Usher Hall Edinburgh Tickets

Usher Hall tickets and Edinburgh's concert tradition

Usher Hall opened in March 1914, realising a concert-hall project funded by Andrew Usher's gift to Edinburgh. Usher died before the building was completed; his widow performed the opening ceremony. The hall's name preserves the connection with the benefactor behind its creation.

A design competition held in 1910 selected Stockdale Harrison and Howard H. Thomson's proposal. Their classical design drew on Beaux-Arts influences. A contemporary wing added in 2010 now sits alongside the Edwardian building, combining its historic auditorium with newer public spaces.

Stalls, grand circle and upper circle

The hall's principal seating areas offer different relationships with the stage:

• Stalls: the lower auditorium, with raked seating beginning at row H. The grand circle overhang begins at row X.
• Grand circle: an elevated, fully raked seating area. The venue identifies some aisle positions and seats near stair handrails as having possible view obstructions.
• Upper circle: the highest tier, with wooden fold-down seats and narrower seating than other areas. Steep internal steps lead to most positions even though a lift reaches the level.

Wheelchair locations are provided in the stalls and grand circle. For standing-floor events, the stalls arrangement changes and a wheelchair platform is used. These differences make the auditorium layout an important part of the performance setting.

The organ and the wider music programme

The organ was designed as both a musical and visual focal point. Installed in 1913, it has a Spanish mahogany case made by Edinburgh's Adam Currie. A restoration by Harrison and Harrison returned it to regular performance use in 2002.

Classical concerts remain part of the hall's identity, alongside jazz, rock, pop, folk and world music. Past performers include Oasis, Björk, Paul Weller and Michael Bublé, while Billy Connolly is among the comedians to have appeared here. The auditorium can also be arranged for standing concerts and cabaret-style events.

For more live music destinations, browse concerts on TixChoice.

Reaching the auditorium

Usher Hall is on Lothian Road in central Edinburgh. Level entry is available through the modern wing on Grindlay Street, with lifts serving the hall's levels. A hearing-loop system supports hearing-aid users, while the upper circle's internal stairs remain a separate consideration from the lift journey.