We Love Southampton

O2 Guildhall Southampton is the South's largest multipurpose entertainment venue. Hosting some of the biggest names in music from Pink Floyd & David Bowie in the 70's to present day bands such as Hard Fi, Manic Street Preachers, The Killers, The Kaiser Chiefs & Amy Winehouse. With a capacity of 1,749 and in the heart of the city centre, 10 minutes from the railway station, amidst cafes, restaurants and shops it's the place to be!

 

Venue History

Proposals to build a 'Town Hall' existed in 1878 and after 51 years of discussion the construction work began in 1929. In 1934 the decision to build the Guildhall was made and work was started taking nearly three years to complete due to the scarcity of material and labour.

In 1937 a brand new state-of-the-art Guildhall, built in classical style of the 1930s, was opened by the 17th Earl of Derby and is today part of a Grade 2* listed building. Incorporated into the building of the Guildhall was the John Compton Dual Console Pipe Organ unique instrument taking two years to build and is probably worth around £1 million.

The organ survived WWII without a scratch even when an unexploded bomb landed right in the centre of the hall. It is still in working order and played at Civil and graduation ceremonies.

The Guildhall's resident Bert Osborne Band, in true theatrical tradition, insisted that the show must go on and played regularly throughout the war years and after; great artists including Paul Robson, Beniamino Gigli graced the stage along with many others, musicians, pop stars, comedians, jazz and military bands and so on.

In the seventies a different sound arrived at the Guildhall - Rock Bands bringing Pink Floyd, The Rolling Stones, and David Bowie. In the early eighties the Guildhall attracted artistes from America, Gloria Gaynor, Victor Borge, and live broadcasting with the BBC Antiques Roadshow.

In 1989 the good news came that the Guildhall was to be refurbished, enhancing its facilities to meet the challenges of entertainment needs, taking it into the 21st century.

On the 10th February 2003 Live Nation took  over the management of the Guildhall, Live Nation has since presented artists and performers at the Guildhall that would not otherwise have come to Southampton. In 2006 Southampton Guildhall won the Live Nation Venue Of The Year award, the venue continues to bring big names in music to the stage.

In 2013 Live Nation struck a deal with O2 and Southampton Guildhall is now known as the O2 Guildhall Southampton, between Live Nation and O2 the Guildhall is onwards and upwards to achieving great things!

2017
2 Door Cinema Club All Time Low Bear's Den Beverly Knight Feeder Milton Jones Roy Chubby Brown Sum 41 The Kooks The Stranglers Thunder Tom Chaplin UB40
2016
Alestorm/Sabaton Bellowhead Billy Talent Birdy Bowling For Soup Ed Byrne Farther John Misty Jack Garrett Jack Savoretti James Morrison Jason Donovan Jim Davidson Jimmy Eat World John Grant Katherine Ryan Katie Melua Nathaniel Ratliff Neck Deep NME Awards Tour Richard Hawley Specials The Courteeners The Kooks The Overtones The Shires Wolfmother Youmeatsix
2015
1975 Bob Dylan Bring Me The Horizon Bullet For My Valentine Catfish & the Bottlemen Ella Eyre Elvis Costello Foals Frank Turner Frank Turner Gerard Way Halestorm Happy Mondays Hot House Flowers Jasper Carrott Kerrang Tour 2015 Kid Ink Kodaline Laura Marling Maccabbes Manic Street Preacher Milton Jones Of Mice & Men Paddy McGuiness Papa Roach Public Service Broadcasting Rival Sons Roy Chubby Brown Seasick Steve Skindred Steve Hacket Stewart Francis The Darkness The Overtones The Proclaimers The Wombats War On Drugs Wolf Alice
2014
Asking Alexandira Band Of Skulls Bellowhead Black Veil Brides Brand New David Gray Erasure Franz Ferdinand Ian Anderson Jack Whitehall Jamie T Jim Davidson John Newman Kerrang Tour KSE/Trivium Lamb Of God Level 42 Mastadon Rise Against Roy Chubby Brown Seth Lakeman Steve Hackett The Courteeners Twin Atlantic
2013
Billy Bragg Bowling for Soup Craig David Deaf Havana Ed Byrne Editors Ellie Goulding HIM Jake Bugg Jason Manford Jason Manford Jimmy Carr Kaiser Chiefs Kerrang Tour Lucy Spraggan Matchbox 20 Mickey Flanagan Mickey Flanagan Milton Jones Paul Weller Reg.D.Hunter Roy Chubby Brown Russell Brand Russell Brand Sleeping With Sirens Southampton Music Festival Suede The Cult Tom O'Dell Two Door Cinema Club
2012
Al Murray All Time Low Australian Pink Floyd Band Of Skulls Bellowhead Ben Howard Black Stone Cherry Bloc Party Brand New David Essex Dexys Midnight Runners Ellie Goulding Frank Turner Gary Numan Greg Lake Hot Chip Ian Anderson James Morrison Jason Byrne Kerrang Tour Laura Marling Lostprophets McFly Nero Live Panic! At The Disco Paul Merton Ray Davies Reginald D Hunter Rhod Gilbert Rhod Gilbert Rizzle Kicks Roy Chubby Brown Shinedown Steel Panther Stewart Francis The Enemy The Levellers The Maccebees The Midnight Beast Twin Atlantic
2011
Adele Austrailian Pink Floyd Beady Eye Ben Folds Black Label Society Bombay Bicycle Club Bowling For Soup Bring Me The Horizion Charity Comedy Night Chase and Status Ed Byrne Erasure Example Friendly Fires - Move Date From The Jam Gary Numan Imelda May Jason Manford Jason Manford John Bishop John Butler Trio Kerrang Tour Kids In Glass Houses Lenny Henry Micky Flanagan Milton Jones Milton Jones Motorhead Noah and The Whale Ocean Colour Scene Rise Against Roy Chubby Brown Slam Dunk By The Sea Stephen K Amos Stephen Merchant Taking Back Sundays The Darkness The Levellers The Vaccines The Wombats Thin Lizzy Tinie Tempah Trivium/In Flames Wiz Khalifa You me at six
2010
Abbamania Alterbridge Barenaked Ladies Bowling for Soup Deftones Ellie Goulding Faithless Faols Frank Turner From the Jam Imelda May Jamie T Jason Manford Jedward Jethro Tull John Bishop John Butler Trio Kerrang Tour Kids In Glass Houses Korn La Roux Laura Marling Lostprophets Manic Street Preachers Mark Watson McFly Motorhead One Night Of Queen Paloma Faith Pendulum Plan B Rhod Gilbert Rufus Wainwright Runrig Squeeze Sum 41 The Gaslight Anthem The Spirit of Pink Floyd The Stranglers UB40 You me at six
2009
Aesha Dixon Alkaline Trio Babyshambles Beverly Knight Biffy Clyro Billy Talent Bryan Adams David Byrne Doves Dragonforce Dream Theatre Ed Byrne Editors Enter Shikari Franz Ferdinand George Thorogood Grumpy Old Women Jeff Beck Joe Bonamassa Kasabian Kerrang Tour Lenny Kravitz Lily Allen Maximo Park N Dubz Paul Carrack Pete Doherty Ray Lamontange Reel Big Fish Rob Brydon Same Difference The Cribs The Enemy The Proclaimers The Saturdays Tim Minchin Tommy Emmanuel
2008
Adele Alice Cooper Alterbridge Amy McDonald Angels and Airwaves Austrailian Pink Floyd Avenged Sevebfold Beck Billy Bragg Cardinals Charlatans Craig David Cyndi Lauper David Gray Dirty Pretty Things Dizzee Rascal Dragonforce Dropkick Murphys Enter Shikair Extreme Feeder Foals From the Jam Gogol Bordello Goldfrapp Good Charlotte Guillemots Hot Chip Jack Penate James Morrison Jason Donovan Jimmy Eat World John Culshaw K T Tunstall Kaiser Chiefs Less Than Jake Level 42 Motorhead Natasha Bedingfield Neil Diamond New Found Glory One Night of Queen One Repbulic Paddy McGuinness Panic! At The Disco Pendulum Perfect Alibi Plain White T's Primal Scream Queens of the Stoneage Queensryche Richard Hawley Soucting for Girls Seasick Steve Sum 41 The Delays The Feeling The Fratellis The Kerrang Tour The Levellers The Scorpions The Stranglers The Streets The Subways The Wombats The Zutons Ting Ting's We Are Scientists
2007
Alexisonfire Amy Winehouse Artic Monkeys Ash Athelete Barenaked Ladies Beverly Knight Biffy Clyro Bloc Party Bowling for Soup Brand Bew Corrine Bailey Rae Enter Shikari Frank Skinner From the Jam Groove Armada Happy Mondays Ian Brown James Morrison Jamie T Jason Donovan Jenny éclair Kerrang Tour Lenny Henry Loudon Wainwright III Manic Street Preachers Maximo Park McFly Omid Djalili One Night of Queen Riders on the Storm Russel Brand Runrig Seth Lakeman Squeeze Super Furry Animals The Coral The Cribs The Enemy The Klaxons The Proclaimers The Rakes The Twang The View Underworld Wolfmother
2006
Abbamania Al Murray All American Rejects Baby shambles Beverly Knight Billy Talent The Charlatans Coheed and Cambria Corrine Bailey Rae Craig David De - La - Soul Dragonforce Elbow Goo Goo Dolls Grumpy Old Women Illeagle Eagles Imogen Heap Jason Donovan Jethro Tull Jurassic 5 Kerrang Tour New Found Glory One Night of Queen Orson Paddy McGuinness Perfect Alibi Primal Scream Ray Davies Russell Brand Sigur Ros Taking Back Sunday The Cult The Delays The Feeling The Fratellis The Might Boosh The Streets The Zutons Trivium We Are Scientists Zero 7