Iconic music venue the Barrowland Ballroom in Glasgow has unveiled two new bars, called Kitty’s Bar and Victor’s Bar, in their main auditorium.
The bars are named in tribute to Kitty Cairns, daughter of ‘The Barras Queen’ Maggie McIver who founded the markets, and her son Victor who were responsible for bringing the Barrowland Ballroom back to life in the early 1980s. It was also Victor, inspired by trips to Las Vegas, that was responsible for the iconic neon sign that still welcomes people to the Gallowgate institution.
The new bar area joins ‘Sam’s Bar’, named after Sam McIver, which opened last year. Tom Joyes, who has been General Manager of the Barrowland for 40 years, said, “We are delighted to unveil these bars which are dedicated to three family members who made an impression on the Barrowland Ballroom. The two new high-tech bars are very efficient and we can have a more even spread of customers at the bar. We now have five service sections, 20 pouring fonts, our cellar storage on the same floor and there is an accessible toilet.
“We wanted the bars to look in keeping with the era and history of the building. The signage design is based on big bands sheet music and is taken from a programme we have from 1935. The boxes on the back gantry are a copy of prize boxes that were either side of the stage from the 1960s and which are now on display at the People’s Palace. We have also relocated the iconic Barrowland mural by Martin Gray.”
