A handsome Art Deco concert hall on Hope Street, opened in 1939 and home to the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra — the oldest continuously performing orchestra in the UK, founded in 1840. The hall is considered acoustically among the best in Britain and hosts a varied programme of classical concerts, jazz, comedy and film screenings.
The building has streamlined Art Deco interiors, a curving auditorium and a restored Compton organ. The Phil's resident music director Domingo Hindoyan and previous incumbents (notably Vasily Petrenko) have built a substantial international reputation. The "Phil" pub diagonally opposite is the most ornate Victorian pub in England.