Edinburgh’s iconic Usher Hall and historic Assembly Rooms are reopening for audiences and bringing live music back to the stage from Monday, 30 August.
Passenger fans will be the first through the doors of Usher Hall when the multi-award winning, platinum selling singer songwriter, aka Mike Rosenburg, will perform the first concert in the venue since March 2020. Check the Usher Hall website for further information.
With a wide variety of genres on the bill over the next few months, audiences will be able to enjoy live music and events again in the Usher Hall.
Ticket-buyers are urged to keep checking the website for the latest updates on each show.
The city’s historic Assembly Rooms will also reopen its doors from Monday, 30 August. The multi-purpose, unique events venue is capable of hosting a wide range of events, from business conferences and exhibitions to cultural events, concerts and festivals. It’s once again welcoming event professionals to book for hybrid events, conferences, meetings, dinners, award ceremonies and filming.
Councillor Donald Wilson, Culture and Communities Convener said:
We are very much looking forward to seeing audiences return to both the Usher Hall and the Assembly Rooms and will ensure all hygiene and safety measures are in place to give audiences confidence to enjoy the fantastic range of music, comedy and entertainment events on offer.
At the height of the Covid crisis the Usher Hall performed its civic duty by hosting a testing centre until very recently. Never before in its 107-year history has it been closed for music for such a long period and we’re delighted this world-famous Hall is ready to resume its place as Edinburgh’s premier concert hall.
Councillor Amy McNeese-Mechan, Culture and Communities Vice Convener said:
The Usher Hall’s reopening has been eagerly awaited, as normally many thousands of people enjoy concerts at the Hall every year. The loss of this amenity has been a difficult one for audiences as well as staff, so it’s wonderful that we can now look forward to seeing those grand doors reopening once again. I’m sure it will be a very special night.
Karl Chapman, Cultural Venues Manager at the City of Edinburgh Council, added:
Our venues are at their best when they have great artists and performances on the stage, with our hard-working staff and services focused on giving event-goers a great experience. We’re delighted to be reopening our doors and will continue to work over the coming months to programme as many events as we can within the ongoing safety guidelines.
Both the Usher Hall and Assembly rooms have been closed to audiences since March 2020 following the outbreak of the pandemic, with the Usher Hall being used as a Covid testing centre until recently.
The venues have been throroughly cleaned and have in place a number of new health and safety measures in line with Scottish Government guidance to help keep audiences safe. Audiences are kindly asked to refer to the Usher Hall and Assembly Rooms websites before they attend the venues.
COVID-19 has brought about several changes to our operation that will now remain in place for the comfort and safety of staff, artists, and contractors. These include:
- Enhanced cleaning protocols
- Provision of anti-bacterial hand sanitiser stations throughout the venue
- Contactless payments/tickets preferred
- Staff fully trained in current Government Guidelines
- Staff encouraged to take Lateral Flow Tests twice a week in line with NHS Scotland guidelines
- Good to Go and See it Safely accreditation
- ‘Fresh Air’ only ventilation systems
In addition to these measures other procedures will remain in the short term but will be closely monitored. These include:
- The wearing of face masks required in our venues for all unless exempt (please remember that some people may not have visible reasons for their exemptions).
- Use the NHS Scotland Test and Protect app – QR code available at all venues and option to manually provide details too – staff will be on hand to assist with this.
- Encourage all to respect other people’s personal space
- Vaccinations are recommended
- Bar areas open, offering a limited selection – please avoid if crowded and respect people’s personal space
- Audiences are required to leave the venue swiftly after the concert as directed by Front of House team
- Refrain from attending if you are unwell, have Covid-19 symptoms or have been contacted by NHS Scotland Test and Protect in the last 14 days.