The Oxford Union Society

The Oxford Union is located in central Oxford. Its address is St Michael's Street, Oxford, OX1 2DU.

It is a 12-minute walk from Oxford train station and a 5-minute walk from either of the two nearest car parks, Worcester Street and Gloucester Green. The entrance gate is on St Michael’s Street. Look for the plaque, “Oxford Union Members Only”. Taxis and ride shares can drop guests off in front of the Union.

Please visit the Union’s room hire page. There you can see photos, read a description of each room, and learn each room’s capacity and amenities. You may also check availability, get quotes, and make a booking. There are 360° tours of many of the rooms.

Please complete the booking request form. Select the room, date, start and end time, and any of the offered services. The form will calculate the price.

The Oxford Union charges for all the time a space is used.

When requesting a booking, please request all time your team and guests will need to arrive, set up, rig, test, rehearse, check the spaces, mingle, meet, linger, derig, pack up, and depart. Our staff will make the space available to you at the start of your hire time and should be able to close and lock the space at the end of the hire time or prepare it for a subsequent event.

If you need to set up for your event or check the set up, we recommend that your booking request includes at least one hour before the event begins and one hour after it ends. If you are employing vendors to help with your event, please ask them how much time they will need to rig and derig; this time must be included in your booking request.

If your group will be arriving from another event, please consider whether that event will end early. In this case, we recommend hiring the space from the earliest time you might need it. The Oxford Union might not have space available to your group before its hire time.

As stated in the Terms and Conditions, overstaying a booking or making a space available before a booking might not be possible and the Union will charge for overstaying or access to the space before the booking.

Please complete the booking request form. Select the room, date, start and end time, and any of the offered services. The form will calculate the price.

Once we receive a booking request, we will seek approval for it. If approved, a deposit (50% of the expected total, non-refundable) must be paid to confirm the booking. The balance is due before the event. Booking requests are not confirmed until the deposit has been paid and accepted.

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No. The Oxford Union is a dry hire venue except for catering and security. We let spaces for your team to run its event.

Yes. Tea, coffee, and biscuits may be added to your room hire. Current prices are displayed when making a reservation. Guests may also purchase drinks directly from the members’ bar when it is open.

The Oxford Union offers catering, including private dining. You will see the catering options when requesting a booking online. The Union typically does not allow external catering.

Yes. The Oxford Union’s chefs are experienced in adapting their dishes to dietary restrictions.

For canapés and catered lunches, please send a list of dietary restrictions at least two weeks before the event. For private dinners, you are asked to estimate the number of vegetarians when requesting the booking. A seating chart and dietary seating chart will be shared with you and must be returned at least two weeks before the event.

If a filming fee is paid, a location agreement is signed, and the filming company is approved, then yes. Please request filming on the booking request form.

You will need to make arrangements with a licensed and insured filming company. The Oxford Union can email you a list of companies with experience at the Oxford Union. Please ask the company how much time it will need to rig and derig before and after your event; this time must be included in the booking request.

Still photographs may be taken without a fee.

Portable ramps allow wheelchairs to access the Debating Chamber, Goodman Library, and Members’ Bar. Please check the wheelchair ramp box when making your booking, at no charge. There is a RADAR key accessible disabled toilet on the ground floor.

The other rooms are reached by stairs. The Oxford Union does not have a lift.

The Debating Chamber is the Oxford Union’s largest space. Measuring 69 feet 8 inches long and 40 feet wide, up to 360 people may be comfortably seated on its famous benches.

Technical specifications are listed on each room’s description page. If you need a specification not listed, please email events@oxford-union.org.

Tests have shown the Oxford Union’s WiFi to have download speeds of over 100Mbps and upload speeds of over 180Mbps. All rooms have WiFi on which virtual meetings are regularly held.

The Oxford Union does not have meeting control panels, meeting cameras, or interactive smart boards.

No, but the nearest car parks are a five-minute walk from the Union. The car parks are Worcester Street and Gloucester Green.

The Oxford Union is licensed until 10.30pm on Sunday, midnight on Monday to Wednesday, and until 2am on Thursday to Saturday.

The main entry to the Oxford Union is on St Michael’s Street. St Michael’s Street can be accessed from New Inn Hall Street.

There is a small loading bay outside Mallams Auctioneers. The observation period for loading and unloading vans on the double yellow lines is 20 minutes and 5 minutes for cars. It might be possible by special arrangement to extend loading and unloading times by contacting NSL Services on 0845 337 1138.

Deliveries should be coordinated with the Oxford Union. Most deliveries should be made when the General Office is open, typically weekdays 10am to 3pm.

This information is believed to be accurate at the time it was written but should be independently verified.

The Oxford Union Society will not pay parking or other traffic fines.

The Oxford Union’s gate is 98cm wide at the narrowest.

The Oxford Union is not licensed for ceremonies. It is not currently taking bookings for weddings, civil ceremonies, or associated events.

You may request wine from the Oxford Union when requesting your booking. If you prefer to bring your own wine, then corkage is allowed with prior arrangement. Corkage fees apply.

The Oxford Union does not offer sleeping accommodation but is centrally located and near many hotels.

The current terms and conditions can be downloaded here. You must accept these terms and conditions when making a booking request.

Please email events@oxford-union.org to ask other questions.

We welcome your suggestions. Please email suggestions to events@oxford-union.org.