The Queen's Hall
The Queen's Hall is an independent Edinburgh charity concert hall presenting classical, jazz, folk, rock, pop, and comedy performances, with music-education programmes and home residency for the Scottish Chamber Orchestra.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1979
- HeadquartersEdinburgh, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What The Queen's Hall does
The Queen's Hall is an independent charity concert hall operating from a converted Georgian chapel (originally built as Hope Park Chapel in 1823) at 85-89 Clerk Street in Edinburgh, officially opened by HM Queen Elizabeth II on 6 July 1979. The venue presents live performances across classical, jazz, folk, rock, pop, comedy and spoken word, and serves as the home residency for the Scottish Chamber Orchestra. It supplements core programming with curated series including AMPLIFI (showcasing Black musicians and musicians of colour in partnership with We Are Here Scotland), the Liminal experimental music programme (in partnership with the University of Edinburgh), Resonate school concerts, and Centre Stage accessibility concerts with Drake Music Scotland. The venue has hosted over 800 notable artists including Nina Simone, Adele, Coldplay, Nick Cave and Dame Evelyn Glennie, and celebrated the 200th anniversary of its building in 2024 with an Erland Cooper commission.
The business model is multi-stream: primary revenue comes from ticket sales (priced £5-£32 depending on event, with booking and transaction fees), supplemented by on-site bar/catering (required under the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005), venue hire, gift vouchers (valid three years), and donations from individuals, trusts, foundations and corporate sponsors. Less than 6% of regular income derives from a City of Edinburgh Council grant, with additional public funding from Creative Scotland and Historic Environment Scotland. The underlying technology stack is third-party SaaS — Spektrix for online box office and CRM, Sagepay for payment processing (128-bit SSL), and SurveyMonkey for audience surveys — with no proprietary technical assets. The organization is structured as a company limited by guarantee, governed by a Board of Trustees (Chair: Rosamund West since December 2022), and currently led by Acting Chief Executive Emma Mortimore (appointed October 2024) following the leadership transition from Evan Henderson, with permanent CEO recruitment underway as of January 2025.
The Queen's Hall firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Queen's Hall
- Legal name
- The Queen's Hall (Edinburgh) Ltd
- Website
- https://thequeenshall.net
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1979
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Queen's Hall is an independent Edinburgh charity concert hall presenting classical, jazz, folk, rock, pop, and comedy performances, with music-education programmes and home residency for the Scottish Chamber Orchestra.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Queen's Hall industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Live Performance Venue
- NAICS
- Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131), Other Performing Arts Companies (711190)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Concert Halls & Music Venue Operations (Symphony Halls, Recital Venues) (MPAGALAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Live Music Clubs & Venues (MPAGAIAB), Performing Arts & Cultural Event Venues (Theaters, Museums) (THAHAAAG), Live Music Venues & Concert Bars (THAFAEAD), Concerts & Music Festivals (THAJAFAA)
Keywords
Where The Queen's Hall is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Edinburgh
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Queen's Hall business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Ticket Sales: Primary revenue stream from ticket sales for live events across multiple genres including classical, jazz, folk, rock, pop, and comedy. Ticket prices vary by event with booking fees and transaction fees applied.
- Bar and Catering: On-site bar sales during events, with drinks purchased at the venue being a licensing requirement under Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005.
- Donations and Fundraising: As a registered charity (SC012294), The Queen's Hall relies on donations from individuals, trusts, foundations, and corporate sponsors. Less than 6% of regular income comes from City of Edinburgh Council grant.
- Gift Vouchers: Gift vouchers available in any amount, valid for three years, usable for any show.
- Venue Hire: Hire facilities available for events, meetings, and performances through the Hire Us program.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | General admission tickets |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | AMPLIFI series tickets |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Gift Vouchers |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
The Queen's Hall product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Queen's Hall is an independent charity concert hall in Edinburgh that presents live music, comedy, and spoken word events across classical, jazz, folk, rock, pop, and contemporary genres. It operates a 900-seat venue, runs an in-house ticketing box office, and delivers community learning programs including Resonate school concerts and the AMPLIFI series for underrepresented artists.
Product overview
The Queen's Hall is an independent charity concert hall in Edinburgh operating as a single unified venue offering live music performances across classical, jazz, folk, rock, pop, and comedy genres. The core offering centers on the venue itself as a performance space, complemented by integrated Box Office Services for ticket sales, and enhanced by supplementary programmes including the AMPLIFI series showcasing modern Scottish music, the Resonate concert series for youth education, Liminal experimental music programme, and Drake Music Scotland partnership for disabled musicians. Additional offerings include venue hire, gift vouchers, and accessibility features such as the Mobilift stage lift. The venue serves as home for the Scottish Chamber Orchestra's chamber music programme and hosts the annual Southside of the Tracks and QH@40 curated series.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- The Queen's Hall Venue An independent charity concert hall in Edinburgh hosting diverse live music events across classical, jazz, folk, rock, pop, and comedy genres for audiences of music and arts enthusiasts.
- Box Office Services Online, telephone, and walk-up ticket booking service for all events at The Queen's Hall, including concerts, jazz performances, classical music, and comedy shows.
- AMPLIFI Series A gig series showcasing sounds of modern Scotland, curated with We Are Here Scotland to provide a platform for Black musicians and musicians of colour, featuring triple bills of rising artists.
- Resonate Concert Series A school concert programme with the City of Edinburgh Instrumental Music Service allowing secondary school pupils aged 8-18 to perform in a professional music venue, with over 5,000 pupils participating annually.
- Liminal Programme Associate Artist in Residence programme exploring crossover territories of classical and experimental music, including LIMINAL NIGHTS showcase performances and LIMINAL LABS exploratory sessions.
- Gift Vouchers Gift vouchers valid for three years, available in any amount and redeemable for any show at The Queen's Hall.
- Venue Hire The historic 1823 Georgian concert hall is available for hire for private events, corporate functions, and performances, including use of the Mobilift stage lift for accessible performances.
- Southside of the Tracks Annual sell-out show featuring Scotland's foremost fiddle player John McCusker gathering singer-songwriters and traditional musicians for unique live collaborations.
Quantifiable outcome
- AMPLIFI series won Creative Edinburgh Inclusion Award in 2022
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use The Queen's Hall
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
The Queen's Hall technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
The Queen's Hall partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- We Are Here ScotlandcoreCo-curators of the AMPLIFI series showcasing Black musicians and musicians of colour in Scotland. The series features triple bills of rising artists and has won the Creative Edinburgh Inclusion Award. Curators Arusa Qureshi and Halina Rifai hand-pick artists for each season.
- Scottish Chamber OrchestracorePrimary resident ensemble that helped establish the venue. SCO has called The Queen's Hall home since 1979 and was instrumental in raising £850k in 1977 to convert the church into a concert hall.
- New Town Concerts SocietyminorConcert promoter that organizes classical music performances at the venue.
- City of Edinburgh Instrumental Music ServicecoreSeven-year partnership on Resonate concert series. IMS teaches over 5,000 pupils aged 8-18 across Edinburgh schools. Five Resonate concerts annually feature performances from over 50 young musicians.
- Edinburgh Climate CompactminorVenue has signed the Edinburgh Climate Compact along with other Edinburgh organisations, committing to reduce climate impact.
- Green Arts InitiativeminorMember of the Green Arts Initiative which supports arts and cultural organisations to reduce their impact on the climate and environment.
- Drake Music ScotlandcorePartnership for Centre Stage concert celebrating disabled musicians. The venue acquired a Mobilift for wheelchair access to the stage, supporting Drake Music Scotland's #LetMeONStage campaign.
- Edinburgh International FestivalcoreHost venue for Edinburgh International Festival chamber music performances, featuring world-class artists including Steven Osborne.
- Edinburgh Jazz & Blues FestivalcoreHost venue for Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival events, featuring artists like Tuba Skinny, Davina & The Vagabonds, and Brian Kellock.
- SpektrixcoreOnline box office service provider used for ticket booking, CRM, and customer relationship management.
- SagepaycoreSecure payment service provider for online credit and debit card transactions. All credit and debit card payments processed through Sagepay Europe Ltd.
- University of EdinburghminorAcademic partner for Liminal Labs program exploring data, composition, sound art and programming, opening door to new partnerships with staff and students.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights6 records
The Queen's Hall competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- Celtic Connections: Glasgow-based annual folk, roots, and world music festival that venues its programming across multiple Glasgow halls. Comparable genre focus (folk/traditional) and Scottish touring audience, but operates primarily in west-central Scotland rather than Edinburgh.
Broad incumbents
- Royal Albert Hall: London's iconic 5,000+ seat concert venue with broader arts, pop, classical, and televised-event programming. Operates as a registered charity in the same UK concert-venue landscape and hosts similar international touring artists as The Queen's Hall.
- Barbican Centre: Major London multi-arts centre operated by the City of London. Much broader cultural scope (theatre, cinema, visual arts, music), but competes for the same international classical, jazz, and contemporary music touring circuit as Queen's Hall.
Direct peers
- St Luke's: Converted-church music venue in Glasgow operated by the same promoter (Regular Music). Comparable mid-size capacity, similar intimate acoustic appeal, and a comparable multi-genre programming model targeting Scottish live-music audiences.
- Kings Place: London concert venue combining classical, jazz, folk, and spoken word programming with on-site bar/restaurant. Mirrors Queen's Hall's multi-genre and venue-hire business model, including its charity-style cultural programming mandate.
- Sage Gateshead: Charity-run music venue in Gateshead with a similar multi-genre programming mandate (classical, jazz, folk, world, contemporary). Comparable in mission, scale, and revenue model — both venues reinvest surpluses into programming and community outreach.
- Bridgewater Hall: Manchester's primary concert hall and home of the Hallé and BBC Philharmonic. Comparable in scale and classical-music programming, though with larger commercial footprint — competes for the same touring international orchestras and soloists.
- Wigmore Hall: London-based chamber music hall and registered charity. Similar intimate capacity, classical and contemporary programming focus, and charity-driven operating model — a strong structural and operational analogue to The Queen's Hall.
- Usher Hall: Edinburgh's flagship concert hall and most direct competitor. While larger (~2,200 seats) and more classical-pop-programming-oriented, Usher Hall sits in the same city, competes for the same Scottish Chamber Orchestra and touring act bookings, and shares the Edinburgh festival audience pool as The Queen's Hall.
- City Halls: Glasgow's primary concert hall complex, home of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and host of Celtic Connections. Comparable in scale to The Queen's Hall, competes for the same Scottish touring acts and classical programming slots.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The Queen's Hall social profiles
Digital presenceThe Queen's Hall compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
The Queen's Hall financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Queen's Hall leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
The Queen's Hall funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Queen's Hall M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Queen's Hall
What does The Queen's Hall do?
The Queen's Hall is an independent charity concert hall in Edinburgh that presents live music, comedy, and spoken word events across classical, jazz, folk, rock, pop, and contemporary genres. It operates a 900-seat venue, runs an in-house ticketing box office, and delivers community learning programs including Resonate school concerts and the AMPLIFI series for underrepresented artists.
Is The Queen's Hall a public or private company?
The Queen's Hall is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was The Queen's Hall founded?
The Queen's Hall was founded in 1979. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is The Queen's Hall based?
The Queen's Hall is headquartered in Edinburgh, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does The Queen's Hall make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Ticket Sales are the primary driver. The others are bar and Catering, donations and Fundraising, gift Vouchers and venue Hire.
Who are The Queen's Hall's main competitors?
Celtic Connections is listed as a regional player. Broad incumbents are Royal Albert Hall and Barbican Centre. Direct peers are St Luke's, Kings Place, Sage Gateshead, Bridgewater Hall, Wigmore Hall, Usher Hall and City Halls.
Does The Queen's Hall have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Queen's Hall.
What industry is The Queen's Hall in?
The Queen's Hall's product category is Live Performance Venue. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGALAC, Concert Halls & Music Venue Operations (Symphony Halls, Recital Venues), with a secondary code of MPAGAIAB, Live Music Clubs & Venues. Its NAICS code is 71131 and its SIC code is 7900.