Designed by Joseph Hansom, of Hansom cab fame and begun in 1832. Hansom went bankrupt druing construstion, having tendered too low, but the building was completed in 1834, with design revisions in the 1860s by Charles Edge.
Charles Dickens gave public readings here, and Mendelssohn's Elijah and Elgar's The Dream of Gerontius were both premiered. The hall was the home venue for the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra.
Popular music hasd also featured, and in the 1960s and 70s, headline acts such as Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd appeared.
Built with Anglesey Marble, the hall is modelled on the temple of Castor and Pollux in Rome.
It was also the scene of rioting on the occasion of a visit by Lloyd George in 1901, and doubled for the Albert Hall in the film Brassed Off.
The Hall is now closed for refurbishment and due to re-open in 2005.