
Olympia Events, formerly known as Olympia London and sometimes referred to as the Olympia Exhibition Centre, is an
exhibition centre, event space and conference centre in
West Kensington, in the
London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham,
London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
, England. A range of international trade and consumer exhibitions, conferences and sporting events are staged at the venue.
There is an adjacent railway station at
Kensington (Olympia) which is both a
London Overground
London Overground (also known simply as the Overground) is a Urban rail in the United Kingdom, suburban rail network serving London and its environs. Established in 2007 to take over Silverlink Metro routes, it now serves a large part of Greate ...
station, and a
London Underground
The London Underground (also known simply as the Underground or as the Tube) is a rapid transit system serving Greater London and some parts of the adjacent home counties of Buckinghamshire, Essex and Hertfordshire in England.
The Undergro ...
station. The direct District Line spur to the station only runs at weekends.
Background
The complex first opened in 1886.
The Grand Hall and Pillar Hall were completed in 1885. The National Hall annexe was completed in 1923, and in 1930 the Empire Hall was added.
After
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, the West London exhibition hall was in single ownership with the larger nearby
Earls Court Exhibition Centre
Earls Court Exhibition Centre was a major international exhibition and events venue in London, England. At its peak it is said to have generated a £2 billion turnover for the economy. It replaced exhibition and entertainment grounds, original ...
. The latter was built in the 1930s as a rival to Olympia.
In 2008, ownership of the two venues passed from
P&O to
Capco Plc which sold it off as a going concern, while Earls Court was being demolished in 2014 as part of an ambitious
regeneration scheme to create more luxury housing.
In 2012, Olympia celebrated 125 years of events by commissioning British artists
Peter Blake,
Rob Ryan, Sanna Annukka and Paul Hicks to create their interpretations of the venues.
In January 2013, a £40 million investment was completed and the company re-launched with a new brand; subsequently the business was awarded the Best Marketing Campaign at the Exhibition News Awards 2014.
In May 2021, demolition work started at the site as part of a significant overhaul of the complex, which includes new construction and refurbishment of listed historic aspects.
History
Olympia was originally conceived in the early 1880s as the National Agricultural Hall, a larger version of the
Royal Agricultural Hall (1861–62, Grade II) in Islington. The project of building a National Agricultural Hall was conceived by
Edwyn Sherard Burnaby (1830-1883), MP for Leicestershire North, who primarily wanted to see shows such as the military
Royal Tournament, held at the Royal Agricultural Hall in Islington since 1880, staged on a much larger scale and made more easily accessible by railway from across London and the rest of the country.
The site chosen was a former market garden in West Kensington, immediately adjacent to
Addison Road station, already a major passenger station on the West London Railway, which became an important method of transport for visitors to Olympia. The building was branded as Olympia even before it opened as its commercial rationale quickly evolved beyond the staging of agricultural or military shows into an open-ended exploitation of what was the largest such venue in England at the time. Intended as a large indoor space for exhibitions, tournaments, sporting competitions and entertainments of various kinds, the building followed in the tradition of large-scale exhibition halls popularised by the
Great Exhibition
The Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations, also known as the Great Exhibition or the Crystal Palace Exhibition (in reference to the temporary structure in which it was held), was an international exhibition that took ...
in 1851, the inspiration for various imitators in London, elsewhere in the United Kingdom, and around the world.
Buildings
The Olympia Exhibition Centre consists of:
*The Grand Hall, the former National Agricultural Hall.
*The Pillar Hall, the former Minor Hall, both of 1885 in Italianate style by Henry Edward Coe with James Edmeston and engineers Arthur T Walmisley and Max Am Ende. The ironwork of the roof is by Handyside of Derby.
*Olympia National (the former National Hall), an annexe of 1923 by architects Holman and Goodrham.
*Olympia Central (built as the Empire Hall) of 1929, by architect Joseph Emberton.
Olympia Central, with its large Olympia signage integral to the building's exterior, is very well known as it fronts onto a public road, Hammersmith Road. The others buildings are primarily accessed via a small access road which also serves Olympia Tube Station.
In 2003, The Grand Hall and the Pillar Hall of 1885, designed by Coe and Edmeston, were given historic status, listed at Grade II* for their historic interest and their architectural value.
Olympia Central, a large concrete building in the
Moderne architectural style was not fully listed due to the number of changes made through the 20th Century, however its distinctive façade was listed.
In May 2021, demolition started on the non-listed parts of Olympia Events as part of a comprehensive mix-used redevelopment of the complex by its current owners, while still retaining significant exhibition space. In May 2021, the Olympia Theatre was announced with 1,575 seats, making it the largest new theatre in London since the completion of the National Theatre in 1976. This is in addition to previously announced and consented hotels, rehearsal spaces, cinemas, 4,000 seat music venue, retail, dining and public spaces. The major 21st Century redevelopment of Olympia is within the same site boundaries as the historic event spaces.
Notable events
*
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
Good Food Show
*
Olympia Events International Horse Show
*
London Chess Classic
*
Pure London
* Spirit of Christmas
* International Art & Antiques Fair
*
Marketing Week Live
*
Great British Beer Festival
*
Salon du Chocolat
*
UCAS
The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS ) is a charity and private limited company based in Cheltenham, England, which provides educational support services. Formed on 27 July 1993 by the merger of the former university admis ...
Design Your Future
* National Wedding Show
* Toy Fair
* The
International Motor Exhibition was held annually at Olympia from 1905 to 1936
* Gunboat Smith fought Georges Carpentier 16 July 1914
* The
1st World Scout Jamboree was held at Olympia from 30 July to 8 August 1920
*
The Jimi Hendrix Experience
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American singer-songwriter and musician. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential guitarists of all time. Inducted ...
on 22 December 1967
*
Status Quo
is a Latin phrase meaning the existing state of affairs, particularly with regard to social, economic, legal, environmental, political, religious, scientific or military issues. In the sociological sense, the ''status quo'' refers to the curren ...
played on 31 December 1975
*
Procol Harum
Procol Harum () were an English rock music, rock band formed in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, in 1967. Their best-known recording is the 1967 hit single "A Whiter Shade of Pale", one of the few singles to have sold more than List of best-selling si ...
played on 1 January 1976
*
Bad Company played on 2 and 3 January 1977
*
Rod Stewart
Sir Roderick David Stewart (born 10 January 1945) is a British singer and songwriter. Known for his distinctive raspy singing voice, Stewart is among the List of best-selling music artists, best-selling music artists of all time, having sold ...
performed on 14 and 15 January 1977
*
Eubank v
Stretch at the
WBO Middleweight title battle, 18 April 1991
*
World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling (WCW) was an American professional wrestling promotion founded by Ted Turner in 1988, after Turner Broadcasting System, through a subsidiary named Universal Wrestling Corporation, purchased the assets of National W ...
debut UK shows 10-12 December 1991
*
The Cure
The Cure are an English Rock music, rock band formed in Crawley in 1976 by Robert Smith (musician), Robert Smith (vocals, guitar) and Lol Tolhurst (drums). The band's current line-up comprises Smith, Perry Bamonte (guitar and keyboards), Reev ...
performed on the 26, 27, 28 and 30 November 1992
*
Smash Hits Awards held at Olympia Events on 6 December 1992
*
Eubank v Holmes at
WBO super middleweight class, 20 February 1993
*
Fairuz played on 11 and 12 March 1994
*
Eubank v Jose Carlos Amaral at the
WBO Super-middleweight Championship, 9 July 1994
* Spencer Oliver v Serge Poilblanc at
WBO fight, 12 July 1997
*
ATP tennis held from 3–6 December 1998
* 3rd
Mind Sports Olympiad held 21–30 August 1999
*
Miss World 49th Pageant held on 4 December 1999
*
Naseem Hamed v
Vuyani Bungu at
WBO featherweight title battle, 11 March 2000
*
MOVE IT annual dance event, first held 2005
*
Chemical Brothers
The Chemical Brothers are an English electronic music duo formed by Ed Simons and Tom Rowlands in Manchester in 1992. They were pioneers in bringing the big beat genre to the forefront of pop culture.
Originally known as The Dust Brothers, th ...
played on 30 August 2008
*
Vivienne Westwood hosted a catwalk show for
London Fashion Week
London Fashion Week (LFW) is a clothing trade show that takes place in London, England, twice a year, in June and September. Showcasing over 250 designers to a global audience of influential media and retailers, it is one of the 'Big Four' fash ...
in Olympia Events, 21 February 2009
*
Bloc Party
Bloc Party are an English Rock music, rock band that was formed in London, England, London in 1999 by co-founders Kele Okereke (lead vocals, rhythm guitar, piano, sampler) and Russell Lissack (lead guitar). Their first four albums all featur ...
played at Olympia Events on 11 and 12 May 2009
*
Gavin Rees v
Colin Lynes at
Prizefighter light-Welterweight battle, 2 December 2009
*
Primal Scream performed on 26 and 27 November 2010
*
Got to Dance aired from Olympia Events on 29 January 2011
*
Darren Barker v
Domenico Spada in the
WBO European Middleweight title, 30 April 2011
*
Doctor Who
''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series, created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber and Donald Wilson (writer and producer), Donald Wilson, depicts the adventures of an extraterre ...
Experience was held from 1 January to 22 February 2012
* ''
Got to Dance'' final aired live in March 2012 and 2013
*Hatsune
Miku Expo 2018 Europe, the first
Hatsune Miku concert in the UK, 8 December 2018
* Olympia Beauty is an annual beauty event which first was held at Olympia in 2004
*
RuPaul's DragCon UK, an
expo of
drag culture was held in January 2020. It was called a "disaster" and a "shambles" by fans after hundreds of ticket holders were left to queue outside for hours.
*
Foals played on 29, April 30 April, 1 May and 2 May 2022 as part of their
Life Is Yours Tour
Religious gatherings
Olympia Hall was the venue for the
Aga Khan
Aga Khan (; ; also transliterated as ''Aqa Khan'' and ''Agha Khan'') is a title held by the Imamate in Nizari doctrine, Imām of the Nizari Isma'ilism, Nizari Isma'ilism, Ismāʿīli Shia Islam, Shias. The current holder of the title is the ...
's UK Padhramni from 1–7 September 1979. Olympia Hall was transformed to a solemn place of prayer clad in red and green textile and the
Imamat crest adorned with fresh flowers.
Olympia Hall was the venue for the Aga Khan's
silver jubilee visit to UK on 5 July 1983. The
darbar was attended by members of the Imamat family.
Political gatherings
* A mass meeting of Sir
Oswald Mosley's
British Union of Fascists was held at Olympia on 7 June 1934 which resulted in clashes with their
Socialist
Socialism is an economic ideology, economic and political philosophy encompassing diverse Economic system, economic and social systems characterised by social ownership of the means of production, as opposed to private ownership. It describes ...
and
Communist
Communism () is a sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology within the socialist movement, whose goal is the creation of a communist society, a socioeconomic order centered on common ownership of the means of production, di ...
opponents and much press comment.
* A
European Parliament election rally of
Nigel Farage
Nigel Paul Farage ( ; born 3 April 1964) is a British politician and broadcaster who has been Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament (MP) for Clacton (UK Parliament constituency), Clacton and Leader of Reform UK since 20 ...
's
Brexit Party was held at Olympia on 21 May 2019 despite the owner's objection to their policies.
References
External links
Official website
{{end
Buildings and structures in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham
Exhibition and conference centres in London
Art Deco architecture in London
West Kensington