipment being used during the hire process.
- Any film included in an event will be subject to distributor approval unless the hirer has a special agreement with the distributor, filmmaker or other relevant party.
- Any public screening of a non-BBFC certified film will need to be booked and confirmed at least 2 months in advance to ensure the film can be locally certified through Leeds City Council. An online screener is required for this, or if unavailable, the film will be certified 18. We can issue the guidelines for you to complete this process. See more information at the BBFC.
- By confirming a hire, you are agreeing to our Terms & Conditions and Code of Conduct (bottom of page). You agree to take care whilst in the cinema and act responsibly. If anything is broken or damaged during your hire you may be liable to pay for replacement or repair.
- The Hyde Park Picture House reserves the right not to accept hire requests at its discretion.