Venue Description

Open seven nights a week, Edinburgh's Cabaret Voltaire is a three-roomed entertainment hub that hosts around 60 live and club events each month. As well as catering for all genres of music through its late-night clubs, it also operates as a thriving live music venue earlier in the evening, hosting gigs virtually every night of the year. These range from new local bands right through to established internationally-famous acts.

In early 2008, Cabaret Voltaire opened an entirely new ground floor area, The Speakeasy. Inspired by the prohibition era, this 120-capacity space has all the comfort of a style bar, mixed with the music and visuals of an underground club. It combines original brickwork with a rich mix of art deco and art nouveau style furnishings, elegant lighting and sunken leather booths, all sensitively designed to compliment the historic surroundings. With full at-seat service a key part of its ethos, The Speakeasy is ideal for guests who wish to feel pampered on their night out, or who want to celebrate a special occasions with some VIP-style treatment. It has so far been used to host functions, private parties, intimate acoustic gigs, and charity fundraising events.

The combined capacity of Cabaret Voltaire's three rooms is 600, but the amenities offered are comparable to a 1000-capacity venue. As a result, many live acts and to DJs are foregoing Glasgow and choosing to make their one Scottish appearance in the capital instead.

Proposals

2007 was another strong year for Cabaret Voltaire and its ongoing commitment to culture in the capital. Having previously reached the finals of the Scottish and National Nightclub and Live Music awards, Cab recently received another accolade when it was voted one of the World's Top 100 Clubs in DJ Magazine. Cab intends to build on this position in 2008 and beyond by broadening its appeal even further. There are plans for an expansion of its seating areas and exhibition spaces, enhanced disabled access, and also an all-day cafe-bar incorporating a recording studio. Cabaret Voltaire has also teamed up with several local charities and plans to continue its fundraising efforts with a string of events.

Area/Location Description

Cabaret Voltaire's main entrance is on Blair Street, just a stone's throw from the Royal Mile. It is housed within the hefty stone arches and vaults that make up much of the Old Town area, underpinning the bustling streets of Edinburgh's Cowgate district, right in the heart of the city. Despite only being a few feet below street level, it gives the impression of being deep underground, and although these vaults were built back in the 1700s, the building is fresh and dry inside. It doesn't suffer from the clammy atmosphere the blights many of the other buildings in the area.

Disabled Access Information

A subterranean venue, public access to Cabaret Voltaire is via its ground level main entrance, adjacent to its smoker's deck. After passing the box office, an internal flight of stairs leads down to the main bar area. From here, visitors can either pass through into the smaller second room, which also has its own bar, or go down a few steps into venue's main room. There is also a newly-opened third bar area, Speakeasy, situated on the ground level, adjacent to the main entrance to the club.