As the Royal Albert Hall faces backlash over a planned rave event, its archive manager Liz Harper insists the venue has never been elitist, calling it the 'nation's village hall' due to its diverse history. On the 150th anniversary of its opening, Harper highlights that the hall has hosted everything from classical concerts to bodybuilding contests and sci-fi conventions.
Opened in 1871, the hall was funded by advance ticket sales, with Queen Victoria purchasing the first 20. Designed by engineers for functionality, it cost over £20 million in today's money. Early events included thousand-person choirs and penny subscription concerts, but also more unusual spectacles like a 1891 sci-fi convention inspired by Lord Lytton's novel 'Vril: The Power of The Coming Race,' featuring a fortune-telling dog and Vril-themed magic shows.
The hall also hosted the world's first bodybuilding contest in 1901, Britain's first indoor marathon, and elaborate costume balls that drew thousands. In 1911, the auditorium was transformed into a garden for the Shakespeare Memorial Ball. Later events included reinforced lavatories for sumo wrestling competitors, underscoring the venue's adaptability.
Harper notes that while the hall's beauty was questioned at opening, its functionality has stood the test of time. The current backlash over a rave event is just the latest chapter in a long history of eclectic programming that defies the stereotype of a stuffy classical venue.
