Albert Hall, Nottingham Logo

The City of Nottinghams Premier Conference Venue

In the early 1870's the Good Templar's and others were looking for a site for a Nottingham Temperance Hall.  Mr Watson Fothergill, the fashionable and award winning local architect, won the commission but although the foundation stone was laid in September 1873 funds soon ran out.

The dream of a temperance hall seemed to be in jeopardy but a rescue bid was put together with the formation of a limited liability company.  Work resumed on what was to become the Albert Hall, a prestigious and expensive building costing some £14,000.

The Albert Hall was the City's largest concert hall and a major venue for political rallies.  But by the turn of the century it was quite clear it would never be able to generate enough cash to avoid frequent financial crises.

Fortunately, the Wesleyans were at this time seeking big city venues for their great central missions.  The Albert Hall came on the market in 1901 and was purchased by a syndicate of local businessmen for £8,450 and opened as a mission in September 1902.

Although the outstanding debt was a millstone, the work of the mission went from strength to strength until 22nd April 1906 when fire swept through the building.

This disaster came as a double blow when the Methodists learned that the Hall was under-insured, and they would have to raise a substantial sum of money to rebuild. Undeterred, the community raised the cash and sought another architect.  This time, a prominent local Methodist, Mr A E Lambert, who had been responsible for the terra cotta Midland Station, was asked to produce a plan. His new Albert Hall Methodist Mission was built in the style of an Edwardian Theatre or Music Hall and, in the practice of temperance halls, concerts and other events were staged in the building.

The new hall was dedicated in March 1909 and officially opened on the 15th September 1910 by Lady Boot.

The Hall continued to function as a methodist mission until 1984

Nottingham City Council purchased the Albert Hall in 1987 and a major refurbishment was set to task in order to link the venue with the adjacent Nottingham Playhouse for use as a multipurpose centre. The work was completed in 1988 and Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales unveiled a plaque on 23rd February 1989 to commemorate the refurbishment.

The Nottingham Playhouse managed the Albert Hall until July 1990 when the Nottingham City Council leased the building to the Albert Hall Nottingham Ltd for use as a Commercial Conference and Entertainment Venue.

  • Albert Hall, Nottingham 1905
  • Albert Hall, Nottingham 1910
  • Albert Hall, Nottingham 2010