St George's Hall, Bradford facts for kids
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| Address | Bridge Street Bradford England |
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| Coordinates | 53°47′33″N 1°45′04″W / 53.7925°N 1.7511°W |
| Owner | Bradford Theatres |
| Designation | Listed Building Grade II* |
| Type | Concert Hall |
| Capacity | 1,335 Short Stage Format |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 29 August 1853 |
| Years active | 167 |
| Architect | Henry Francis Lockwood and William Mawson |
St George's Hall is a very old and special building in the middle of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. It's known as a concert hall, which means it's a place where people go to listen to music and watch performances. This building is so old that it's one of the oldest concert halls in the whole United Kingdom that is still being used today!
When it was first built, St George's Hall could hold about 3,500 people. Today, it can seat around 1,335 people for concerts, and even more for standing events. Some German Jewish wool merchants, who had moved to Bradford for its textile industry, helped pay for the building.
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How St George's Hall Was Designed
The design for St George's Hall was chosen in 1849 from over twenty different ideas. The architects, Henry Francis Lockwood and William Mawson, created the winning design. The building is made from sandstone and looks like a grand, old Roman or Greek building. It opened its doors on August 29, 1853.
The stone used to build the hall came all the way from Leeds because the local Bradford quarries couldn't provide enough. The beautiful stone carvings, like the decorations and faces above the arches, were made by Robert Mawer. The style of St George's Hall was inspired by other famous buildings like the Birmingham Town Hall and St George's Hall, Liverpool. It was the first building in Bradford to have this particular style.
After the Second World War, and again after some fires in the 1980s, the inside of the hall was changed quite a bit. Then, in March 2016, a big project started to make the hall even better. It cost about £9 million! St George's Hall reopened in February 2019 with new seats, a flexible stage, and updated bars and lobbies.
A Look at Its History
In the early 1800s, Bradford was growing fast. People realized they needed a bigger place for public meetings and concerts. The places they were using, like the Exchange Buildings, just weren't big enough anymore.
So, in 1849, the city's mayor, Samuel Smith, gathered a group of people to help build a new music hall. They raised £16,000 to start the project. A good spot was chosen at the corner of Bridge Street and Hall Ings. As mentioned before, German wool merchants also helped pay for its construction.
The first stone of the hall was laid in 1851, and the building was finished in 1853. On the opening day, Mayor Smith, who had worked hard for the hall to be built, gave a speech. He said that people could come there to enjoy "soul-inspiring strains of music."
Today, St George's Hall is a very important historic building. It continues to be one of the oldest concert halls still in use in the United Kingdom.
Famous Visitors and Performers
Over the years, many famous people have visited St George's Hall. Some of them include:
- Charles Dickens, a very famous writer.
- Edwin Waugh, a well-known poet.
- The Hallé Orchestra, a fantastic music group.
- Henry Irving, a famous actor.
- Dr Livingstone, a famous explorer.
- Winston Churchill, who later became a Prime Minister, gave a speech here in 1910.
In the later part of the 1900s, many popular music bands played at the hall. These included:
- The Rolling Stones
- Led Zeppelin
- Iron Maiden
- Motörhead
- Ozzy Osbourne
- Metallica
- Free
- David Bowie
- Genesis
- INXS
- Bon Jovi
- Kiss
And many more!
Modern Improvements: 2016–2019
In March 2016, St George's Hall closed for a big renovation project. This £9 million plan was made possible with money from the Heritage Lottery Fund and Bradford Council.
During this time, the outside sandstone walls were fully cleaned and repaired. The inside areas, like the main entrance and the concert hall itself, were also improved. The original main entrance on Hall Ings was opened up again, and the front area was enclosed to keep out drafts. The hall was ready and reopened its doors in February 2019, looking better than ever!
