St David’s Hall

I love St David’s Hall!
I love live events and I love St David’s Hall for the variety and the calibre of the acts that perform at the venue. I have seen so many shows here ever since I was a child from orchestras to choirs to comedians to singers to ballets and (my favourite) Strictly Come Dancing dancers. I follow St David’s Hall on Twitter and they are very good for Tweeting about upcoming events and from when you’ll be able to book and I’ve been lucky in virtually always having good seats with an excellent view of the stage (one exception being watching Anton and Erin a few years ago from the very top but I booked very late binoculars would have been useful!). Personally I’ve always found the acoustics to be good but maybe that’s because of where I’ve been sat.
I usually park in John Lewis’ car park (£2 to park all evening) and it’s close to St David’s Hall.
The staff in St David’s Hall are lovely and the facilities are really good. I know the Hall looks old now but it’s clean and I’ve had so many wonderful evenings there it will probably always be my favourite venue. Even though it looks a tad dated, it still attracts brilliant performers and I’ve never had a bad experience there.
As with many places, the ladies’ toilets get quite busy during the intervals so if you’re mobile, run down to the ones by the cloakroom because they’re usually practically empty.

Excellent theatre, unusual layout of seating but works very well, the stage is surrounded by seating but not always in use, came here twice already and what a great place this theatre is located, being that the very heart of the city, opposite this well established theatre is a very new shopping complex with top brand stores.
Cardiff is a beautiful city and the Welsh are a nice culture too.
The theatre holds many performances without the year and very affordable, the local town folk must love this place.

St David’s Hall is your slightly smaller, cuter venue when compared to the CIA. You will find acts performing here if they aren’t confident enough that they will fill the CIA and this provides for a nicer, more intimate show experience.
It is a little old fashioned as venues go, but is is quaint. Some call it an eyesore, but it’s about the shows that it puts on that count. Besides the point there are no other venues around, St David’s Hall will pull in some big names. I have seen WIll Young here once and had a great time, no matter where you could be seated, you were in for a great experience, far superior than that of a huge arena.
They put on many comedy and music acts here, just grab a what’s on guide to see what St David’s Hall has in store for you this month.

Whilst I have not been a regular concert goer at the hall for orchestral concerts for I think I know a good venue when I see one.
The seats behind the orchestra are a good way of seeing a conductor at work and having the sound of the orchestra undiluted they are also the least expensive seats in the hall these seats are not available when a choir is performing. And as they are basically designed for choral use there are no arm rests and the seats are close together if you are tall then book a seat at the end of a row to allow room for your legs. The other inexpensive seats are ‘up in the gods’ they are excellent for sound but some people have complained of fear of heights due to the angle of the seats to the platform. It seems about 45 degrees but it doesn’t bother me as I don’t suffer vertigo.
You are faced with the choice inexpensive seats which means that you can attend many more concerts for the same money or seats in comfort and fewer concerts. I tend to opt for the cheaper seats and get to as many concerts as possible.

It’s all very well when the Stereophonics play the Millennium Stadium and the X Factor invades the CIA, but St David’s is where the heart and soul of music and comedy really lives.
Sometimes it is difficult for venues to attract the best comedians as London seems to snap them up and hold on to them for long periods. How impressive then, to see St David’s hosting the likes of Mark Watson, Ross Noble and Reginald D Hunter, to name just a few.
The range of events in St David’s is varied; kids shows, ageing rock bands, classical orchestras. Ticket prices vary between shows but expect to pay £20 + for a good comedian on tour.
St David’s offers little in terms of looks — it is a modern and uninspiring building — but has someone in charge with a good brain and a good team. They’re attracting some good events and long may it continue.

St David’s hall is an amazing venue to have in such a small city. It may not be the most beautiful, and it is rather confusing, but we are so lucky. I’ve experience of the hall both as a performer, a stage hand and as an audience member.
I must say that as a performer I always wondered at the multiple balcony element instead of the usual circles. Until I sat in the audience — pretty much every seat has a good view. It is a good size — not as small as a Victorian theatre, but then not as huge and impersonal as some of these big arenas or stadiums.
I do have one main issue with the place though. I always get lost. Always. There are many floors, and with the multiple tiers and mezzanines you may go in one door and on one floor and come out somewhere completely different. The art exhibition inside is really lovely, but it means almost extra walls so you can’t even orient yourself!
Last time I was in the auditorium was packed. Totally full. If it had rafters the audience would have been up to them. So when it came to leaving there was a definite sheep effect. It was so busy you couldn’t really see over people. Anyway, I gave in and followed the crowd — and ended up in the bowels of the building near a boiler room. It was a chance to meet the performers I suppose, as we wandered past dressing rooms in a long line.
They have all sorts going on there and as a venue it is great. Just take your sat nav!

Now to be honest, St David’s Hall never looked like an oil painting from the outside and I think they knew this. So that’s why a couple of blueprint designs later they come up with a new jazzy design on the front that makes it more appealing and more importantly lets you know what the actual place is.
St David’s Hall has been around for a long time now and has had some exceptional shows. Its main shows are cultural music and it’s one of the main places where the BBC National Orchestra of Wales plays. However, there is something for everybody as it has shown children’s shows in the past and even contemporary comedy gigs from top comedians like Ross Noble. They have had mystical shows from the well-​known Derren Brown, which is always a delightful and intriguing show to watch. It’s a beautiful auditorium that has a 2,000-seat capacity. At the interval you can purchase drinks at the full bar they provide. They even offer for you to reserve your drinks in the interval to beat the queue.
St David’s Hall is a classic and wonderful venue which I am sure will be around for many years to come producing excellent shows.

It’s ugly ugly ugly — from the outside but we all now beauty on the inside is what counts and if that’s the case then St David’s Hall is a supermodel wearing a fat suit — well a supermodel from the 80’s anyway.
It’s a bit like Dr Who’s tardis — when you go in there is plenty of space and several spaces including the main concert hall which is pretty much busy all year round and its very central.
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While nowhere near as big as the Millennium Stadium and not as renowned as the CIA, the St David’s Hall is a great venue to watch live entertainment in Cardiff.
Somewhat overlooked by many city-​goers, St David’s Hall has had many headline acts pass through its doors over the years, from rock legend, Robert Plant, to foul-​mouthed funny man, Roy ‘Chubby’ Brown.
Situated within walking distance of the brand new St David’s 2 renovation, St David’s Hall is in a prime location for Cardiff regulars should they want to drop in and check out what upcoming acts the venue has on its books.
With a variety of comedians, musicians and entertainers constantly lined up to perform, St David’s Hall is an arena well worth checking up on.

I’ve been to St David’s hall a couple of times now, mainly for comedians like Ross Noble and Sean Lock. As a venue, it plays hosts to a huge variety of acts and entertainment. In the coming week alone you can see acts as varied as Stan Stennett (?), Brian Conley, the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and Roy Chubby Brown.
It’s not the most aesthetically interesting or pleasing venue in Cardiff, being beaten hands down by the Millenium Centre in the Bay, but it nevertheless remains the favoured venue for most acts, probably due to it’s slightly larger seating capacity of 2000 (as opposed to 1897 in the Millenium Centre). It still hosts the annual Welsh Proms aswell.
My own experiences have all gone pretty smooth, with very little queuing and helpful, professional staff. I suppose it’s good that there’s nothing of note I can really say here, as the things that would tend to stick in your mind about something as general as a concert hall would in all likelihood have been bad experiences anyway.
It’s a top venue though and it’s important to Cardiff as a city to have somewhere encouraging the arts and being constantly active in doing so.

St David’s Hall is an edifice of key importance to cultural welfare of the city of Cardiff. Impressive though it is, it’s not all grandure and swank, but instead plays a vital role in providing a seemly environment in which important performances are brought to life. Without it, Cardiff would be much the poorer, with so few venues offering the public live music performances.
Akin in stature to Colston Hall and St Georges Hall in Bristol the stage here is regularly graced with people of international import. This includes iconic pop starts and symphony orchestras. The Millenium Stadium is all very well, befitting the Streophonics and boy bands, but St David’s possesses a cultural currency that would not stoop to feign do barter with the likes of Simon and Louis, preserving admirably in a time of cultural decadence!

Saint David’s Hall reminds me of Christmas in Cardiff. I think this is because we used to go there at Christmas, but I can’t be sure.
It tends to be where comedians will do their Cardiff stop on their UK tours, and it offers every other form of stage-​based entertainment you can think of. It’s home to classical music, ballet, plays, opera, concerts and gigs, speeches etc. etc. etc.
The main draw of Saint David’s Hall is the intimacy of it. The stage is relatively low and the seating seems to surround it. It really feels like a traditional theatre experience when you’re up in a side of the higher tier looking down at the stage. I think these seats may even be a cheaper option and I’d say I prefer them to enjoy whatever it is I’m watching.
I saw Jethro Tull here not so long ago. Ian Anderson had no hair left, but he still did that thing with his leg when he played the flute. Wicked gig!

St David’s Hall is arguably one of the best music venues in the city, offering a wide selection of entertainment to suit all ages and tastes. I came here for the first time in June, when I sat in the front row to watch Elvis Costello, thanks to a fortuitous bid on an ever-​fickle Ebay auction.
It doesn’t possess the sheen or grandiosity of the Wales Millennium Centre, but the multi-​level St David’s Hall has charms of its own, like a laid-​back vibe and a fine selection of food.
At one point, Mr Costello even perched on the edge of the stage, legs swinging, and it felt like we were in someone’s front room instead of a musical theatre. For such a packed gig, there was a distinct intimate feeling, reinforced by the lack of stoic security in the forefront.
The food offering here isn’t too shabby, either, and the selection is more varied than you’d get at competing venues. With tasty delights beyond every stairway, St David’s Hall has two bars on Level 3 and 5, the Celebrity Restaurant and Gallery on Level 1 and the newly refurbished Art Café Celf. Sweets, soft drinks and ice cream are available on Level 2 during a variety of concerts and events.

Located right in the heart of Cardiff in the pedestrianised Hayes area of the city centre, St David’s Hall is the 2,000-seat National Concert Hall and Conference Centre of Wales, well known for its excellent acoustics.
With lots of orchestral concerts, children’s shows and other entertainment, it’s a venue most Cardiff residents will have been to at some point.
When it was built, the architects had quit a challenge on their hands because they wer tasked with designing a building that would squeeze a 2,000 seat concert hall into what was essentially a very tight space — and fit it into an already partially built shopping centre. It took five years to complete, and sits over the St David’s Centre shopping mall, and while it may not be the most beautiful creation it does offer a great space with fantastic acoustics.
It has a busy calendar of live music (jazz, pop, rock, folk, etc), theatre productions, free exhibitions, music and drama workshops, and conferences. It’s also home to the annual Welsh Proms, the Orchestral Concert Series (featuring world class orchestras), and the famous BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition, amongst other major events.
It’s also open to the public just to go in and use the lounge bars and restaurant, during the day or evening.

I have always found St David’s Hall to be a little bit of a strange venue. That’s not to say it’s not good. Just odd.
I think that’s because it was, when built, quite a modern design, and that design was not universal enough to quite stand the test of time. What remains is an odd mixture of wood, green carpets and wide areas which make sense when they’re full of people, but which are just tired when not.
That being said, the selection of music, comedy, ballet and theatre in this venue is great. The theatre itself is vast, but seems much more intimate because of their carefully tiered seating. Seats encompass the stage, and there is a massive organ on display. Unfortunately, I’ve always found this venue to a little dampening to sound. Or the speakers aren’t loud enough, or something.
A good venue though.

I have been to St David’s Hall many, many times and enjoyed some fantastic nights out.
I remember a Bones Apart performance (
) one lunchtime, also I have been to the Welsh Proms performances in various years (
), for example to Carmina Burana.
The performances and shows are really, really good!
The venue itself seems a bit old to me now and not so pleasant really. I have not been to the new Art Café yet. Will try it out soon! Well, the hall is 25 years old — they seem to invest more money in it again.
There are also good art exhibitions in St David’s Hall! :-))
The location of it is excellent — right in the city centre of Cardiff. When you come out from a performance there are taxis waiting for you to take you home or to your hotel. Also, good restaurants and bars nearby.
I remember eating lunches here in the Celebrity Restaurant (my friend Delwyn suggested this) which were quite nice but the service was not so good.
Again, another modern café here would be very nice.
There are escalators which is handy for the old people. I like the shop with everything to do around music, CDs, jewellery, mugs, notebooks.
The staff selling tickets are sometimes not so friendly in the St David’s Hall, it depends. Ticket prices are reasonable.
Tonight is a great concert by the Irish band Clannad:
. This should be super.

Until the Millennium Centre was built, Saint David’s Hall was the premier performance space in Cardiff centre and, even now, commands a prestige that the other spaces cannot.
Placed in the Hayes, next to the newly built St. David’s 2 Centre, the building dominates the area with its gigantic twin screens and speaker system playing whatever performance is currently going on.
The hall has an extensive and varied program, catering for opera buffs, musicians and music aficionados, art exhibitions, stand-​up comedians, dramatics and anything else of the artistic bent you can conceive. Every item on the program I’ve ever seen there has been of incredible quality and, happily, the hall has managed to remain thoroughly unpretentious, billing The Nutcracker alongside The Blues Brothers touring show with equal fanfare.
Not only that, the hall is a great resource for the city, housing exhibitions and displays from local causes, such as local teenagers community magazine «The Sprout», which held a gathering in several of the rooms this summer.
All in all, one of the roses of the city.