De Montfort Hall
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De Montfort Hall is a music and performance venue in the Stoneygate area of Leicester, England. It is situated near Victoria Park, Leicester, a few minutes from Leicester train station and is named after Simon de Montfort, Earl of Leicester.
Its indoor auditorium capacity is around 2,000 seats, but De Montfort Hall welcomes far more than this number when it hosts the annual Summer Sundae music festival as the festival is held both indoors and over three outdoor stages. The festival usually takes place in August and has grown from two stages to four over the course of 5 years. This year the festival welcomes over 70 artists.
Throughout the course of the year, the vast majority of the hall's events take place in the indoor auditorium where the programme of events ranges from jazz, ballet, comedy and opera to world and roots music, West End musicals and classical music featuring the Philharmonia Orchestra which has been resident at the hall since 1997.
Occasionally events take place outdoors, such as the popular performances of Shakespeare which take place in the hall's gardens.
Some of the most popular events over the last few years have included big names from a wide spectrum of music ranging from the Flaming Lips to Natasha Beddingfield, Crosby, Stills and Nash to Yo La Tengo, and Nitin Sawhney to Thea Gilmore. The spectrum of comedy is just as vast, ranging from Jimmy Carr and Jack Dee to popular double acts such as Mel and Sue and the Chuckle Brothers.
However, it is the Summer Sundae festival which has attracted the biggest names, particularly notable was the 2003 event which welcomed legends Emmylou Harris, Steve Earle, Billy Bragg, Joan Baez, and Chrissie Hynde of Pretenders fame.
The hall has its own secure car park off University Road with a pedestrian walkway connecting the car park to the main entrance of the Hall.
Graduation ceremonies for the University of Leicester and De Montfort University take place in the hall.
External link
- Official site (http://www.demontforthall.co.uk)