As the nights grow colder and Brits begin to look towards Christmas plans, Premier Inn has commissioned an eye-tracking study of over 35 theatres in the UK and globally to reveal which are the most beautiful for a festive feel this Christmas.
The study used a unique way of analysing the objective beauty of theatres; participants were asked to look at a series of images of 36 of the world’s most famous theatres, looking at both the outside building and interior theatre, and eye-tracking technology was then used to reveal which images drew the human eye most.
The UK’s Most Beautiful Theatres
The stunning open-air Minack Theatre which perches on Cornwall’s atmospheric cliffs is the theatre that participants deemed most beautiful during the study. Originally constructed in 1930, the theatre offers sweeping panoramic views over the emerald waters of Porthcurno Bay.
For those looking to visit multiple theatres, London is the best place to head to this holiday season, with Shakespeare’s Globe ranking second, the Royal Albert Hall ranking sixth and the London Coliseum featuring just behind in seventh place.
The only Northern Irish theatre to feature, the Grand Opera House, rounds off the top three, whilst the sole Welsh theatre on the list ranks just behind in fourth.
Scotland’s longest running theatre, the Glasgow Theatre Royal, rounds off the top 10.
The World’s Most Beautiful Theatres
Cornwall’s Minack Theatre continues its winning streak in the global rankings, taking the top spot and drawing the eye more than iconic theatres such as the Odeon of Herodes Atticus and the Vienna Operahouse.
Following the Cornish theatre is none other than the Walt Disney Concert Hall, whose unique curved architecture stretches over the plot of an entire city block. The inside is just as fabulous; cedar, oak and Douglas-fir encase a beautiful 6,134-pipe organ which is fondly referred to as ‘French fries’.
Other American theatres to feature in the global rankings include the Fox Theatre in Detroit (4th) and Florida’s Tampa Theatre (19th).
Completing the top three most eye-catching theatres to visit globally is the Dubai Opera House, the design of which was inspired by a dhow, a traditional sailboat.
Canada, China, Greece and Spain all boast theatres in the top 20; the magical Winter Garden takes the fifth spot, Guangzhou’s Opera House ranks seventh, the Odeon of Herodes Atticus comes in ninth, and Barcelona’s Gran Teatre del Liceu is 11th.
A spokesperson from Premier Inn commented: “The Christmas season is a wonderful opportunity to spend quality time with family and friends, knowing you can rest easy and enjoy the festivities by heading to a beautiful theatre to take in a winter play or pantomime and then relaxing with a great night’s sleep afterwards in a nearby Premier Inn. We were delighted to see that the UK was home to so many eye-catching theatres, but also great to have stunning, travel-bucket-list worthy buildings such as the Walt Disney Concert Hall and Palais Garnier make the global rankings too.”
