The King's Hall Complex is a multi-purpose venue located on the Lisburn Road

Lisburn Road

The Lisburn Road is a main arterial road linking Belfast and Lisburn, in Northern Ireland.The Lisburn Road is now an extension of the "Golden Mile" with many shops, boutiques, wine bars, restaurants and coffee houses. The road runs almost parallel to the Malone Road, the two being joined by many...

, in Belfast

Belfast

Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...

, Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...

. It is the largest exhibition venue in Northern Ireland and prior to the completion of the Odyssey

Odyssey (Belfast)

The Odyssey Arena is a large sports and entertainment centre situated in Titanic Quarter, Belfast, Northern Ireland. It was jointly funded by the Millennium Commission, the Laganside Corporation, the DCAL, the Sheridan Group and the Sports Council for Northern Ireland. The Arena opened in 2000 with...

 and the Waterfront Hall

Waterfront Hall

The Waterfront Hall is a multi-purpose facility, in Belfast, Northern Ireland, designed by local architects' firm Robinson McIlwaine. Practice partner Peter McGukin was the project architect....

, was the only large concert venue in Northern Ireland. It hosts the Balmoral Show, an annual agricultural show

Agricultural show

An agricultural show is a public event showcasing the equipment, animals, sports and recreation associated with agriculture and animal husbandry. The largest comprise a livestock show , a trade fair, competitions, and entertainment...

, as well as concerts and sporting events.

Features

The hall is owned by the Royal Ulster Agricultural Society and is the largest exhibition venue in Northern Ireland, having in excess of 10,000 square metres of exhibition space on a 33 acres (133,546.4 m²) site. It can accommodate 1,000 conference delegates and provide banqueting facilities for 2,000 diners. The exhibition centre can hold up to 7,800 patrons, with standing facilities.

The stepped facade of the hall features substantial windows and Art Deco

Art Deco

Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...

 motifs on doors and buttresses. Inside the functional space is spanned by reinforced concrete arches.

History

The hall was designed by Leitch and Partners, Glasgow, built in 1933 and opened on 29 May 1934.

Boxing

The venue is also a famous boxing venue. Rinty Monaghan

Rinty Monaghan

John Joseph "Rinty" Monaghan was a former world flyweight boxing champion from Belfast. He became famous in the post-war period, eventually rising to become undisputed world champion and a hero to many people in his home city....

 boxed several times in the hall. A blue plaque

Blue plaque

A blue plaque is a permanent sign installed in a public place to commemorate a link between that location and a famous person or event, serving as a historical marker....

 was unveiled in his memory at the hall in 2007. In 1985 Barry McGuigan

Barry McGuigan

Finbarr Patrick McGuigan MBE , known as Barry McGuigan and nicknamed The Clones Cyclone, is a former Irish and British professional boxer who became a world featherweight champion.-Background:...

 made his first title defence against Bernard Taylor

Bernard Taylor (boxer)

Bernard Taylor "The B.T. Express" is a retired boxer from the United States, who competed in the featherweight division.-Amateur career:...

 at the King's Hall, having fought there on six previous occasions. Both boxers have become synonymous with the venue. Other famous bouts to have taken place in the hall include Ray Close's

Ray Close

Ray Close is a former boxer who fought for most of his career in the Super Middleweight division, ending his career in the Light Heavyweight division. He is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, commonly Mormon...

 rematch with Chris Eubank

Chris Eubank

Chris Eubank, Lord of the Manor of Brighton is a retired British boxer who held world titles at middleweight and super middleweight...

 in 1994, and Dave McAuley's

Dave McAuley

Dave McAuley, born 15 June 1961 in Larne, Northern Ireland is a former professional boxer. During his professional career he held the IBF world title in the Flyweight category. He was arguably the Irelands greatest ever Flyweight.-Boxing career:...

 two fights with Fidel Bassa

Fidel Bassa

Fidel Bassa, born 18 December 1962 in El Reten, Colombia, is a former professional boxer.He was WBA Flyweight Champion from 3 February 1987 until 30 September 1989...

 in 1987 and 1988. Other high profile boxers to have fought at the venue include: Jamie Moore

Jamie Moore (boxer)

Jamie Moore is a retired professional boxer from Walkden, Salford and is the former European light middleweight champion....

, John Duddy

John Duddy

John Francis Duddy is a retired middleweight professional boxer, from Derry, Northern Ireland. Duddy fought under the moniker of "Ireland's John Duddy" or "The Derry Destroyer"....

, Martin Lindsay

Martin Lindsay (boxer)

Martin Lindsay is an Irish professional boxer from Belfast. Lindsay fights at featherweight and is a former IBF Youth featherweight title champion...

, Neil Sinclair

Neil Sinclair

Neil Sinclair aka Sinky is a professional boxer. He usually fights at light middleweight or the divisions either side.-Amateur career:...

, Robin Reid, Wayne McCullough

Wayne McCullough

Wayne William McCullough is a professional boxer. During his professional career, which spans back to 1993, he held the WBC title in the Bantamweight category...

, Danny Williams

Danny Williams (boxer)

Daniel "Danny" Williams is an English professional heavyweight boxer.-Amateur:As an amateur boxing out of the famous Lynn AC boxing gym in SE London, Williams learned his trade quickly, often sparring with the likes of clubmates Henry Akinwande and Derek Angol...

, Amir Khan

Amir Khan (boxer)

Amir Iqbal Khan , is a British Pakistani professional boxer who is currently the unified WBA & IBF light welterweight champion....

, Paul McCloskey

Paul McCloskey

Paul McCloskey is an Irish southpaw professional boxer who fights in the light welterweight division....

 and Eamonn Magee

Eamonn Magee

Eamonn Magee nicknamed the Terminator is a former boxer who is now a trainer with the Breen Team in Belfast...

Regular events

Northern Ireland's biggest dance music promoter PlanetLove

PlanetLove

PlanetLove is an annual Northern Irish electronic music festival which has been held since 1998 - with a skipped year in 2004. Currently held at Shane's Castle near Randalstown in County Antrim, it was previously held at Nutts Corner , Kings Hall in Belfast and near Cookstown in County...

 host annual winter party and spring party events at the venue, importing the finest DJ talent and seizing audiences of 7,000. Planet Fun, Europe's biggest travelling theme park regularly makes stops at the hall between late September to November.

Ireland's largest Christian festival Summer Madness

Summer Madness

Summer Madness is Ireland's largest Christian festival. It usually takes place over the first weekend in July at the Glenarm Castle, Ballymena.-Origins:The festival was commissioned nearly twenty years ago by the Church of Ireland Youth Department...

is hosted at the King's Hall in early July each year, with 5 days of camping, worship and seminars.