Queen Elizabeth Hall final date confirmed

The Queen Elizabeth Hall in Oldham will soon open its doors for the last time before it permanently closes to the public and is prepared for demolition.

The brutalist theatre and events space has served the town for almost five decades. 

Officially opened in 1977 after 15 years of construction, the venue was named in honour of Queen Elizabeth II’s silver jubilee during a royal visit. Over the decades, it’s hosted big name bands from Iron Maiden to The Dubliners, cultural icons like spoken poet John Cooper Clarker, and comedians including Jimmy Carr. 

But since being condemned for containing Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) – a particularly brittle building material – in 2023, its days have been numbered. 

Now the old theatre is part of plans to bring 2,000 new homes into the town centre in a partnership between Oldham Council and the developers Muse. The ‘QE Hall’ will be bulldozed to make way for flats and green space. 

Its official final day of opening has now been confirmed as May 10. The hall has already wound down its live music performances, with a last run of gigs performed over the winter including an Elvis Presley tribute act and a Christmas panto. 

But it’s still hosting a small number of film screenings, including a documentary on local legend and business tycoon Frank Rothwell. Currently listed as its last scheduled event on April 26th, ‘Old Man and the Sea’ follows the OBE-holder as he rows 3,000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean on his own at 70 years of age. 

Rothwell told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “Isn’t it fantastic that one of the last things to be shown [at the Queen Elizabeth Hall] is from Oldham. What a fall of the curtain.”

The Oldham Athletics owner said he remembered when he saw Leicester Rock’n’Roll band Showaddywaddy shortly after the events space first opened, and had attended events at the venue up until recently. 

“The Queen Elizabeth Hall is iconic,” he added. “It’s a shame to see it go, but let’s hope the new Loom will exceed it.”

The Loom is a brand new events space next to Oldham’s new indoor market on Parliament Square in the town centre. The gala-sized event space can fit up to 1,000 standing guests, 700 seated, or 500 dining, or can be split-off into smaller rooms for exhibitions, gigs, or theatre performances. 

One of its first official uses will be to host this year’s poll count for the local election – the first time it won’t take place at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in years. 

The official date of demolition has not yet been confirmed.