Leas Cliff Hall
Address	The Leas
City	Folkestone, Kent
Country	England
Coordinates	51°04′33″N 1°10′25″E / 51.0758°N 1.17357°E / 51.0758; 1.17357Coordinates: 51°04′33″N 1°10′25″E / 51.0758°N 1.17357°E / 51.0758; 1.17357
Owned by	Ambassador Theatre Group (in partnership with Shepway District Council)
Capacity	Seated 900 / Standing 1,500
Opened	13 July 1927
Website
http://www.leascliffhall.co.uk

Leas Cliff Hall is an Entertainment and Function venue situated in Folkestone, on the Kent coast of England. The Grand Hall seats 900 and it has a standing capacity of 1500. It currently presents a varied programme of touring shows including concerts, comedy, ballet and wrestling.

History [edit]

The Leas Shelter was constructed in 1894 which was the predecessor of the Leas Cliff Hall. The Shelter had a concert room for entertainment and seated 200, plus an orchestra.

In 1924 it was decided that a larger and more majestic hall was required and only 28 months later the building was finished, it became a tribute to Mr J S Dahl, the Norwegian architect. It was opened on the 13 July 1927 by Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester. The opening concert was performed by the Folkestone Municipal Orchestra where one thousand people attended.

It was closed for modernisation and refurbishment on 16 September 1980 and re-opened on 6 May 1981 which is the venue seen today.

In the late 1990s Shepway Council invited Apollo Leisure to manage the hall, followed by Clear Channel Entertainment in 2001. In 2005 Clear Channel Entertainment's theatre division became Live Nation. Since November 2009 the venue has been operated by Ambassador Theatre Group and is owned and supported by Shepway District Council.

Performances [edit]

The stage is flat, 48 feet wide and up to 27 feet deep.

Over the years the hall has played host to some of the best music acts around such as The Rolling Stones, T Rex, Thin Lizzy, Judas Priest, Paul Weller, Ozzy Osbourne, Status Quo, Motörhead, Kings of Leon, Stereophonics, Queens of the Stone Age and Kaiser Chiefs.

The hall has also seen many comedians over the years, including Victoria Wood, Ken Dodd, Norman Wisdom, Lenny Henry, Brian Conley, Ross Noble, Frankie Boyle and Russell Howard.

Current activity [edit]

The venue also houses the Channel Suite, Café, the Coasters bar and the Foyer bar.

External links [edit]

• Official website