Rivoli Ballroom

The Rivoli is like stepping into a time capsule, the 50s ballroom is beautifully preserved and photos really can’t do the detail justice, I spent the first ten minutes trying to get a photo that captured the glamorous ornate features, but it has to be seen to be truly appreciated!

It’s not just the interior that’s a spectacle, everyone there really gets into the vintage theme, with a mass of glamorous full-flared skirts, stockings, cropped sharp suits and polka dots a-plenty on show, and gallons of Brylcreem and hairspray perfectly set the bouffants and pompadour quiffs. 

The best thing perhaps is the dancing; the crowd display some fantastic retro dance moves, throwing out amazing shapes to the rhythm of the live band playing old 50s classics. It’s so much fun, whether you’re an experienced Lindy hopper or a beginner bopper, and even if you don’t want to get up and get involved, all of the jiving, jitterbugging and charleston footwork is greatly entertaining. 

The decor, the costumes, the dances, all elements amount to the makings of a post-war era good time. It’s exactly how you’d imagine 50s London to be, a place filled with merriment, celebration and exuberance. Everyone there looked like they were having the best time, the sheer enjoyment and upbeat attitudes were infectious and will turn any frown upside down.