A Brief History

It occurred to me that a piece of local history was quietly slipping away, almost forgotten. There once was a thriving centre of entertainment where generations of couples met each other. This was on the dance floor at the Palais de Danse in Bridgend.

This website has been created in partnership with family members to document the existence of Bridgend's longest running entertainment venue from 1954 to 1980.

It will steadily be developed as the information is collected and organised.

The Palais de Danse was widely regarded as Bridgend's most popular dance hall during the 1950’s, 60’s and 70’s. Located in the heart of Bridgend alongside the Embassy cinema, it was a major hub of entertainment for the residents of the borough and helped create precious memories for the many people who visited it during the years it was open.

The Palais officially opened in November 1954. There was also an electrical supply shop on the ground floor which was also part of the family business.

The Palais was open on Mondays, Wednesdays and weekends for dancing, live music, functions and parties. The Palais played host to a large range of other events from ballet lessons to beauty competitions.

A huge variety of bands played in the Palais including some famous very names. The Radio One club presented by Stewart Henry was hosted at the Palais de Danse on three separate occasions during the popular lunchtime slot in the 1960’s. This apparently contributed to a record number of 'sick days' with people taking time off work and school to attend this event!

The last dance at the Palais was at the end of January 1980. The family run electrical shop remained open well into the early 2000’s. The building was leased to 'Edmunds Motor Factors' but was demolished in 2003 after being sold to a local businessman, who had also purchased the Embassy Theatre.

The Embassy suffered the same fate as the Palais De Danse in 2013 and both locations are now currently areas designated for car parking.