Host your next event with the stunning backdrop of the Nelson Harbour and The Cut. The Aurora Lounge is available to hire in a variety of different formats / rates depending on the type of event. Please note, the hire period needs to include all the time that you require access to the lounge – eg. for deliveries, set-up and pack-down.
ALL RATES INCLUSIVE OF GST
Weekday Rates (Mon-Thurs)
| Hourly rate | 3-5hrs (daytime only) | $85/hr |
| Corporate | 8am – 5pm | $450 |
| Evening | 6pm – midnight | $450 |
| Full Day | 8am – midnight | $600 |
| Celebrations of Life / Tangi / Memorials | flexible | $360 |
| Small group / short meeting fee | flexible | Contact us |
| Community Groups | flexible | Contact us |
Weekend Rates (Fri-Sun)
| Friday Wedding / Party | 8am Fri – 8am Sat | $900 |
| Extra Prep | 6pm Thurs – 8am Fri | $300 |
| Extra Pack-Up* | 8am – midday Sat | $300 if available |
| Saturday Wedding / Party | 10am Sat – 8am Sun | $1200 |
| Extra Prep | 6pm Fri – 10am Sat | $420 |
| Extra Pack-Up | 8am – midday Sun | $420 |
| “The Big Weekend” | 2pm Fri – 2pm Sun* | $1800 total |
NB. A 33% Discount is available, on Saturday / Big Weekend hires only, during the winter months of May, June, July, August and September.
| Sunday Wedding / Party | 10am Sun – 8am Mon | $900 |
| Extra Prep* | 4pm Sat – 10am Sun | $300 if available |
| Extra Pack-Up | 8am – midday Mon | $300 |
All hires are subject to the Terms and Conditions of Hire.
Included in the hire rates
- 96 padded chairs*
- 12 x six seater rectangular tables (1500 x 750)*
- 12 x four seater square tables (750 x 750)*
- Cleaning (basic clean – if excessively messy/dirty, extra cleaning will be charged)
- 1x 240l General Waste Bin
- 1x 240l Glass Recycling Bin
- 1x 240l General Recycling Bin
*You can hire-in chair and table covers from Got It Covered (or similar) if required.
Extra Charges
- Additional Cleaning $50.00 per hour
- Extra Rubbish $15.00 per liner
Payment Details
- Deposit – to confirm booking 50% of the hire fee
- Bond – This is refundable on the 20th of the month following the event.
- Bonds are determined on a case by case basis depending on the type of event. As a guide, a weekend evening event (party/wedding etc…) would normally be $1000. We do accept 21st Birthday parties on a case by case basis, with a minimum bond of $2000.
- Bond and balance are required 28 days prior to the event, unless the booking is at short notice.
Catering
- Nourish Catering is our in-house caterer. All catering must be organised through Nourish.
- For more details click here
- Please contact Chanté direct on chante@nourishcatering.co.nz or 0212161184
- The lounge may be hired for non-catered and self-catered events but with no access to the kitchen.
Alcohol & Licensing
The Aurora Lounge is unlicensed and a venue where you can supply your own alcohol to guests FOC. Should you wish to run a cash bar for your event, you will need to arrange a special alcohol license. We recommend contacting a provider such as Nelson Venues or Pop Up Events.
Capacity
The maximum number of people permitted is 185. To achieve the numbers below, extra tables and chairs would need to be arranged. Suggested capacity in different formats:
| Event style | Suggested capacity |
| Banquet | 120 |
| Banquet (dancefloor & stage) | 90 |
| Cabaret | 80 |
| Theatre | 140 |
| Classroom | 100 |
| Cocktail/Standing | 180 |
- Lounge dimensions – 14m x 15m
- Dance floor dimensions – 5m x 9m
- Bar Area:
- Commercial Glass Steriliser – please follow instructions!
- Sink
- Chillers
- glass front: length 2.3m height 750mm depth 600mm
- under bench: length 1.9m height 800mm depth 600mm
- Bathrooms
- Mens – 1x toilet cubicle, urinal, 2x hand basins
- Ladies – 2x toilet cubicles, 2x hand basins
- Accessibility – A platform lift, rated to 400Kg or 3 persons, allows wheelchair access from the lower deck and the main landing between Nahm and the Aurora Lounge.
Layouts
There are many way you can set up for an event in the lounge, and it will depend on the type of event, your numbers, whether you are using club tables and chairs or hiring in, etc… However, here is a visualisation of a 100 person wedding, including top table, band & dancefloor, buffet / grazing table, using 10 seater round tables (hire in from Continental Events).
Site Plan – yellow area highlights the area for any special alcohol licence (if required).
We also have a Sketchup file, which you are welcome to download a copy of to assist with planning:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hV5drqoEcBpnRD2shHjHrUH9WgWb0sds/view?usp=sharing
Below is an example of a layout for ~100 using the club tables and chairs, with covers and a few extra tables and bar leaners hired-in. Tables can be moved aside after the meal to clear the dance floor. Please note, the hanging lantern style lights have now been removed, and there are ‘sunset dimmer’ led downlights in the ceiling – as seen in the next photo down.
Below is an example of a layout for 60, keeping the dance floor clear. The festoon lights, hired from Got It Covered are a great way addition. There are also halyards/lines next to the fans that can be lowered to pull decorations/lights up into the ceiling space.
