---
title: "Pantomime Procurement"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-0692b3"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-0692b3"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0692b3.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0692b3.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Planning"
buyer: "READING BOROUGH COUNCIL"
published: "2026-05-14"
---

# Pantomime Procurement

Buyer: READING BOROUGH COUNCIL  
Current stage: Planning  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-0692b3

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## Summary

Reading Borough Council is currently in the planning stage of a procurement process titled "Pantomime Procurement". This process involves a soft market engagement for a seasonal pantomime production at The Hexagon, Reading's largest entertainment venue located in the United Kingdom. The industry category for this process falls under entertainment services. The council is conducting this preliminary engagement to assess market capacity and inform potential procurement routes. The engagement notice was issued on 6th May 2026, with a response deadline set for 20th May 2026. The procurement aims to explore commercial models and community engagement opportunities without committing to a formal contractual process at this stage. A new pantomime production contract is expected to commence by Autumn 2026 to facilitate the 2027/28 pantomime season.

This tender presents a significant opportunity for businesses involved in entertainment and cultural productions, particularly those with experience in delivering pantomime shows. Companies can benefit from potentially partnering with the council to manage one of the most commercially significant events at The Hexagon. Opportunities for business growth can arise from improved audience engagement, innovative production methods, risk mitigation strategies, and inclusive programming. Companies specialising in entertainment production, especially those with a focus on regional theatre and community engagement, stand a good chance of competing effectively in this procurement process. Through the soft market engagement, firms can contribute insights and suggest creative strategies that align with the council's objectives of expanding audience reach and ensuring the sustainability of the production.

## Notice

The Hexagon, Reading's largest entertainment venue, delivers a wide-ranging and diverse programme of events throughout the year. The annual pantomime represents the most commercially significant and strategically important component of the venue's programme. In 2022, a formal procurement process was undertaken to appoint Imagine Theatre as the pantomime production partner. This contract is now approaching its conclusion, with Aladdin (2026/27) being the final production under the current agreement, which ends in February 2027. To ensure continuity of delivery, audience engagement, and timely marketing and production planning, The Hexagon must enter into a new pantomime production contract by Autumn 2026, enabling full preparation for the 2027/28 pantomime season. The appointment of a pantomime production partner is a critical procurement for The Hexagon, given the pantomime's status as the venue's most commercially significant and strategically important annual event. A formal procurement process is required to ensure compliance with public sector procurement regulations, secure best value, promote fair competition, and mitigate financial and operational risk. Early market engagement and timely contract award are essential to enable sufficient lead-in time for creative development, casting, production planning, and marketing activity, all of which typically commence 12-18 months in advance of delivery.

### Planning Information

SOFT MARKET ENGAGEMENT NOTICE
Seasonal Pantomime Production
Venue: The Hexagon
Local Authority: Reading Borough Council
Engagement Reference: SOFT MARKET ENGAGEMENT NOTICE
Issue Date: 06/05/2026
Response Deadline: 20/05/2026
Please submit your responses by email to 
eoi@reading.gov.uk
________________________________________
1. Purpose of this Engagement
RBC is undertaking a Soft Market Engagement exercise in advance of a potential procurement process for the delivery of a seasonal pantomime at The Hexagon.
The purpose of this exercise is to:
• Understand current market capacity and appetite
• Explore viable commercial and contractual models
• Inform the proposed procurement route and specification
• Identify innovation, audience development and community engagement opportunities
This is not a call for competition and does not commit the Council to commence a procurement process.
________________________________________
2. Venue Overview
• Auditorium capacity: 960
• Typical performance run: 48 performances from Early Dec - Early Jan
• Average pantomime attendance: 35,000
• Technical specification summary: Please follow the link
https://tinyurl.com/HexagonTechSpec
The Council is particularly interested in understanding how producers can support:
• Box office growth
• Risk mitigation
• Community participation
• Accessibility and inclusive programming
________________________________________
3. Engagement Format
The Council proposes:
• Written responses to this questionnaire
• Optional 1:1 virtual engagement meetings (30-45 minutes)
• Potential supplier engagement event (if appropriate)
All participating organisations will receive the same information to ensure transparency.
________________________________________
Supplier Response Questionnaire
1. Organisation Overview
• Company name and registration details
• Years trading
• Summary of pantomime production experience
• Experience in similar sized Local Authority venues.
________________________________________
2. Market Insight
Please outline:
• Current trends in regional pantomime production
• Emerging commercial models (guarantee, risk-share, hybrid)
• Typical production budget ranges for venues of comparable scale
• Casting strategies and impact on financial performance
________________________________________
3. Commercial Structures
For a venue of 960 please indicate:
• Preferred financial model and rationale
• Typical box office splits (if risk-share)
• Minimum performance run to ensure viability
• Key cost drivers affecting pricing
Indicative figures are welcome at this stage (non-binding).
________________________________________
4. Creative & Audience Development
• How do you tailor pantomime scale to venue size?
• What marketing assets do you typically provide?
• Strategies for reaching new or underrepresented audiences
• Examples of community or education engagement delivered
________________________________________
5. Risk & Delivery Considerations
• Key risks in delivering pantomime in the current market
• Mitigation strategies
• Lead-in time required for casting and production build
• Technical or scheduling constraints the Council should consider
________________________________________
6. Innovation & Added Value
• Digital integration (streaming, social media campaigns, influencer marketing)
• Environmental sustainability practices
• Local employment / skills development opportunities
________________________________________
4. Confidentiality
Information provided will be used solely to inform procurement strategy. Commercially sensitive information will not be disclosed publicly.
________________________________________
5. Next Steps
Following this engagement, the Council may:
• Refine its delivery model
• Publish a formal procurement notice
• Decide not to proceed

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/044575-2026 |
| Notice type | UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Not Specified |
| Procurement method details | Not specified |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | Not specified |
| All stages | Planning |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 14 May 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | 20 May 2026 |
| Award date | Not specified |
| Contract period | 30 Sep 2026 - 1 Oct 2029 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £1,155,000 |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | Not specified |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Planning |
| Lots status | Planning |
| Awards status | Not specified |
| Contracts status | Not specified |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | READING BOROUGH COUNCIL |
| Locality | READING |
| Post town | Reading |
| Postcode | RG1 2LU |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLJ South East (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLJ1 Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire |
| ITL 3 | TLJ16 Berkshire West |
| Local authority | Reading |
| Electoral ward | Abbey |
| Westminster constituency | Reading Central |
| Delivery location | TLJ11 Berkshire |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 92 - Recreational, cultural and sporting services

### Codes

- 92300000 - Entertainment services

## Release History

- 14 May 2026 at 15:44 - PlanningUpdate - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/044575-2026
- 6 May 2026 at 19:30 - Planning - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/041646-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/044575-2026
  14th May 2026 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/041646-2026
  6th May 2026 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- https://tinyurl.com/HexagonTechSpec
- https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents
- https://www.reading.gov.uk/

## Provenance

This Markdown file is an alternate public rendering of the D3 Tenders contract record. The canonical page is https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-0692b3. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0692b3.json.