A large standing crowd in the Grand Hall, with the ceiling lit up pink. A stage in the middle of the right hand side has a musician and a harp. Projected onto the far wall are logos for BBC Radio and BBC Proms

Music

AT BATTERSEA ARTS CENTRE

Alongside its incredible municipal history, Battersea Arts Centre has an impressive list of music credits. It has played host to performances by The XX, Fleetwood Mac, The Jam and, in more recent years, provided the backdrop to McFly’s video for the track Love is Easy – shot all in one take.

Since its reopening in 2018, the Grand Hall has featured in the BBC Proms, staged concerts for The Little Orchestra and most recently, hosted the Philharmonia’s first ever socially distanced performance. It also acts as a regular rehearsal space for orchestras and large ensembles.

Our stunning building, with 125 years of history, has an advanced technical capacity with:

  • Improved AV infrastructure
  • Video and sound tie lines in more areas
  • Optimised rigging positions for projection and lighting
  • 18 acoustic banners
  • Automated black-out blinds
  • 3 phase power
An image of the Grand Hall with the installed organ pipes, console in the middle on the balcony of our Grand Hall

The Grand Hall is also the proud owner of the largest surviving example in the UK of Robert Hope-Jones’s innovative organ design, with a moveable console allowing the player to be positioned anywhere in (or out of) the space.

The Philharmonia Orchestra rehearse in the Grand Hall, with a music stand to themselves, 2 metres away from all other players. At the front is the conductor wearing a suit, and soloist Sheku Kanneh Mason, looking towards the conductor while playing cello, wearing a red check shirt.

MUSIC IN A SOCIALLY DISTANCED WORLD

In July 2020 the Philharmonia Orchestra chose The Grand Hall as the setting for its Philharmonia Sessions, a virtual concert series filled with some of classical music’s most uplifting pieces. For the first session, filmed in July, 32 musicians were led by John Wilson, featuring superstar cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason. Sufficient distance was measured between each player, with additional allowanced for wind and brass in accordance with ABO guidelines. The film crew spent 3 days within the venue and created a socially distanced performance that has been seen around the globe. Two further sessions were then filmed in the venue.

During the time of COVID-19, our flexible space has become an ideal location for rehearsals, recordings, live streams and socially distanced events for up to 120 people, with excellent acoustics for all occasions and acts and one-of-a-kind architecture providing a stunning backdrop. The team at Battersea Arts Centre have experience working on operating guidelines for socially distanced events and Covid compliance and would be happy to discuss possibilities with you and to help guide your planning.

For more information on Covid Measures in place at the venue please see here.

A photo taken from behind a crowd gathered at a concert in our Grand Hall. Spotlights shine down from the wooden lattice roof and illuminate the stage.

MUSIC IN THE FUTURE

Heading towards Spring 2021, the Grand Hall is available for live music hire, with a capacity for 1000 standing, a stunning bar with mosaic floor and stained glass-domed ceiling and excellent transport links for your audience, near to Clapham Junction and bus routes.

This space can be staged appropriately for any genre with flexible staging options.

Hiring the space gives access to:

  • Two dressing rooms
  • In-house experienced lighting and sound technicians
  • Promotion on the BAC website and socials
  • Event and Production Manager who will work with you up until your performance
  • A number of parking spaces alongside the venue, subject to availability
The Grand Hall: A large, empty hall with a lattice wood ceiling and fire burnt walls. At the far end is an organ console, with large metal pipes all across the balcony just above

The Grand Hall

The Grand Hall, beautifully restored following a devastating fire in 2015, is an event space unlike any other.

Find Out More

Nothing beats seeing a venue first-hand, so please get in touch with us today to arrange a viewing with a member of our events team.

 

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We reopened to private events and filming at the end of June 2020 and have now been operating safely within Covid-19 guidelines for several months.

For more information on Covid Measures in place at the venue please see here.