Explore the Liverpool Olympia’s secrets including an elephant pit and rumors of hidden tunnels beneath the iconic venue.
The Olympia opened its doors back in 1905, and thousands of people have visited since then. Frank Matcham, a famous architect, designed it. Chris Zorba now owns the Liverpool Olympia; his dad bought it from Mecca Leisure. The family has worked hard on the building, and this year marks its 120th birthday.
Today, the Olympia hosts various events, including music gigs, boxing, and MMA fights. The venue also served as a filming spot, with TV shows having filmed there. Chris is from London, and he said his dad bought The Grafton in 1990.
The Olympia was empty back then, and they spent two years fixing it up. Built in 1905, the Olympia predates The Grafton, which was built later in 1924. The Olympia started as a theatre, but it then became a circus and a cinema.
Harry Houdini performed there in 1909. It closed during the war for ammunition work but reopened as Locarno in the 1960s. The Beatles played a famous show there in 1963. Chris said they received no help to fix the building, and it took a long time and much hard work.
He believes it is the best venue in the city. You can still see the “elephant pit” today, which dates back to when it was a circus. A rare tour showed the pit’s condition now. Andy Hudston is the venue manager, and he has worked there for about 20 years.
Staff used to pump water out of the pit, and now, they want to make it safer to see. Andy said elephants were possibly kept there, rising from the floor on a structure. This lifted them for the audience to see.
You can still see the old cog mechanism; they think water pressure lifted the elephants. Rumors say there were also tunnels. One tunnel may have led to a pub, where performers could get a quick drink.
They haven’t found it, but it seems likely to exist. The Olympia predates buildings like The Liver Building. Andy calls the elephant pit a “hidden gem,” which you wouldn’t expect from the outside.
Elephants are around the main room because of a superstition with the circus. People attending events do not know what lies beneath. The building changed over time, with additions and removals happening. It serves as a flexible event space now.
The Liverpool Olympia hosts many events. They have music, boxing, and TV filming. Elbow, The Beatles, and others have performed. A documentary about the Olympia is on YouTube.
This year, the Olympia will celebrate its 120th anniversary, and they will have a special birthday show. Chris is proud to celebrate the venue’s history. The celebration will start on April 24, and the year will feature music, comedy, and sports.