Jane's Midlife Journey

Bournemouth International Centre, more commonly referred to as The BIC, is a conference, exhibition and entertainment venue. It sits overlooking the seafront and boasts four separate function halls. The biggest of which, Windsor Hall, seats 4000 people. Smaller events are held in the Tregonwell, Solent and Purbeck Halls.

How to get to the BIC

The BIC is right in the centre of Bournemouth, just up the hill from the pier. Most buses stop in Bournemouth Square, which is a 6 minute walk. Buses No 1a/1b/1c, 5/5a, 6/6a, 12, 22, 13/13a and 33 all stop at Bournemouth Pier, which is a 2 minute walk. During the summer, the No 70 Breezer bus also stops at the Pier, but doesn’t run very late.

Parking

The BIC has its own car park. Regular parking costs £2.10 for 1 hour. There is a special fixed rate on show nights of £11 (£10 if booked in advance) all evening. More details can be found here.

Details

The main hall, Windsor Hall, hosts a range of music, comedy and other entertainment. I’ve visited a few times. I find that the hall’s size renders it big enough to create a great atmosphere, yet small enough to still feel quite intimate.

Tregonwell Hall is a two storey conference hall which can accommodate over 1000 people. In the past, the BIC has hosted both Labour and Conservative Party conferences – Margaret Thatcher’s final Conservative Party Conference speech was at the BIC in 1990. Last year, the Liberal Democrats and the Green Party held conferences here.

Once a swimming pool, Solent Hall in now mainly used as an exhibition space. We recently attended a mass gym class here. If the blinds are open, the hall offers stunning sea views.

Purbeck Hall is in a separate building to the rear. For much of the year, this round hall is used for exhibitions and conferences, even a beer festival. In the winter, the building is transformed into the Cool Coast Ice Rink.

Food and Drink

There are several bars around the venue for your pre-show and interval drinks. The BIC also has its own restaurant, Elevate Brasserie and Bar, where you can dine with a sea view on both show and non show days.

BIC For Children

Some shows are suitable for children, others are not. Arrangements for children vary per show and also between seated and standing tickets. Further details can be found on the website. Elevate has a children’s menu.

• Updated: January 2026

I hope you found this information useful. For more inspiration on things to do in and around Bournemouth, check out my 101 Things to do in Bournemouth here.