Empress Ballroom
Encyclopedia
The Empress Ballroom is a 3,000 capacity entertainment venue, in Blackpool
Lancashire
, England
. It is located within the Winter Gardens
, a large entertainment complex in the town centre.
As part of the Winter Gardens, the ballroom is a Grade II* Listed Building. It is operated by Crown Leisure Ltd, on behalf of Blackpool Council, who purchased the property from Leisure Parcs Ltd as part of a £40 million deal in 2010.
The Empress Ballroom hosts a variety of events including conferences, concerts, dance and darts competitions as well as trade fairs. It has hosted the main annual conferences for all three major British
political parties as well as a number of trade union
s. The Winter Gardens owners claim that every British Prime Minister
since World War II
has addressed an audience at the venue.
It was requisitioned by the Admiralty
in 1918 for military use during World War I
to assemble gas envelopes for the R.33 airship, before being handed back a year later. It was re-floored in late 1934 with 10,000 pieces of oak, mahogany, walnut and greenwood, laid over 1,320 four-inch springs. It is one of the few remaining sprung dancefloors in Britain.
In the late 1970s, some of the floor space was adapted for other purposes to reduce the venue’s over-capacity. It was renamed The Stardust Garden and was intended to function as a nightclub.
The ballroom has been used as a conference venue for many years by the Labour Party
, Conservative Party
and Liberal Democrats
. The ballroom has hosted the World Matchplay darts tournament, run by the Professional Darts Corporation
, since 1994, which is shown live on Sky Sports
It also hosts numerous dance competitions, such as the British Sequence Championships
and the Blackpool Dance Festival
, an annual ballroom
dance competition, since its inception in 1920.
On 1 March 1974, the ballroom was the venue for the opening concert of Queen
's first ever headlining tour of the UK.
The White Stripes
perform at the Empress Ballroom in their DVD
and concert
Under Blackpool Lights
, which was recorded at the venue on 27 and 28 January 2004.
It also housed a Wurlitzer organ, much of the pipework coming from the original Blackpool Tower organ. It was played for many years by Horace Finch
but was removed in 1969, eventually being broken up.
Blackpool
Blackpool is a borough, seaside town, and unitary authority area of Lancashire, in North West England. It is situated along England's west coast by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre estuaries, northwest of Preston, north of Liverpool, and northwest of Manchester...
Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is located within the Winter Gardens
Winter Gardens, Blackpool
The Winter Gardens is a large entertainment complex in the town centre of Blackpool, Lancashire, England. It has twelve different venues, including a theatre, ballroom and conference facilities. Opened in 1878, it is a Grade II* listed building, incorporating various elements built between 1875 and...
, a large entertainment complex in the town centre.
As part of the Winter Gardens, the ballroom is a Grade II* Listed Building. It is operated by Crown Leisure Ltd, on behalf of Blackpool Council, who purchased the property from Leisure Parcs Ltd as part of a £40 million deal in 2010.
The Empress Ballroom hosts a variety of events including conferences, concerts, dance and darts competitions as well as trade fairs. It has hosted the main annual conferences for all three major British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
political parties as well as a number of trade union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
s. The Winter Gardens owners claim that every British Prime Minister
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
since World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
has addressed an audience at the venue.
History
The Empress Ballroom was built in 1896. It was designed by Manghall and Littlewood of Manchester, and decorated by J.M.Boekbinder. With a floor area of 12,500 square feet (1,160 sq. metres), the ballroom was one of the largest in the world. It has a barrel-vaulted ceiling, decoratively treated as a square-coffered vault with relief patterned panels in gold and white, with twelve glass chandeliers. The ballroom has a decorated balcony on three sides,It was requisitioned by the Admiralty
Admiralty
The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
in 1918 for military use during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
to assemble gas envelopes for the R.33 airship, before being handed back a year later. It was re-floored in late 1934 with 10,000 pieces of oak, mahogany, walnut and greenwood, laid over 1,320 four-inch springs. It is one of the few remaining sprung dancefloors in Britain.
In the late 1970s, some of the floor space was adapted for other purposes to reduce the venue’s over-capacity. It was renamed The Stardust Garden and was intended to function as a nightclub.
The ballroom has been used as a conference venue for many years by the Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
, Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
and Liberal Democrats
Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
. The ballroom has hosted the World Matchplay darts tournament, run by the Professional Darts Corporation
Professional Darts Corporation
The Professional Darts Corporation is a professional darts organization, established in the United Kingdom during 1992, when a group of leading professional players split from the British Darts Organisation to form what was initially called the World Darts Council...
, since 1994, which is shown live on Sky Sports
Sky Sports
Sky Sports is the brand name for a group of sports-oriented television channels operated by the UK and Ireland's main satellite pay-TV company, British Sky Broadcasting. Sky Sports is the dominant subscription television sports brand in the United Kingdom and Ireland...
It also hosts numerous dance competitions, such as the British Sequence Championships
British Sequence Championships
The British Sequence Dance Championships for adults are held annually as part of the Blackpool Sequence Dance Festival and have been running since 1949. This is held in the Empress Ballroom, Winter Gardens, Blackpool, England. Dancers compete in up to five sequence dances determined by the...
and the Blackpool Dance Festival
Blackpool Dance Festival
The 8-day Blackpool Dance Festival is the world's first and most famous annual ballroom dance competition of international significance, held in the Empress Ballroom at the Winter Gardens, Blackpool, England since 1920. It is also the largest ballroom competition: in 2003, 1539 couples from 54...
, an annual ballroom
Ballroom dance
Ballroom dance refers to a set of partner dances, which are enjoyed both socially and competitively around the world. Because of its performance and entertainment aspects, ballroom dance is also widely enjoyed on stage, film, and television....
dance competition, since its inception in 1920.
On 1 March 1974, the ballroom was the venue for the opening concert of Queen
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
's first ever headlining tour of the UK.
The White Stripes
The White Stripes
The White Stripes was an American rock band, formed in 1997 in Detroit, Michigan. The group consisted of the songwriter Jack White and drummer Meg White . Jack and Meg White were previously married to each other, but are now divorced...
perform at the Empress Ballroom in their DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
and concert
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
Under Blackpool Lights
Under Blackpool Lights
Under Blackpool Lights is the first official DVD released by The White Stripes. It has since been out of print and hailed as a must for White Stripes fans....
, which was recorded at the venue on 27 and 28 January 2004.
It also housed a Wurlitzer organ, much of the pipework coming from the original Blackpool Tower organ. It was played for many years by Horace Finch
Horace Finch
Horace Finch was an English pianist and organist.-Early life and education:Horace Finch began piano and organ studies in 1910 at the age of four. By 1915, he was organist at Clock Face Methodist Church, St. Helens. In 1919 he left St. Helens for Blackpool for health reasons.During 1920 he began...
but was removed in 1969, eventually being broken up.