Brighton Hippodrome is an inactive entertainment venue in Brighton, England. It was built in 1897 and closed in 2007.

Venue: Brighton Hippodrome
Address: 52-58 Middle Street, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 1AL, England
Town: Brighton and Hove, GB

Brighton Hippodrome is an inactive entertainment venue in Brighton, England. It was built in 1897 and closed in 2007. The Hippodrome has hosted an ice rink, circus acts, variety theatre, vaudeville shows and bands such as the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. The flamboyantly decorated interior, with a large auditorium and Rococo embellishments, has survived. In July 2010, the owner announced that it would cost £9 million to restore the building and convert it into a live music venue, and a charitable trust expressed concern over its future. Since 2011, several plans have been submitted to convert the building for alternative uses. English Heritage has listed the building at Grade II* for its architectural and historical importance. By the end of the 19th century, Brighton had been a fashionable and thriving seaside resort, which had experienced rapid growth, for more than 100 years. It developed around the medieval fishing village of Brighthelmstone-a grid of streets running inland from the sea, intercut with narrow twittens. Middle Street, the most important and central of these streets, was built up from the 16th century, and was lined with houses both large and small, inns, the town's oldest school and a richly decorated synagogue. Land on the east side of the street was chosen as the site of the Real Ice Skating Rink in 1897. It was designed by the architect Lewis Karslake and had a long stuccoed façade with short towers at each end. The venture was unsuccessful, as ice skating did not gain popularity. In 1900, the owners converted the venue into a circus. Frank Matcham, a prolific theatre architect, was engaged to enlarge and rebuild the interior. The building was renamed the Hippodrome and reopened in its new form in 1901. The following year the circus failed and the site was auctioned. It was bought by theatre entrepreneur Thomas Barrasford who commissioned architect Bertie Crewe to modify the auditorium, replacing the circus ring with seating, and on 22 Decem