Kinnaird Hall

Kinnaird Hall, located on Bank Street, officially opened in November 1858 as the new Corn Exchange.

The building was constructed on land donated by Lord Kinnaird. Although intended primarily as a corn exchange, it was also used by the public for concerts, classes, meetings and as a picture saleroom.

By the early 1860s, it was clear that its future lay predominantly as a public hall. Following a name change to Kinnaird Hall in 1865, the venue increasingly focused on public talks and entertainment.

Notable speakers and performers included Charles Dickens, who read from ‘A Christmas Carol’ at the hall on 1 and 2 October 1858. The actors Henry Irving and Ellen Terry also gave readings of ‘Macbeth’ there in June 1890. Winston Churchill frequently took to the stage for political speeches in the early 1900s.

Entertainment at Kinnaird Hall was eclectic. Political speeches were popular, but the hall also briefly operated as an ice rink in the early 1900s.

By the early years of the twentieth century, the hall was hosting cine-variety screenings. In 1919, it was converted into a cinema, the Kinnaird Picture House.

In 1962, the cinema was converted into a bingo hall, before a fire at the building in January 1966 brought its history as a venue to an end. The building was demolished in 1969.

Although not known as a music hall, the Kinnaird Hall hosted several music hall performances, including one organised by William McFarland on 23 February 1869. This poster is in the collection of Dundee Central Library and is included on this website.