The Ultimate Venue in Guildford
As far as the best venues in Guildford go, The Guildford Pavilion is a running contender, due to the multitude of functionalities, both inside and outside the building. The Guildford Pavilion is unique in many ways – one major example of this is our versatility to accommodate many different events. Read on to learn a little more about some of our favourite events ran by the community of Guildford, hosted by our wonderful venue.
The Guildford Beer Festival
The annual festivities of The Guildford Beer Festival is not one to miss. During the Summer, The Guildford Pavilion opens its doors to host the festival, creating Guildford’s biggest Beer Garden. Running over two days, and providing three sessions to welcome the people of Guildford, you can expect to find a carnival of beer-infused fun. Upon entering the festival, you will find yourself in The Beer Tent, a huge marquee filled with an array of the finest beer from a 30 mile radius of Guildford. It’s hard to navigate the huge range of options, however the Beer Handbook provided by the Guildford Beer Festival Committee provides a comprehensive guide to choosing the right beer for you. Each year showcases different styles of beer, however we absolutely have stand out favourites. In 2022, we had the pleasure of trying some very interesting styles of beer, such as the Sticky Hoppy Pudding from Signal Brewery, a deep, rich, caramel English Ale with a bouncy aroma and smooth finish. Another firm favourite was the Yu Lu by Siren Craft Brew, a quirky pale ale with fresh and exciting taste notes, due to being brewed with Lemon Zest and Earl Grey tea!
But the fun doesn’t stop there! Adjacent to The Beer Tent, you will find Cider, Craft Beer, and a selection of fine wines from Surrey’s best vineyards, such as Albury Vineyard. There is also a great selection of Gins and Rums, showcasing some awesome local suppliers, meaning there will always be something for everyone. The music tent will provide your entertainment for the session, with an array of different local bands, offering something for everyones tastes – a little bit of rock, folk, jazz or sing along pop songs!
Don’t worry about loading yourself with food before attending the festival, because there is always delicious offerings of street food to soak up all the beer. This year, Eat The Street and Mandira’s Kitchen were those providing amazing ranges of food, from Burgers, Loaded Fries, Chicken Biriyanis and Samosa’s. If you’re looking for a day of fun and summer soaked drinking, The Guildford Beer Festival should be right up there on your list!!
The Guildford Jazz
The Guildford Jazz is a wonderful local organisation that started its roots in 1982, known the as Jazz in The Stoke. In 2011, The Guildford Jazz was established by Marianne Windham, and now runs as a not-for-profit organisation providing regular Jazz Gig’s to the community of Guildford, featuring some of the country’s top jazz musicians. On top of this, they provide workshops, jam sessions, and have recently been awarded an Arts Council grant to run music events aiming to expose a younger audience to the jazz scene. As a Community Interest Company, they also raise great amounts of funds that goes to providing music lessons to children who may otherwise be unable to afford it.
We feel very privileged to be the regular venue for this great organisation. Around twice a month, we welcome The Guildford Jazz and their lovely audience through the doors of The Guildford Pavilion, supplying a fully equipped bar which flows glasses of wine during the event, and comfortable furniture, providing the perfect setting for intimate jazz gigs. To find out more information or to book tickets to their next gig, please press here.
The Cricket Festival
Whilst we are primarily an events venue, we are also the home to Guildford Cricket Club and the little sister venue of Surrey County Cricket. This means, each season we give use of the grounds for the Cricket Festival, a spectacle of sport, with the Surrey County Team travelling down from London to play on our grounds. This event is open to the public, and is just another examples of many why The Guildford Pavilion is one of the more unique venues in Guildford.
The day brings a lot of excitement and entertainment for the community of Guildford. On the ground you can also find a beer and refreshments tent, as well as offerings of BBQ’s to keep you well fed throughout the match. It is also possible to hire a marquee, or take a table in the corporate hospitality tent, to stylishly entertain your clients and contacts in a remarkable setting. For more information, please press here.