Colston Hall
| Colston Hall | |
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Colston Hall in 2005
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 Location within Bristol
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| General information | |
| Town or city | Bristol |
| Country | England |
| Coordinates | 51°27′17″N 2°35′53″W / 51.4546°N 2.5981°WCoordinates: 51°27′17″N 2°35′53″W / 51.4546°N 2.5981°W |
| Completed |
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| Client | Corporation of Bristol |
| Design and construction | |
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Colston Hall is a concert hall and grade II listed building on Colston Street, Bristol, England. It is owned by Bristol City Council and named after the trader and merchant Edward Colston, who founded a school at this location in the early 18th century. Since 2011, management of the hall is undertaken by Bristol Music Trust.
The hall first opened as a concert venue in 1867, and became a popular place for classical music and theatre. In the mid-20th century, wrestling matches were in strong demand, while in the late 1960s it developed into one of the most important rock music venues in Britain. The hall has been redeveloped several times, and was gutted by two fires in 1898 and 1945, though the original Bristol Byzantine foyer has survived. A major refurbishment, adding an extra wing, opened in 2009 and redevelopment of the cellars is planned by 2019.
The hall's official capacity is 2,075, with an additional 350 in "The Lantern", built as part of the 2009 redevelopments. As well as the main entertainment areas, there are a number of licensed bars and a restaurant.
After upcoming renovations Colston Hall will open with a new name. The change reflects concerns over the association of Colston with the slave trade. The new name is yet to be decided, but as part of fundraising plans it is hoped to be in recognition of a commercial partner.
There has been a building around the location of Colston Hall since the Middle Ages. During the 13th century, a Carmelite friary called Whitefriars stood on this site. In the Tudor period, it was replaced by a mansion called the Great House. Queen Elizabeth I stayed here when visiting Bristol in 1574. In the 17th century, a sugar house was established here by the merchant venturer Edward Colston to refine sugar that was brought in from the Caribbean to Bristol Harbour.
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