Since 1896, when Andrew Usher, a famous whisky distiller and blender, made his historic gift of £100,000 to the City of Edinburgh to found a concert hall, the Usher Hall has become one of the most outstanding concert halls in the world. The Usher Hall is the city’s key venue for visiting national and international orchestras and has been the main venue for the Edinburgh International Festival since 1947.
The beautiful Beaux Arts concert hall was completed in 1914 and remains one of Edinburgh ‘s architectural gems. The much praised acoustics make it one of the best concert halls in Europe with many of the world’s finest musicians performing here. Today the Usher Hall is a centre of excellence embracing the widest range of music and events, including rock, pop, jazz, world, blues, comedy, talks, school concerts, conferences, sponsorship events, ceremonies, lectures and recording sessions.
