Usher Hall, Lothian Road, Edinburgh EH1 2EA
About the Venue
The Usher Hall is named after Andrew Usher, who left £100,000 donation in 1896 to found a concert hall for the city, and was completed in 1914. Its excellent acoustics have given it the reputation of being one of Europe’s best concert halls and it has hosted many great shows, from International Festivals of music to the Eurovision Song Contest in 1972.
The Hall was extended in 2010, with the extension boasting bars and conference facilities and the auditorium itself is a stunning space, with stalls and two balcony levels. The focal point in the Hall is the beautiful organ, which dates back to the opening of the venue and was restored in 2002. The venue holds 2,200 seated and 2,900 with standing.
Usher Hall is centrally located in Edinburgh, close to the Castle, Princes Street and just off Lothian Road. Being so central, fans will have no problem finding places to eat, drink and shop close to the venue.
If you can get there by public transport, this is preferable, as parking in Edinburgh is at a premium and traffic is usually pretty horrendous in the centre. Both Waverley and Haymarket rail stations are around a 15 minute walk from the venue and there are lots of buses that stop right outside.
Bus numbers 1, 10, 11, 15, 16, 24 and 34 stop outside whilst others stop within a few minutes’ walk.
Edinburgh has an extensive system of night buses – check out www.lothianbuses.com to check services back to where you are going.
There is also a tram line running through Edinburgh, connecting the airport and the Ingliston Park and Ride to the city centre. You can park for free at the Park and Ride and the journey into the centre takes around 30 mins. The nearest stop to Usher Hall is West End.
The last tram back is 11.35pm but there is a later night bus – No. 300 that will take you back. Park and Ride closes at 2am., with no overnight parking allowed (the site states that vehicles left after 2am will be towed!). https://edinburghtrams.com/plan-journey/timetables
Parking
Parking in central Edinburgh can be tricky and most on-street parking nearby is resident permits or time restricted. There are 2 large car parks nearby but expect to pay over £10 for 6 hours, even in the evening:
Their website says, “This is a busy part of Edinburgh, and parking is limited. You’ll find some paid on-street parking on Lothian Road, with additional paid parking facilities at the Sheraton Hotel or NCP Castle Terrace. There are free spaces for blue badge holders across from the Royal Lyceum Theatre on Grindlay Street and outside the Traverse Theatre on Cambridge Street.”
NCP Castle Terrace, multi storey, EH1 2EW (bookable in advance by App) (£8.95 after 5pm, much more expensive earlier)
Sheraton Grand Hotel, 1 Festival Square EH3 9SR (5-6 hours £17-20)
Semple Street, EH3 8BL (£14 for 7 hours)
Edinburgh Quay, EH3 9QG (£13.50 up to 10 hours)
Ingliston Park and Ride (free) – EH28 8LS – 30 min tram journey into centre, no height restrictions
Food – Lots of places to eat nearby, from high class restaurants to cafes. Nearest that might be good for fans and meet-ups are:
All Bar One, Exchange Plaza, Lothian Road, opposite the venue
Innis & Gunn, Lothian Road
Nando’s, Lothian Road
Starbuck’s, Bread Street
Pubs – There are several bars and pubs nearby –
All Bar One and Innis & Gunn, as mentioned above, serve food all day.
Also
Brewdog, Lothian Road, serves pub food, burgers etc
Shakespeare, Sports bar with TVs, Lothian Road, serves food
The Hanging Bat, micro brewery, Lothian Road, serves pub grub, burgers, dogs etc
Edinburgh itself is a stunning city to visit, and a high resolution map of the one below can be found here
James Fanzone 
You must be logged in to post a comment.