Vauxhall Gardens, Pleasure garden in Kennington, England
Vauxhall Gardens was a pleasure garden on the south bank of the Thames in Kennington, England. The site spread across several hectares with walking paths, pavilions, dining areas and performance stages set among trees and planted beds.
The garden began around 1660 as New Spring Gardens and grew over the next two centuries into a central entertainment venue. Both royal guests and ordinary citizens visited the grounds until closure in 1859.
The site gave its name to similar outdoor entertainment venues across Europe in later years. Guests would spend evenings listening to music under open sky, while lanterns lit the pathways along the river and dining pavilions offered refreshments throughout the grounds.
Visitors reached the site by Vauxhall Bridge or by boat from central London. On some evenings up to 12,000 people came to the garden, especially during the warmer months.
Orchestras performed here nightly during summer from illuminated bandstands, introducing regular outdoor concerts to London. This form of evening entertainment later influenced many similar venues in other European cities.
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