corner of Bridge Street and Hall Ings was chosen as the location of the hall. Its construction was also partly funded by German wool merchants who had emigrated into Bradford in the 19th century. The foundation stone was laid in 1851 by the Earl of Zetland and the hall was completed in 1853. In a speech at the hall on its opening day, Smith, who had been a fervent campaigner for the music hall, said; The venue is now grade II* listed and is one of the oldest concert halls still in use in the United Kingdom. The venue has hosted many of the world's top performers over the years including Charles Dickens, Edwin Waugh, the Hallé Orchestra, Henry Irving, Dr Livingstone and Winston Churchill in 1910, whose speech was interrupted by Alfred Hawkins, heckling on the issue of women’s rights. There is no evidence that Suffragettes interrupted the speech. In the latter half of the twentieth century, pop, rock and heavy metal bands who performed at the hall have included The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Iron Maiden, Motörhead, Ozzy Osbourne, Metallica, Free, David Bowie, Genesis, INXS, Bon Jovi, Kiss amongst others. 2016–2019 refurbishment In March 2016, the hall closed its doors to undergo a £9 million refurbishment plan after securing funding from both the Heritage Lottery Fund and Bradford Council. As part of the plans, the sandstone exterior underwent a full restoration and internal improvements were made to both the front of house areas and the auditorium. As well as this, the original entrance was reinstated on Hall Ings and the colonnade was glazed to create a draught lobby. The venue reopened in February 2019. See also Grade II* listed buildings in Bradford Listed buildings in Bradford (City Ward) References Sources Bibliography External links Bradford Theatres Grade II* listed buildings in West Yorkshire Music venues in West Yorkshire Concert halls in England Buildings and structures in Bradford