O2 Academy Bournemouth

The O2 Academy Bournemouth stands on Christchurch Road in the town of Bournemouth, Dorset. The building began life in 1895 as the Grand Pavilion Theatre before becoming the Boscombe Grand Theatre three years later. It was renamed the Boscombe Hippodrome in 1905 and kept that name for more than half a century. After closing in 1956 it reopened as a dance hall called The Royal Ballrooms. In the 1960s and early 1970s the site became a music venue hosting acts such as Pink Floyd, Status Quo and Led Zeppelin. The venue’s most famous period came between 1971 and 1972 when it ran the club night Starkers. In 1972 it became Tiffany’s discotheque, then in 1982 it reopened as the Academy Nightclub after a major refurbishment. The nightclub introduced Britain’s first karaoke bar and one of the first water-cooled lasers. Acts including The Sisters of Mercy, Hawkwind and Frankie Goes to Hollywood played there before it became the Opera House nightclub in 1997. Today the O2 Academy Bournemouth hosts live music and dance events under its current name. It still carries the affectionate local nickname of the Academy or the Opera House. Well-known performers such as Steve Harley and The Darkness have appeared in recent years. The building remains a grade-II listed structure on a busy road in the town centre.