This summer marked an exciting new chapter in Moving Venue’s long-standing partnership with Somerset House, as they came together to launch the Somerset House Summer Season - an ambitious new event offering that transformed the iconic Edmond J. Safra Fountain Court into one of London’s most exciting summer event destinations.

The idea began just over a year ago, during conversations surrounding Somerset House’s 25th anniversary celebrations. When the team mentioned that Fountain Court would be available for private hire throughout summer 2026, Moving Venue immediately recognised the opportunity to create something truly special. From that initial conversation, the Moving Venue x Somerset House Summer Season was born.

Working collaboratively with the Somerset House team, Moving Venue developed a complete summer events proposition designed to showcase the extraordinary potential of the courtyard. With capacity for up to 500 guests for seated dinners and 1,500 for standing receptions, the season offered clients the rare opportunity to host large-scale events in the heart of one of London’s most recognisable cultural landmarks.

The response from clients and agencies was exceptional, demonstrating the appetite for a premium new summer event offering in central London. Over the course of the season, our teams went on to cater for more than 12,000 guests, delivering an incredible variety of events across Fountain Court. From gala dinners to large-scale summer parties, and even a wedding, the courtyard was transformed time and again, with each event presenting its own creative and operational challenges.

And then there was the British weather – although perhaps not in the way that was expected! The team battled through some of the hottest days of the year, adapting operations and service plans throughout the summer heatwaves to ensure our guests and teams remained safe and comfortable without compromising the experience.

Delivering an outdoor season of this scale within a Grade I listed site was an enormous undertaking, bringing together teams from across Sales, Planning, Operations, Logistics, Kitchen and Creative, working hand-in-hand with our partners at Somerset House. 

Lee Bushnell played a pivotal role in the delivery of these events enormous logistical and operational challenge of turning Fountain Court into a fully functioning event space for an entire summer, and Moving Venue are delighted to announce his promotion to Deputy Managing Director. The season also showcased the strength of their wider Operations team, and they were equally thrilled to announce the promotion of Matt Castleford to Head of Operations. Both promotions are hugely deserved and mark an exciting next chapter for the Moving Venue leadership team.

After an extraordinary run of events, there was only one way to finish the season – with a celebration of their own. Moving Venue’s Summer Set Showcase brought together clients, agencies, and friends of Moving Venue for an unforgettable evening in Fountain Court, giving their team the opportunity to showcase the space, their food and everything they had learnt and created throughout the summer. Food was at the heart of the evening, with their chefs creating a series of playful, interactive experiences designed especially for the occasion. One of the highlights was the savoury soft serve van, putting an unexpected Moving Venue twist on a nostalgic summer classic and proving that soft serve definitely doesn’t have to be sweet. It was the perfect finale to the season and a chance to celebrate not only what had been achieved, but the people who had made it happen.

And the story doesn’t end here. Following the success of this year’s season, they’re delighted to confirm that Moving Venue x Somerset House Summer Season will be back in 2027, and they already can’t wait to see what next summer brings.