Beach Ballroom

Beach Ballroom
Front of the Beach Ballroom
Map
LocationBeach Promenade, Aberdeen, Scotland
OwnerAberdeen City Council
OperatorAberdeen City Council
TypeMulti-purpose venue
Genre(s)Concerts, sporting events, dinner dances, weddings, conferences, corporate events, weddings
Capacity1,000 (Main Ballroom)
150 (Star Ballroom)
100 (Northern Lights Room)
50 (Promenade Room)
Construction
Opened3 May 1929 (1929-05-03)
Renovated1970s
Expanded1963
Construction cost£50,000
ArchitectThomas Roberts and Hume
Website
Beach Ballroom Website
Listed Building – Category B
Official nameBeach Ballroom
Designated12 January 1967
Reference no.LB20314

The Beach Ballroom is an art deco building on the beach boulevard of Aberdeen, Scotland.[1] It was built in 1926, and is a Category B listed building.[2] It is noted for its dance floor which is supported by 1,400 steel springs.[3][4]

Famous acts to appear at the Beach Ballroom include the Beatles, Pink Floyd, the Who,[5] the Small Faces, Cream, Joe Loss, Ken Mackintosh and more recently the Ordinary Boys and Twin Atlantic.[6] Like many buildings in Aberdeen, it is made from granite.

The Beach Ballroom is owned and operated by Aberdeen City Council[7] and has a webcam that faces south along the beach towards Footdee.[8] The Ballroom is connected to the more modern Beach Leisure Centre via an indoor walkway.

The main dance hall is octagonal and originally had a domed ceiling, though this has since been covered over with a suspended ceiling. The smaller Star Ballroom extension was opened in June 1963.[9]

The Ballroom underwent a refurbishment from 2008 to April 2010.[10][11]

Looking up the beachfront to the Beach Ballroom

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Beach Master Plan Report Appendix B: Beach Ballroom" (PDF). Aberdeen City Council. 25 August 2021. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
  2. ^ Historic Environment Scotland. "The Esplanade, Beach Ballroom (Category B Listed Building) (LB20314)". Retrieved 28 March 2019.
  3. ^ Waterston, Kirstie (18 August 2024). "Party like it's 1929: The grand opening of the Art Deco Aberdeen Beach Ballroom". The Press and Journal. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
  4. ^ "Remembering 90 years of the good times at Aberdeen Beach Ballroom". The Scotsman. 6 May 2019. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
  5. ^ Drysdale, Neil (9 March 2022). "Aberdeen's Beach Ballroom: Do you remember 'the place where boy met girl'?". The Press and Journal. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
  6. ^ Lenthall, Mark (23 May 2024). "Review: Twin Atlantic Make Waves at the Beach Ballroom, plus full setlist". The Press and Journal. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
  7. ^ Hebditch, Jon (18 June 2019). "'Sad day' as Aberdeen City Council looks at new operators to run legendary Beach Ballroom". The Press and Journal. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
  8. ^ "Aberdeen Beach Webcam". Aberdeen Webcams. Aberdeen City Council. 2016. Retrieved 26 August 2016.
  9. ^ "Aberdeenshire Council Historic Environment Record - Aberdeen City - NJ90NE0173 - BEACH BALLROOM". online.aberdeenshire.gov.uk. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  10. ^ "Beach Ballroom". Brintons Carpets. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
  11. ^ "Brintons recreates art deco design for ballroom". The Shuttle. Kidderminster. 28 July 2010. Retrieved 31 March 2022.

57°09′19″N 2°04′47″W / 57.1553°N 2.0798°W / 57.1553; -2.0798