Historical venue to celebrate 120th anniversary

One of Liverpool's most cherished entertainment venues is set to celebrate its 120th birthday.

Liverpool Olympia was designed by renowned theatre architect Frank Matcham and opened its doors in April 1905 as a purpose-built indoor circus and variety theatre.

The Grade II listed building on West Derby Road has hosted some of the biggest names in theatre, music and comedy, including The Beatles, Little Richard and escapologist Harry Houdini.

The venue is marking the milestone on 26 April with a night of live music headlined by rock band Embrace, with the Bluetones, Rats and Liverpool's The Real People, also among the line-up for the celebrations.

When the Olympia's huge auditorium was built, with stalls and three levels of balconies, it could accommodate almost 4,000 people while animals were housed in a large basement area dubbed the "elephant pit".

The aquatic extravaganzas staged in a vast tank below the floor held up to 80,000 gallons of water.

It was awarded listed status in 1975 when it was described by English Heritage, now Historic England, as "a well-preserved example of the work of the foremost Edwardian theatre architect".

In its time it has also been a pioneering cinema as one of the first regional picture houses to show talkies, a wartime Royal Naval depot and a renowned dance hall – the Locarno – where couples would foxtrot and jive the night away under its grand domed ceiling, as well as a Mecca bingo hall.

In 1990, the current owners purchased the neighbouring Grafton Rooms and while operating it as a nightclub, they began to refurbish it to bring it back to life after several years of closure.

The venue eventually reopened in February 2000 and over the last 25 years it has become a much-loved live music venue.

It also holds club events, sports and comedy, as well as providing a location for TV shows, films, adverts and music videos such as Peaky Blinders and Tin Star.

The independent venue's managing director Chris Zorba said: "I'm proud to take this iconic venue into its 120th year.

"The Olympia has been a cornerstone of Liverpool's entertainment history since 1905.

"We'll celebrate the year from 24 April with an eclectic programme of gigs, comedy and sporting events.

"And along with our unmissable 120th anniversary evening, we also have Liverpool's Shack reforming for a sold-out gig on 25 April, followed by the likes of the Liverpool Gospel Music Festival, Supergrass, Michael Kiwanuka, Father John Misty and Future Islands before the summer alone," he added.

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