The Eventim Olympia (originally the Liverpool Olympia) is a venue in

Liverpool Liverpool is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the List of English districts by population, 10th largest English district by population and its E ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...

, situated on West Derby Road next to

The Grafton Ballroom The Grafton Ballroom was an entertainment centre in Liverpool, England that on opened on 9 February 1924. it was a purpose-built dance hall able to accommodate 1,200 dancers. It was built next to the Locarno Ballroom which is now known as the Li ...

History

The Liverpool Olympia was built in 1905 For Moss Empires Ltd by architect Frank Matcham as a purpose built indoor circus and variety theatre. The theatre was a response to the enormous success of

Thomas Barrasford Thomas Barrasford (1859–1910) was a 19th-century British entrepreneur and entertainment impresario, who operated and built a number of theatres across Britain, mainly under the Barrasford Halls brand. Early career Born in South Shields, Coun ...

's Royal Hippodrome Theatre (4,000 capacity, built 1902, demolished 1984) which stood a very short distance away; the Olympia never managed to meet the success of the Hippodrome, and never managed a profit. It is one of very few of its kind left in the country. Performing animals would appear in the auditorium by being lifted from the basement where they lived. Evidence of the lift mechanism and living areas for elephants and lions can still be found under the theatre. The roof space still holds pulley, and wheel mechanisms used by trapeze artists (including the famous Henderson family). The ornate interior still reflects the building's past with elephants, lions set into Indian wall Panelling. The auditorium is one of the largest in Liverpool; in its heyday it could accommodate 3,750 people in the stalls and on 3 balconies. The unusual proscenium stage was at the same level as the stalls, with an orchestra riser against the back wall. The stage had a wide Proscenium, was deep, and had a height of . The theatre was purchased by ABC theatre company, and converted into a Cinema in 1930. and was used up to the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

in 1939. Throughout the war, the Olympia was used as a Royal Naval Depot. After the war, the Olympia did not re-open and was sold to Mecca Leisure Group in 1948. The Olympia was converted to a Ballroom, and was renamed the Locarno. The Locarno was then converted into a bingo hall between 1964 and 1982 before being closed and re-opening between 1987 and 1990.

Today

The Olympia reopened in the 1990s, and after substantial renovations is currently used as a venue for all kinds of events including boxing, dance showcases, music concerts and more recently wrestling events (including Ring of Honor's 2006 & 2007 shows in the UK, TNA's 2008 UK tour and also 1PW's The New Divide show). The Olympia is owned by the same company as

s next door. A wrestling arena in the TNA iMPACT! video game is based on the Olympia. The Olympia was designated by

English Heritage English Heritage (officially the English Heritage Trust) is a charity that manages over 400 historic monuments, buildings and places. These include prehistoric sites, medieval castles, Roman forts and country houses. The charity states that i ...

as a Grade II*

listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern I ...

in 1975.Olympia Social Club
Historic England, accessed 7 May 2018.

References

ArthurLloyd.co.uk

{{reflist 1905 establishments in England Grade II* listed buildings in Liverpool Music venues in Liverpool Sports venues in Liverpool Tourist attractions in Liverpool Sports venues completed in 1905