Introducing Abbeydale Ballroom: Breathing New Life into an Iconic Landmark

The wait is over, Abbeydale Ballroom is officially open for business! After an industry night on the last day of September, VIPs descended for the official soft launch on October 1st, and it was every bit as glam as we imagined. 

The first notable difference was the main entrance, the new Abbeydale Ballroom sign hangs proudly where the Abbey Snooker Club sign once hung and True North have made its doors the entrance to the basement. 

As we entered we couldn’t help but notice little nods to the building’s history. We loved the neon ‘Changing Room Downstairs’ sign, but also the framed prints and posters of films previously shown at the Picture House more than 60 years ago, kindly donated by a lovely man named Paul.

We’d barely seen the venue, but it’s clear how important it is to the team to incorporate elements of the past into the new space. As True North have said before “here’s to the past that shaped us, and the future we can’t wait to share.” 

After admiring the decor, grabbing a glass of bubbly and rejoicing at the additional bathrooms (there are 4 in the venue now), we entered the Pool Hall. The Pool Hall is set up very similarly to its predecessor Shuffle Shack, with its high bar, box office and slightly elevated stage area at the back, (where a brilliant string quartet performed) but at the same time it seems so much bigger. There are 9 pool tables in total, and the beige-taupe-brown colour scheme go well with the exposed brick, giving the space a sophisticated Manhattan bar vibe. We imagine it’ll be just as popular as the old Billiard room was in its heyday. 

The cool tones continue throughout the venue, but get a little darker in the Green Room. An intimate space for darts, board games and watching sports on the flatscreens. There are many comfy areas to sit with friends and relax, but the far corner is especially great to tuck yourself away. 

Between the Pool Hall and the Green Room is the basement kitchen, home to True North’s new in-house Pizza Place ‘Slice Vice’, and a small 50’s style diner. The diner’s definitely a great spot to sit and eat Slice Vice’s large sourdough pizzas, and if you don’t fancy a whole pizza, 16-inch slices are from £3–an absolute bargain! 

We loved the large photo collages in the diner, paying homage to rave culture, from acid house club nights to warehouse raves, we even spotted the Hacienda. 

Finally the last part of Abbeydale Ballroom, is the cocktail bar and dance floor, where every Friday and Saturday night DJs will reside, playing from 9pm until 3am. It was by far our favourite room, the arches and lighting behind the bar, along with the chandeliers and dark wood just gave it a very art deco feel. It felt like being in a modernised 1920’s bar, every room flowed together but this was definitely the showstopper. The drinks menu was also topnotch, the Abbeydale Ballroom team had clearly put a lot of thought into the cocktails. If a Gatsby themed NYE party doesn’t happen at least once, so we can dress up and sip an Olive Kissed Martini, we’ll be sorely disappointed. 

It was truly a fantastic evening, the staff were all incredibly welcoming, the food and drinks were delicious, and the dynamic space allowed us to flit between various activities. The next stage for Abbeydale Ballroom will be the reopening of the old beer garden, it’s unclear when it’ll be ready but True North are renovating the space and making sure it’s safe. For anyone that slipped or fell on the slope outside in the venue’s Picture House Social era, I’m sure you’ll appreciate hearing that. After that’s complete True North’s focus will be on the restoration of the rest of Abbeydale Picture House, especially the roof which will require a lot of maintenance. 

Although many have put in a lot of work and effort over the years to restore the iconic Abbeydale Picture House to its former glory, its gradual deterioration has been difficult to stop. However, the successful launch of Abbeydale Ballroom has clearly shown the Picture House is in good hands, and we can’t wait to see more of the rejuvenation and what else is in store.

In the meantime, check out Abbeydale Ballroom now it’s open to the public and take advantage of these amazing deals: 

Monday: Half price pool

Tuesday: £6 cocktails 

Wednesday: 2-4-1 Pizza

Abbeydale Ballroom is situated on Abbeydale Road in the basement of Abbeydale Picture House. The opening times are: 

Monday-Thursday: 4pm-12am

Friday: 3pm-3am 

Saturday: 12pm-3am 

Sunday: 12pm-12am