The Britannia Panopticon

The Britannia Panopticon began life in the late 1850s when Glasgow was the Second City of the British Empire and bursting at the seams with humanity. Thousands of workers had flocked to the city to work in the mills , factories , foundries, shipyards and collieries to begin a new life.

What music hall or theatre would be complete without a stage; a simple platform it may seem, but upon it stands hope and dreams, tragedy and comedy, love and passion - all of life glimpsed on simple wooden boards. The Britannia has seen it all and more !

Constructed in the mid-19th century, the Panopticon is the longest-surviving music hall in the UK, and can make reasonable claim to being the oldest in the world.

An all-round entertainment venue, the Panopticon started out hosting standard variety fare-singers, comedians and plays-before expanding into cinema and, under new ownership, a freak show and a zoo. Glasgow’s cinema boom spelled the end of the Panopticon and it closed shortly before the second world war.

Now, with a freshly scrubbed-up facade, the Panopticon holds various open days and events throughout the year, including variety performances and regular screenings of Laurel and Hardy films (the Panopticon is where Stan Laurel made his stage début).

Fans of Victorian history and lovers of all things odd would do well to check out the Panopticon’s website and find out when the next open day is. The building houses a museum of curios and memorabilia, and curator Judith is full of fascinating stories about the music hall’s history. Ask her about the various ghosts that are said to haunt the darker corners!

The two charity shops have been combined into one larger one, which remains one of the best in the city. Keep an eye out for the bargain-tastic sales held in the Panopticon itself.