Wiltons Music Hall

Wilton’s is the last surviving and oldest grand music hall in the world.

From 1859 - for close on 30 years - Wilton’s was alive with the magic of classical overtures, opera, choral, folk, dance, burlesque, circus acts, comedy and contemporary songs.

1500 people used to cram into the music hall to hear the top acts of the day.

Champagne Charlie made his name at Wilton’s, famous for only drinking Moët and Chandon.

Since then we have:

• Housed a Methodist mission
• Served 2,000 meals a day to the Dockers in the first ever strike of 1889
• Provided a head quarters to the East Enders who gathered to stop Mosley’s fascists in the 1936 Battle of Cable Street
• During World War II gave shelter to a badly blitzed community
• Been saved from demolition by Sir John Betjeman
• Become Grade II* (star) listed
• Been abandoned and derelict

In 2004 we began the campaign to revive Wilton’s, opening the building to the public, putting on brilliant theatre, opera and music performances, providing arts and heritage education, free Bangladeshi cinema for local people, and running guided tours and events. In the future we want to extend this work further, regenerating Wilton’s to its full potential and positively impacting on our local and wider community. In 2005 the Prince of Wales became our Patron.

Today only 40% of the building is in use.  Wilton’s is five terrace Georgian houses, including an old pub with our grand music hall built across the back yards. To see our 150th birthday we have to raise around £4.5 million which will repair our crumbling structure. Whilst we raise the funds we’ll continue to entertain our public, host those who hire our space, share our history, and provide services and somewhere to be for our local community.