ðə vˈɛnjuː hɐz hˈoʊstᵻd mˈɛnɪəv ðə wˈɜːldz tˈɑːp pɚfˈoːɹmɚz ˌoʊvɚ ðə jˈɪɹz ɪŋklˈuːdɪŋ tʃˈɑːɹlz dˈɪkənz, ˈɛdwɪn wˈɔː, ðə hælˈeɪ ˈɔːɹkᵻstɹə, hˈɛnɹi ˈɜːvɪŋ, dˈɑːktɚ lˈɪvɪŋstˌoʊn ænd wˈɪnstən tʃˈɜːtʃɪl ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd tˈɛn, hˌuːz spˈiːtʃ wʌz ˌɪntɚɹˈʌptᵻd baɪ ˈælfɹɪd hˈɔːkɪnz, hˈɛklɪŋ ɔnðɪ ˈɪʃuː ʌv wˈɪmɪnz ɹˈaɪts.
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.