The Royal Concert Hall Celebrates 40 Glorious Years

On 27 November 1982, Sir Elton John gave the inaugural concert to mark the opening of the new Royal Concert Hall in Nottingham. With its ground-breaking design and innovative acoustics, for the past forty years the Royal Concert Hall has become renowned for hosting the very best in entertainment including world-leading orchestras, pop and rock stars, West End musicals, stand-up comedy, family shows and community events.

To celebrate this landmark anniversary, the venue will throw open its doors for a free public Open Day this November, and will host a number of special concerts and spoken word events throughout its autumn season. Keep reading for the full event details!

Their archive team are also reaching out to anyone who would like to share a special memory, story, or piece of memorabilia from the Concert Hall from the past forty years, to celebrate the anniversary and expand their archive. Keep reading to find more info, including how to contact the team.

---

FREE OPEN DAY | Saturday 12th November, 2022 | 10am to 2pm

Members of the public are invited to attend a free Open Day, including backstage tours, street theatre, drumming workshops, face painting, and hip-hop dance and music demonstrations. 

Free access-all-areas guided tours of the building will start from 10am, including the stage platform, dressing rooms, stage door, and rarely seen technical and lighting areas in the roof space above the 400-ton hung ceiling.

The Open Day is free, with no need to book in advance. For more information, including how to access a wheelchair accessible tour, please visit trch.co.uk/openday.

---

ROYAL CONCERT HALL 40^TH ANNIVERSARY TALK: 'SET TO MAKE BRITAIN TAKE NOTICE' | Friday 21st October, 2022 | 1pm

A lively and fascinating panel discussion on the history of the Royal Concert Hall, from its celebrated acoustics to its unique design, as well as the political controversy which surrounded the initial plans to build a world-class ‘Festival Hall’ for Nottingham forty years ago. Takes place on the Level 4 Foyer.

---

SINFONIA OF LONDON | Sunday 4th December, 2022 | 7.30pm

Conductor John Wilson’s hand-picked, all-star ensemble has already won a host of major awards for its recordings, and this dazzling programme of orchestral showpieces is the perfect centrepiece for the 40th anniversary of the Royal Concert Hall.  The gala concert programme will feature much-loved pieces by Walton, Ravel, Gershwin and Debussy, and a debut performance from BBC Young Musician winner, Martin James Bartlett.

---

THE ROCKET MAN | Tuesday 8th November, 2022 | 7.30pm

Forty years ago, the hottest tickets in town were for the grand opening of Nottingham’s Royal Concert Hall, featuring Elton John.  As part of the venue’s birthday festivities, enjoy a magical night of in tribute to Sir Elton John, including hits Saturday Night’s Alright, Crocodile Rock, I Guess That’s Why They Call it the Blues, Daniel, I’m Still Standing, Philadelphia Freedom, Your Song and more.

---

MEMORIES TO SHARE?

Were you involved in the building of the Royal Concert Hall? Did you attend the opening night? Do you have a special reason for remembering a particular event or performance? The Royal Concert Hall’s archive team are reaching out to anyone who would like to share a special memory, story, or piece of memorabilia with them from the past forty years. 

You can contact the team on email at memories@trch.co.uk, on social media at @RoyalNottingham or use #RCH40, or by post to; Archive Team, Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall, Theatre Square, Nottingham, NG1 5ND. 

Every contribution will help towards building the venue’s ever-expanding archive for future generations to enjoy.

---

This blog was supplied by The Theatre Royal and Royal Concert Hall, and edited by Katherine Taylor, Marketing Executive at Visit Nottinghamshire.