How the Serpentine Summer Party Invitation Works
No ticket office, a fundraising evening, patron programmes: how the evening really works, based on what the Serpentine publishes.
Last updated 5 October 2026 · 4 min read
You do not register for the Serpentine Summer Party, nor buy a place: the Serpentine presents it as an invitation-only event. It states that its Patrons, its individual patron programme, and the members of its International Council have access to it. This is a supporting relationship formed directly with the institution, on its terms, not a ticket. No concierge can honestly sell a place. TGZ provides no access and does not approach the Serpentine on your behalf; we arrange the London stay around the evening.
The short answer: by invitation, with no ticket office
The Summer Party is the Serpentine's annual fundraising evening. It has no public ticket office, no waiting list and no registration form. The Serpentine describes it as an invitation-only event, and has indicated in some years that the evening was full.
This guide describes how the evening works as publicly documented — by the Serpentine itself and by the press. One point from the outset: TGZ Conciergerie is an independent house, not affiliated with the Serpentine or The Royal Parks, with no official status. We sell no access and know of no way around it: there is none.
Who receives an invitation?
According to the Serpentine, the evening brings together its supporters alongside figures from art, culture, fashion, architecture, business and technology. It is hosted by the institution's leadership, joined each year by co-hosts.
The list remains the Serpentine's. An invitation is personal: it cannot be transferred, shared or resold. The funds raised support the institution's exhibitions and programmes, open to the public free of charge.
The Serpentine's support programmes
The Serpentine states that its Patrons receive access to the Summer Party, as do the members of its International Council. These are patronage programmes: one joins them through the institution, to support it throughout the year, with their visits, talks and travel. Access to the evening is part of them; it is not their purpose.
The terms of these programmes rest solely with the Serpentine, which publishes the details on its website and answers questions directly. The table below summarises the routes that genuinely exist.
| Route | Who decides | What it involves |
|---|---|---|
| Invitation from the Serpentine | The Serpentine | Personal, linked to the guest's place in art, architecture or patronage |
| Patrons programme | The Serpentine | Annual supporting membership with the institution, which includes access to the evening |
| International Council | The Serpentine | The institution's international circle of supporters, which includes access to the evening |
| "Ticket" sold by a third party | No one with legitimacy | Does not exist: any offer of this kind should invite caution |
The evening itself
The Summer Party is held in Kensington Gardens, at the year's Pavilion and in the grounds of Serpentine South. The Serpentine describes it as an artist-led experience that guides guests through the gardens and the summer programme. In 2024, it ran from 7pm to 10pm.
The Pavilion, for its part, is open to the public all summer, free of charge. It is the simplest way to see what the evening celebrates, without an invitation.
A word of caution: Summer Party "tickets" and "packages"
Offers sometimes circulate: "tickets", "packages", "assured access". The rule is simple: the evening is by invitation, and access runs through the institution itself; a place sold by a third party is, by definition, illegitimate. Sometimes it is an unrelated evening presented ambiguously; sometimes a promise that will not be kept, with no recourse.
Beware, too, of namesakes: other "summer parties" are held in London under the Serpentine name, with no connection to the gallery. We say so as it is.
What we do, and what we do not
We sell no place at the Summer Party, promise no invitation and do not approach the Serpentine on your behalf. If you are invited, or already support the institution, we arrange everything around the evening: the suite near the gardens, the attire, the car waiting at the right gate, the dinner the following day.
If you are not, we compose the stay that can be lived without an invitation — and that is a great deal: a suite in Kensington, Knightsbridge or Mayfair, tables held, a private dinner on Summer Party night, a visit to the Pavilion and the galleries. Our Serpentine Summer Party VIP page presents the whole.
Frequently asked questions
Through the Serpentine itself. The institution states that its Patrons and the members of its International Council have access to the evening; other invitations are at its sole discretion. There is no public registration and no waiting list.
No, not from a third party. The evening is by invitation; the access that comes with the support programmes is arranged directly with the Serpentine, on its terms. No place is sold to the public.
No, and anyone who claims otherwise should invite caution. TGZ promises no access and does not approach the Serpentine on your behalf: we arrange the stay around the evening, and everything surrounding it if you are invited independently.
Directly through the Serpentine, which publishes the terms of its support programmes and responds to enquiries. It is a patronage commitment to the institution; we play no part in it.
In 2024, from 7pm to 10pm, according to the Serpentine. The times of each edition appear on the invitation; we set dinner and journeys accordingly.
Everything around the evening: the suite a few minutes from the gardens, the attire and alterations, the car and the journey back, the dinner before or after, the rest of the stay. The evening itself rests entirely with the Serpentine.
No. TGZ Conciergerie is an independent house, with no affiliation to the Serpentine (Serpentine Galleries), The Royal Parks or their partners, and no official status.
Take it further
A stay composed with candour
Tell us what you wish to experience in London in June 2027: we will tell you what is possible, what is not — the evening itself is not — and compose the rest on a tailored quote.