Opened in 1853 as a Victorian concert and lecture hall, St George's is the third-oldest concert hall in Britain still in active programming after London's St James's and Liverpool's Philharmonic. The Italianate facade by Lockwood & Mawson is impressive enough, but the interior — a 1,500-seat auditorium with cast-iron balconies and a coffered ceiling — is the real survival, restored in 2019 after a major refurbishment.
The programming today mixes touring comedy, contemporary and classical music, family theatre and the occasional ballet. The hall sits on the corner of Bridge Street and Hall Ings, an easy walk from the city centre.