St David’s Hall, which sits in the heart of Cardiff, frequently plays host to the Welsh Proms and the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition and has welcomed stars including Adele, Elton John, Anthony Hopkins and Tina Turner. It’s an important place: in 2016 it was even listed above iconic venues like the Royal Albert Hall and Sydney Opera House in Business Insider UK’s list of the top ten best-sounding concert halls in the world.
But for the next year and a half, people won’t be able to experience St David’s Hall’s legendary acoustics. That’s because a recent inspection found the ceiling needs to be completely replaced as its concrete panels are crumbling and at risk of collapse.
The panels are reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (better known as RAAC) which has been found in several buildings across the UK recently and is prone to sudden failures. Over 900 panels in the hall’s roof have been classified as ‘red-critical’ or ‘red-high risk’, according to a council report.
Cardiff Council has cancelled all concerts and events due to take place there over the coming months, including a performance from Sophie Ellis-Bextor and a show by artist Grayson Perry.
A Cardiff council spokesperson said: ‘We know this will cause a lot of inconvenience and disappointment for our customers, but we hope they will understand that the safety of audiences, staff, artists, volunteers, and everyone at the venue is paramount.’
Academy Music Group, which runs the venue, is aiming for it to reopen in time for the next BBC Cardiff Singer of the World Competition in July 2025.
Time Out and music venues
While the year-long loss of St David’s Hall is a blow for Welsh music and culture fans, there are loads more iconic venues across the country that you can travel to in the meantime. Take a look at our ranking of some of the very best, chosen with the help of artists that have played there.
ICYMI: this 480-year-old tree in Wales has been crowned ‘Tree of the Year’ 2023.
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