85-89 Clerk StreetThe Queen's Hall is a performance venue in the Southside, Edinburgh, Scotland. The building opened in 1824 as Hope Park Chapel and reopened as the Queen's Hall in 1979.
Hope Park Chapel opened as a chapel of ease within the West Kirk parish in 1824. The chapel became a parish church with the name Newington Parish Church in 1834. The congregation supported the creation of a mission church in St Leonard's in 1878. The two congregations united to form Newington and St Leonard's Parish Church in 1932. The church was dissolved in 1976 and the building was purchased by the Scottish Philharmonic Society. It was reopened as a performance venue in 1979 by Elizabeth II, after whom the building was renamed. The hall has hosted artists including Nina Simone, Nick Cave, and Adele. In 2018, the hall estimated it welcomed 90,000 visitors across 200 concerts annually. It is the only major venue to host events for all of the Edinburgh International Festival, the Edinburgh Fringe, and the Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival.
The building was designed in the neoclassical style by Robert Brown and was adapted for use as a performance venue by Larry Rolland of Robert Hurd & Partners. It now has a capacity of up to 900. Notable features include two large, 18th-century boards displaying the Lord's Prayer, Creed, and Ten Commandments.
In March 2017, the hall announced it had secured a £650,000 Scottish Government grant towards a £3,000,000 renovation, which it aimed to have completed by the building's 200th anniversary in 2023. In May of that year, Mill Architects released plans to increase the flow of natural light to the interior while expanding the foyer and renovating seating. By August 2018, completed works included the improvement of the bar areas and restoration of the exterior.
The hall has hosted artists including Nina Simone, Nick Cave, and Adele. In 2018, the hall estimated it welcomed 90,000 visitors across 200 concerts annually. It is the only major venue to host events for all of the Edinburgh International Festival, the Edinburgh Fringe, and the Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival. The hall can accommodate 900 standing and 801 seated.