Wolverhampton Civic Hall facts for kids
Exterior of venue
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| Location | Wolverhampton, England |
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| Owner | Wolverhampton City Council |
| Capacity | 3,000 (Civic Hall) 1,134 (Wulfrun Hall) 550 (Slade Rooms) |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 16 May 1938 |
| Expanded | 2001 |
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Listed Building – Grade II
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| Designated: | 31 March 1992 |
| Reference #: | 1207355 |
The Wolverhampton Civic Hall is a famous place for music and shows in Wolverhampton, England. It has been a top spot for live music for many years. It is part of a bigger building complex. This complex also includes the Wulfrun Hall and the Slade Rooms. The local council, Wolverhampton City Council, owns and runs these venues. The building is also a special historic place. It is known as a Grade II listed building.
The Civic Hall Organ
The Civic Hall once had a special musical instrument. It was a large Compton Organ. This organ was built just for the hall. It had over 5,500 pipes. It also had an early electronic part called a Melotone.
A famous musician, G. D. Cunningham, was the first to play it. This happened at a special event for invited guests. The organ was made bigger in 2001. It could be played as a concert organ or a theatre organ.
In 2016, it was announced that the organ would be removed. It would not return to the Civic Hall. Later, in 2019, the pipes were taken apart. They were scrapped, even though some people offered to fix them for free.
Exciting Events and Shows
The very first concert at the Civic Hall was on May 16, 1938. The Old Royals Association performed. Singers like Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth were there.
Many famous comedians have performed at the hall. These include Ken Dodd, Peter Kay, and Jim Davidson.
Sports Events
The Civic Hall has also hosted exciting sports events. In the 1970s and 1980s, professional wrestling was often shown live from the venue. These shows were broadcast on Saturday afternoons.
In 2006, the Professional Darts Corporation started using the venue. It hosted a week of the 2006 Premier League Darts. From 2007, the hall became home to the Grand Slam of Darts. This is a big darts tournament. In 2018, the tournament moved to a different place. This was because the Civic Hall was being renovated. Darts player Gary Anderson prefers the Civic Hall. He said, "The Civic Hall - that was the Grand Slam of Darts."
Memorable Concerts
Many famous musicians have played at the Civic Hall. Morrissey performed his first solo show there in 1988. The band Nirvana played their song "All Apologies" for the first time live in 1991. Louise Redknapp finished her "Soft and Gentle Tour" there in 1997. More recently, the Welsh rock band, the Manic Street Preachers, played a concert in 2015.
