Bristol began its own Festival of Britain celebrations on July 9, 1951 with the opening of a new Colston Hall, now called Bristol Beacon. At the end of the war, a major fire had gutted the previous Colston Hall, the third since 1867 to stand on the site.

The new hall was designed by City Architect J Nelson Meredith who struggled with financial and time constraints and with the site itself - a burnt-out shell on a busy road. But he felt he produced something "in a straightforward and direct style, embodying the free and flowing lines of contemporary architecture, combined with a subdued and dignified colour scheme".

Nevertheless the hall attracted criticism for its drab style although its acoustics were perfect, as a test involving 2,000 Bristolians, an orchestra and some pistols proved. Sir Thomas Beecham, who was to conduct the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in the inaugural concert there, called the new hall a "miserable hovel" but he praised it once he had performed in it on the opening night. Within months of opening there were also complaints about draughts and the lighting but these teething problems were ironed out and over the decades the Colston Hall/ Bristol Beacon has been a popular venue for concerts, wrestling, boxing, film shows, lectures and more.