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Dunelm House Tickets

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The venue

About Dunelm House

Welcome to Dunelm House, a historic Brutalist building on New Elvet (DH1 3AN) that houses Durham Students’ Union. The Fonteyn Ballroom on the lowest floor serves as the main event space with a seating capacity around 299 for fringe use. This page covers seating considerations, parking, transport, and nearby hotel and dining options to help you plan a smooth visit.

Whether you’re catching a fringe performance, a dance hub, or a talk, secure your seats through our trusted partners. We’ve got you covered with practical details, access information, and convenient stays and bites nearby.

Important notes: Dunelm House has historic status and remains listed. There is no published fixed seating chart publicly available; layouts vary by event. Access includes five straight flights of stairs, with chair lifts available if needed, but there is no full lift between all levels. On-site parking is behind the building with pay/display options and blue badge spaces. Bus stops are within roughly 150 meters, and coach drop-offs to Durham Students’ Union are commonly arranged for visits. For accommodations, the nearby Durham Marriott Royal County (Delta Hotels) on Old Elvet is a convenient choice, with affiliate links available for reliable booking. As ongoing changes and repurposing plans unfold, we’ll keep you updated on any developments at Dunelm House, including the potential rebrand to Dunelm College for accommodation. For event planning, historical acts linked to the venue add to its character—acts like Thelonious Monk, Pink Floyd, and Procol Harum have ties to this space. If you need help securing tickets or arranging transport, think of us as your friendly connector who’s got you.

Good to know

Seating, Parking & Venue Information

  • Location and ownership: Dunelm House sits on New Elvet, Durham, DH1 3AN, and houses Durham Students’ Union (DSU).
  • Building type and status: Brutalist university building completed in 1966; later listed as Grade II in 2021, protecting the structure from demolition.
  • Main venue space and capacity: The Fonteyn Ballroom (lowest floor) serves as the primary event space; capacity cited for fringe use is approximately 299 seats.
  • Public seating/chart: There is no widely published public seating chart for Dunelm House; event layouts appear on venue pages or festival listings rather than a fixed floor plan.
  • Parking and accessibility: On-site parking behind the building with pay/display options; multiple blue badge spaces available; access includes stairs (5 straight flights) with chair lifts if needed but no lift between all levels.
  • Transit: Bus stops are within about 150 meters of the building; coach drop-offs to DSU are commonly arranged for visits.
  • Nearby hotels: Durham Marriott Royal County (Delta Hotels) is a nearby city centre hotel on Old Elvet, convenient for attendees.
  • Notable events hosted: Thelonious Monk opened the venue in 1966; Pink Floyd and Procol Harum performed in the 1960s–70s; the Free-related All Right Now incident is linked to the dressing room; the venue hosted the Durham Fringe Festival’s dance hub (Fonteyn Ballroom) in 2024.
  • Renaming/demolition: Dunelm House itself has not been demolished and remains listed; in 2025 the Durham SU announced plans to repurpose/rename it as Dunelm College for accommodation (implementation not confirmed by early 2026).