Private hire · Peckham, South East London
A listening room and cultural home for gatherings built around music, conversation and shared attention. Available day and evening, seven days a week.
About Shai
Shai Space is a listening-led cultural space in Peckham, with a warm, softly lit interior designed for small gatherings and close listening.
Rugs and floor cushions, warm lamplight and a sound system tuned for close listening mean people settle in rather than drift around. The same room works for an album playback, a screening, a workshop or a long-table supper. Most of our hirers are independent organisers and artists, alongside labels, agencies and management teams.
What happens here
We're drawn to events that use music, conversation and shared experience to bring people together. A few of the formats that work well:
DJ-led sets for lying back and paying attention.
Hear a record in full, in a room that stays quiet for it.
Intimate sets in the round, with an engineer from our team.
Long tables for up to 40 seated, with a kitchenette for service.
Conversations, panels and listening-party Q&As.
Yoga and slow movement in a bright daytime room.
Life drawing, making and hands-on sessions.
Film screenings, launches and get-togethers.
Listening-led, social and intentional gatherings: playbacks, screenings, workshops, suppers, launches and brand events with a thoughtful programme.
Club nights or late parties. Music stays at listening level (85dB maximum) and finishes by 10:45pm.
The sound
At the centre of the room is our custom-built three-way hi-fi system. It has the detail of a home listening setup, built to a scale that fills the space.
The low end is full and physical, so you feel the music as well as hear it, while the top end stays clear enough to catch every texture in a recording. Bring your own DJ, play from turntables, or plug in a laptop.
The space
Rugs, cushions, ambient lighting and movable furniture let the room shift between floor seating, rows for a screening and long tables for dinner.
Floor plan is approximate and not to scale.
Prices
Prices depend on when your event runs, so quieter daytime slots cost less. Booking times include set-up and pack-down. We're not VAT registered, so nothing is added on top.
For anything that uses the speakers: listening sessions, playbacks, live music, screenings, DJ-led socials.
| Weekday daytimeMonday to Friday, finishing by 4pm | £300 |
| Weekend daytimeSaturday and Sunday, finishing by 3pm | £385 |
| Sunday to Thursday evening | £450 |
| Friday and Saturday evening | £550 |
Each price covers up to 5 hours. Extra hours are £75 each.
For workshops, classes, meetings, rehearsals and shoots. Someone from our team opens up and locks up.
£60 per hour
1080p projector onto a white wall, with HDMI, USB and wireless input.
Needed for live music and anything beyond a DJ set-up. 4-hour minimum.
For running the door, managing a guest list, serving drinks or looking after a cloakroom.
Daytime means finishing by 4pm on weekdays and 3pm at weekends. A booking that runs past that time is charged at the evening rate.
Screenings use our speakers, so they're booked as Space + Sound. For a lower price, look at daytime and weekday slots.
If you're building a recurring night or series, we can sometimes be more flexible depending on the format and how often it runs. Tell us what you have in mind.
What's included
Good to know
Music and guests finish by 10:45pm. Pack-down can continue quietly until 11:30pm.
Music stays at listening or bar level rather than club volume.
Doors stay shut during events and guests keep noise down in the courtyard. Hirers are responsible for their guests outside.
To sell alcohol you'll need a Temporary Event Notice (TEN), which we can apply for with you. Tell us early: it has to reach the council at least 10 working days before the event.
Bring your own caterer or food vendor. Just agree it with us in advance.
You can sell tickets, film and take photos. We hold public liability insurance for the space.
How to book
Reply to our email with your date, times, guest numbers, the kind of event and whether you need the sound system.
We check availability, answer any questions and send you a price. Viewings can be arranged.
A 50% deposit confirms your booking. The deposit is non-refundable.
The balance is due 7 days before. We'll check in 5 days before to confirm layout, timings and tech.
Date: Start and finish time (including set-up and pack-down): Number of guests: Type of event: Space + Sound or Space Only: Add-ons (projector, sound engineer, extra staff): Anything else we should know:
FAQs and terms
Everything else you might need to plan your event, including full tech and kitchen specs.
A 50% deposit secures your booking and is non-refundable. The remaining balance is due no later than 7 days before your event.
If you cancel within 48 hours of your event, the full fee is still payable.
Yes. Please make sure your booked hours include set-up, pack-down and clearing the space. If you send your preferred layout in advance, we can often have the room partly arranged before you arrive. Final touches are up to you.
Deliveries or collections outside your booked hours need to be arranged with us in advance.
Extra time can be booked in advance at £75 an hour for Space + Sound. Time spent in the space beyond your agreed booking, without arranging it first, may be charged at the standard hourly rate plus 15%.
On Space + Sound hires, one member of our team is there throughout for general support and basic audio, such as setting up for CDJ and turntable events. They oversee the space and help you set up.
Specific jobs like running the door, managing a guest list or serving drinks need an extra staff member (£20/hr), or you're welcome to cover them yourselves. On Space Only hires, someone is there to open up at the start and lock up at the end.
Yes, live music works well here. A sound engineer is needed for all live music events. We recommend our in-house engineers (£25/hr, 4-hour minimum), as they know the room and the equipment. You can bring your own, as long as they're experienced with live sound.
Yes. Your DJ can play on our CDJs or turntables, or plug in their own setup.
Social gatherings work well, but Shai isn't a late-night party venue. Music stays at listening or bar level, with a maximum of 85dB, and finishes by 10:45pm.
Yes. Furniture can be rearranged; please return it or stack it neatly to the side at the end, and check with us before bigger changes.
Decorations are welcome as long as they don't damage the walls or furniture. No pins, nails or anything that leaves a mark. Command Strips or similar removable fixings are best.
Smoking and vaping are only allowed in the courtyard, quietly. Please leave the space as you found it. Excessive cleaning or waste removal may be charged, as may repairs for any damage. Organisers are responsible for the conduct and safety of their guests, staff and collaborators.
The entrance and main event space are step-free and wheelchair accessible. The toilet is upstairs and isn't currently wheelchair accessible. Tell us about any access needs in advance and we'll do our best to help.
Getting here
Get in touch
Shai was built for gatherings that bring people together through music, atmosphere and connection. If that sounds like your event, we'd love to hear about it. Reply to our email or write to us directly.