Margaret Thatcher, Ozzy Osbourne, Mendelssohn and The Beatles may not appear to have much in common.

But they have all stood on the stage of Birmingham Town Hall at some point in the iconic building’s 175 year history.

Now, two years after it re-opened, the hall is celebrating its rich past with a series of events from tea dances and silent movies to a salsa ball and A Christmas Carol.

The official birthday concert on October 3 is a performance of Handel’s Messiah, which has been a cornerstone of the Town Hall’s programming since it opened in 1834.

The Town Hall didn’t have the best start as the architect, who based its design on the Roman Temple of Caster and Pollux, went bankrupt.

Paul Keene, 47, director of programming at the Town Hall says: “Joseph Hansom was famous for two things – one was the Hansom Cab and the other was his design for Birmingham Town Hall.

“Foolishly he agreed to a fixed fee but when the costs exceeded his estimates he was left bankrupt.

“There have been hundreds of amazing events that have taken place at the Town Hall, including when Charles Dickens chose it as the place for his first public reading, which was A Christmas Carol.”

One of the reasons the hall was built was to house the popular Birmingham Triennial Festivals.

Joseph Moore, chairman of the festival’s organising committee, travelled to Germany after the hall was completed and managed to persuade one of the great composers of the day, Felix Mendelssohn, to take part in the next event.

“The next few festivals were modelled around Mendelssohn,” says Paul.

“In 1846 he composed Elijah especially for Birmingham and this really put the town on the musical map.

“When Charles Dickens read A Christmas Carol it is reported that 2,000 people turned up to see him.

“Most people from Birmingham have been to the Town Hall whether it is for a school concert, to see Ozzy Osbourne, The Rolling Stones or The Beatles.

“A lot of people had their first kiss on the back seats of the hall as in the 40s and 50s they had all-night jazz concerts.”

The Town Hall has not just been a venue for musicians but has provided citizens with a place for heated political debates.

It was the meeting place for local government until the Council House opened in the 1870s but the Town Hall continued as a forum for debate and speech-making through the 20th century.

Since its opening, practically every prime minister and politician of note has spoken there including Joseph Chamberlain, William Gladstone, Neville Chamberlain, Clement Attlee, Neil Kinnock and Margaret Thatcher.

“One of the most notorious occasions was in 1901 when David Lloyd George’s address opposing the Boer War caused a full-scale riot,” says Paul. “One man was killed and Lloyd George had to be smuggled out of the Town Hall disguised as a policeman.

“Birmingham finally had a hall suitable for entertaining royalty, which was especially important after it gained city status in 1889.

“Queen Victoria visited many times during her long reign.”

During both world wars the Town Hall was sandbagged against bombing and it was also used as a recruiting centre for the army.

Home to the CBSO between 1926 and 1991, the hall has also hosted a wide variety of events including wrestling matches, graduation ceremonies and craft fairs.

Closed in 1996 on health and safety grounds and concerns over structural stability the Town Hall has undergone a series of alterations.

General manager Simon Wales says: “The events this year are about celebrating the history of this magnificent building.

“Since it was built the Town Hall has always had a wide range of events and so we are focussing on doing something for everyone.

“This means that everyone has a chance to come along and experience this iconic building.”