As the Capital's world-renowned concert venue reopens, we look back at some of the momentous occasions held there

IT'S the moment music lovers all over the city and beyond have been looking forward to – the first long-awaited glimpse inside the Usher Hall following its £40 million facelift.

This week it was revealed organisers are planning a glittering series of concerts to show off the A-listed building on Lothian Road, complete with its new glass covered wing, bar and cafe and a stunning spiral staircase.

The next few months will see world-class musicians, from Rufus Wainwright to Nicola Benedetti, as well as top comedians take to its stage. There will even be stars of a different kind, as an opening gala concert will feature breathtaking photographs from space to accompany Holst's Planets Suite.

Since the building opened in 1914, following a 100,000 gift from philanthropist Andrew Usher, it has become known as one of the world's outstanding concert halls and a famous landmark. Aerial photographs from 1956 show its iconic dome dominating the city's skyline.

The hall was chosen as the venue for the opening of the first ever Edinburgh International Festival in 1947. Seven years later, it played host to Princess Anne of Denmark at the festival's premiere. She was accompanied by Lord Provost John Garnett Banks and his wife.

As the home of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, the Usher Hall is perhaps best known as a classical music venue. But it has also played host to famous faces from the worlds of pop, rock and jazz. Sir Paul McCartney delighted fans when he performed in September 1975. The following year, thousands of Elton John fans queued for hours to get tickets for his long-awaited concert.

The hall has also been popular with Hearts and Hibs fans, hosting end-of-season concerts from the 1950s. In September 1974, Hearts footballers Donald Ford and Tommy Murray joined "Miss Hearts" Gloria Donaldson for the celebration of Hearts' centenary at the hall.

It has also been a focus for politics, starting when then Prime Minister Herbert Asquith gave a speech entitled The War shortly after its opening in 1914.

The miners' parade in October 1970 saw crowds march along Princes Street to a rally at the hall, where their leader Mick McGachey gave a stirring speech. Stacks of banners, reading: "Miners' Fight is Your Fight!" and "Wrecker Heath Out!" were pictured blocking a poster for Handel's Messiah.

As the Usher Hall approaches its own centenary in 2014, there is no doubt it will continue to play a central role in Scotland's cultural scene for years to come.