St David's Hall

St David's Hall
St David's Hall by night, in 2014, showing the remodelled façade and the base of Cardiff's BBC Big Screen.
Location within Cardiff city centre
General information
Type	Concert Hall
Architectural style	Brutalist
Address	The Hayes, Cardiff, CF10 1AH
Country	Wales, United Kingdom
Coordinates	51°28′49″N 03°10′36″W / 51.48028°N 3.17667°W / 51.48028; -3.17667
Construction started	1977
Completed	1982
Inaugurated	30 August 1982
Cost	£12m
Client	City of Cardiff
Owner	Cardiff County Council
Design and construction
Architecture firm	Seymour Harris Partnership
Structural engineer	Ove Arup and Partners
Main contractor	John Laing & Son
Website
Stdavidshallcardiff.co.uk

St David's Hall (Welsh: Neuadd Dewi Sant) is a performing arts and conference venue in the heart of Cardiff, Wales.

St David's Hall is the National Concert Hall and Conference Centre of Wales. It hosts the annual Welsh Proms, the International Orchestral Series and the biennial BBC Cardiff Singer of the World Competition. As well as classical music it also plays host to jazz, soul, pop, rock, dance, children's, r&b, musicals and other forms of world music, as well as light entertainment artists like Joan Collins. The foyers in the centre are open and have regular free performances from music groups. The foyers, balconies and bar areas are also used to host art exhibitions. It also has its own restaurant.

Architects Seymour Harris Partnership had the task of fitting a major 2000 seat, acoustically perfect auditorium, with surrounding dressing rooms, bars, foyers, a restaurant, offices and spacious concourse into a cramped city centre space. The space available was so cramped that they had to fit the complex into and on top of an already planned and partly built St. David's Shopping Centre. As a result, they had to use every inch of space available and the building has an unusual shape. The main contractor was John Laing & Son. It held its first concert on 11 September 1982. It was officially opened over 5 months after the first concert on 15 February 1983 by the Queen Mother.BBC National Orchestra and Chorus of Wales (the BBC NOW) is the orchestra-in-residence at St David's Hall, holding regular concerts with reasonably priced tickets to try to attract families who perhaps would not normally consider going to a classical concert.

Major events held at the Hall include the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition held every two years and the Welsh Proms held annually. Prizes for the Welsh Artist of the Year are awarded at the venue every June, followed by an exhibition of the winners and shortlisted works.