The History of our Building

With its gothic spire making it the highest building in Edinburgh, The Hub attracts attention from tourists and locals alike.

1842–1984

On 3 September 1842, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert arrived in Edinburgh to lay the foundation stone to the building.

Three years later, the building opened as the Assembly Hall for the Church of Scotland, although curiously it was never consecrated. Designed by Augustus Welby Pugin and James Gillespie Graham, it became the meeting place for the Church of Scotland until it moved to the larger Assembly Hall, close by on The Mound, in 1929.

The building was then renamed The Highland Tolbooth St John’s Church and was used by a variety of congregations until becoming derelict in 1984.

1996–Present

In 1996, the building was acquired by the Edinburgh International Festival with the goal of transforming the building into a hub for the festivals of Edinburgh. The project was led by Nick Dodds, the Festival’s then Executive Director, and the architect Ben Tindall. Several artists were commissioned to transform the interior design of the building, from the decorative fabric wallpaper you see in the main hall, to sculptures representing different supporters of the building and the Festival in the stairwell.

After a rebranding, ‘The Hub’ as we know and love it, was opened in 1999 by Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. In its first few years of opening it hosted educational events; performances from both the International Festival and Edinburgh International Jazz and Blues Festival; a lecture series called Cultural Reflections; and was even used as a meeting place for the Scottish Parliament prior to the completion of its home at Holyrood.

Our Home

The Hub is our home. It’s where we work to make the festival happen each august, and welcome our communities throughout the year.

It's the place where...

We welcome thousands of primary schoolchildren to take part in free Art of Listening workshops introducing classical music, through songs, games and live performance. Guided by a professional opera singer and a pianist, pupils learn to engage their imaginations, develop stronger listening skills and respond creatively.

Our Edinburgh Festival Chorus rehearses. These volunteer singers from across Scotland give voice to the International Festival’s choral programme. They perform cornerstone works of the classical repertoire with some of the world’s greatest soloists, conductors and orchestras.

We nurture emerging talent and showcase virtuoso performers in intimate, informal performances during August. The Hub is a microcosm of the Festival where we bring artists and audiences closer together for cross-genre musical performances and lively dialogue and debate.

Help our impact grow

Edinburgh International Festival’s impact extends beyond these walls and out into the communities of Edinburgh and to the audiences and artists who engage in our annual Festival.

As a charity, the International Festival relies on support from donors, funders and partners, whose collective generosity enables us to provide the deepest experience of the highest quality art for the broadest possible audience.

Make a donation today and you will be playing a part in bringing world cultures together through the arts.