Barrowland Ballroom

Story

Barrowland Ballroom is a dance hall and music venue located in Glasgow, Scotland.History of Barrowland BallroomThe original building opened in 1934 in a mercantile area east of Glasgow's city centre, built by "Barra Queen" Maggie McIver. The "Barras" street market (more properly Glasgow Barrowland market), after which the area and the ballroom are named, continues until the present day. The Barrowland building includes large street-level halls used for the weekend markets, with a sizeable weatherproof hall above. The front of the building is decorated with a distinctive animated neon sign. The sign is believed to be the biggest of its kind in the UK, although this can not be confirmed as the original order documents detailing the specifications of the sign have been lost.The building was largely destroyed by fire in 1958, leading to a complete rebuild. The rebuilt ballroom opened on Christmas Eve 1960.In more recent years, the Ballroom has become a major concert venue with a capacity of around 2,100 people, known for its acoustics and its sprung dance floor. Simple Minds filmed the video for their 1983 hit single, "Waterfront", at Barrowlands. Oasis, U2, The Stranglers, The Clash, The Smiths, Big Country, Muse, Foo Fighters and Marillion were a number of the acts to play the hall. Adjacent to the Ballroom itself is the Barrowland Park where there is a pathway which features the names of many artists who have played at the venue over the decades.