The Anvil is Basingstoke's principal concert hall, a striking late-1990s building beside the railway station. Its sloping copper-clad roof is meant to suggest the silhouette of a blacksmith's anvil — particularly when seen from the western approach — and the acoustics inside are widely considered some of the best of any regional UK venue.
The auditorium hosts the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and the Philharmonia in regular touring programmes, plus jazz, comedy, world music and rock acts. The adjoining Haymarket Theatre offers smaller-scale drama and musicals. If a name on your radar is touring, it is worth checking The Anvil's listings — many performers add it specifically for the sound quality.