Sophia Gardens Pavilion

Sophia Gardens Pavilion
General information
Status	Demolished
Address	Sophia Gardens
Town or city	Cardiff
Country	Wales
Coordinates	51.4822°N 3.188°W / 51.4822; -3.188
Opened	1951[1]
Demolished	January 1982[1]
Owner	Cardiff County Borough Council

Sophia Gardens Pavilion was a performance venue located in Sophia Gardens, Cardiff, Wales. It was built in 1951 for the Festival of Britain and was the boxing and wrestling venue for the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games.

History

Slade on stage in 1981

The pavilion was built in 1951 for the Festival of Britain.^[2][1] Due to government restrictions on building materials during the post-war period, the framework of the building was adapted from a surplus aircraft hangar from RAF Stormy Down near Bridgend.^[1]

The building was host to many concerts, but during January 1982 the roof collapsed due to an estimated 4 ft (1.2 m) of snow,^[1] and the building was subsequently demolished.^[3] Just one month before the collapse, Cardiff Council had approved an extensive improvement programme, which would have cost approximately £100,000.^[1]

The pavilion was used for the boxing and wrestling competitions of the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games.^[4]

Many notable performers played at the pavilion, including Danny Kaye, Cliff Richard, Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd and Slade.^[5][4]

See also

• List of Commonwealth Games venues

References

1. "Sophia Gardens Pavilion" (PDF). overthefootlights.co.uk. Retrieved 25 January 2018.^{[self-published source]}
2. "Sophia Gardens - Pavilion". Cardiffparks.org.uk. Retrieved 1 June 2014.
3. Misstear, Rachael (26 October 2013). "Wales weather: Before St Jude Storm see some of the worst weather to hit country". WalesOnline. Media Wales. Retrieved 4 November 2014.
4. "A brief history of Sophia Gardens". ESPN. Retrieved 4 November 2014.
5. "Jimi Hendrix in Cardiff". BBC. 11 August 2010. Retrieved 1 June 2014.

External links

• Picture of Sophia Gardens Pavilion c. 1960
• Fashion Show In Cardiff Aka Berketex Fashions 1952 film clip showing the interior of the pavilion