Southampton Guildhall
Southampton Guildhall (branded the O2 Guildhall Southampton) is a multipurpose venue which forms the East Wing of the Civic Centre in Southampton, England. There are three venues in the Guildhall catering for various event formats: the Guildhall itself, the Solent Suite and a lecture theatre.[1]
![]() Exterior at night | |
![]() ![]() O2 Guildhall Southampton O2 Guildhall in Southampton | |
Former names | Southampton Guildhall (1937-2013) |
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Address | W Marlands Rd Southampton SO14 7LP England |
Location | Civic Centre |
Coordinates | 50°54′29″N 1°24′22″W |
Owner | Southampton City Council (operated by Live Nation UK) |
Capacity | 1,749 |
Opened | 13 February 1937 |
Website | |
www |
History
The Guildhall, which was designed to complement the rest of the Civic Suite, was opened by the Earl of Derby on 13 February 1937.[2] It houses a large pipe organ which was built into it from its open. The organ has two distinct consoles: a classical concert organ and a theatre organ. The consoles share the same body of approximately 4,000 pipes which are housed in chambers above the proscenium arch. It was the largest organ made by its builder, John Compton.[3]
On 7 October 2013, the venue was renamed to the O2 Guildhall Southampton, reflecting a partnership between Live Nation UK and O2 Telefónica.[4]
References
- "O2 Guildhall Southampton". Cevent. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
- "Southampton Civic Centre through the years". Southern Daily Echo. 21 February 2016. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
- "Unique Compton pipe organ". Unique Compton pipe organ. Retrieved 10 December 2018.
- "Southampton Guildhall renaming 'cheapens' venue". BBC News Online. British Broadcasting Corporation. 7 October 2013. Retrieved 29 November 2013.