Cunard Centre Event Site

Food: 2 stars
Venue: 4 stars
Staff: 3 stars
This was a hard review because each event held here is unique. From the various times I’ve been to the Cunard Centre, I’ve had mixed experiences. Most of the time the food vending (I assume run by the RCR group) have been… well… not so hot… literally. Half decent coffee and tea would be nice (they serve Starbucks) and I know catered food can’t be fresh all the time, but charging 5 bucks for 2 breakfast sausages on a stale bun is a bit much. Should have gone for the pulled pork, can’t mess that us can you?

The Cunard Centre Event Site is a popular venue for concerts, banquets, trade shows and charity fund-​raising events. Depending on the function and equipment rentals (tables or displays for example) the capacity of the Cunard Centre is around 2200 – 4000 people. This makes it an ideal spot to host midsized events; events that are far from selling out the metro centre but need more space than a restaurant/​bar rental.
The Cunard Centre is located just out of the way of downtown behind the Westin Nova Scotian Hotel. There is parking space available but that means that there are crowds of cars navigating away from this part of the city after an event has ended, and it can take forever to get out. I suggest public transit or walking if time and weather both permit.
My one beef with the Cunard Centre is that the staff (more the servers than the bartenders) can be short and inattentive to their patrons. I asked my brother who used to serve here and he said it was mainly because the servers weren’t given a gratuity and only paid slightly more than minimum wage. That explains the crabbiness.
Hot Hint: The «Brow» of the Cunard Centre overlooks Halifax Harbour and it’s a great place to lookout during the summer months.

Not quite massive, not at all tiny — this is the middle of the line venue for acts visiting Nova Scotia. If you’re a band that draws but aren’t Metro Centre ready, this is one of the places that will probably be presented as a good venue to play.
Unfortunately, the layout of the joint isn’t all that conducive to watching performances. It’s basically a long rectangle and the stage is set up along one of the shorter walls. It’s hard to feel like you’re a part of the scene unless you get up close to the stage. If you’re further away, not only will visibility be an issue, but so will sound.
The Cunard Centre is not setup acoustically to handle loud music. Everything gets kind of jumbled and in the end, doesn’t sound all that great. Nevertheless, there are usually quite a few bars setup and getting into the venue doesn’t usually take all that long.
Pros and cons aside, if there is a show you want to see and it happens to be here, chances are you won’t decide against it because of the venue. It’s a fine place, and kind of nice to be down on this part of the waterfront for a post show stroll.

Attending a few events at the Cunard Centre has made me realize how big it actually is inside. Mostly the events were benefits that I attended one was a Black tie Masquerade, hosted in New york. It was beautiful, dance floor in the middle of the room for after supper. The tables were done to the nines with beautiful centre pieces by RCR. The food was a beef and potatoes and vegetables and was very delicious.
I know that they host a large venue of other events as my son used to cater there and really enjoyed being able to see all the events.

The Cunard Centre is the best mid sized venue Halifax has to offer for concerts and events. While it has proven to be a solid venue for parties and galas, it continues to struggle as a venue for concerts, which is what the vast majority of people in Halifax will recognize it for.
The major problem with the space is the acoustics. Simply put, it sounds muddy. Music is often loud and distorted and performances have at times been painful to hear.
Another problem is the layout. the space is long and narrow. This means that all beer gardens are forced to the back of the venue, meaning if you want a drink at the show you’re going to have to potentially sacrifice seeing the show.
Still, it is a decent sized venue and draws a variety of acts that are too big for a club, but far too small for the Metro Centre, which means it provides a valuable resource for fans of music in our fair city.
…It just doesn’t provide it very well.

The Cunard Centre is where you will find some of the Biggest Events in Halifax held.
They will cater to your Weddings, Business Functions, Banquets, Concerts, Proms, Sports Events. They can hold up to 4,000 people. It has 53,000 Sq Ft to do so. It is run by the RCR Group.
The food served at these functions can be outstanding. The whole atmosphere and décor breathtaking. It is so nice to walk into a room that is decorated beyond your imagination. Chocolate fountains, sculptures, liens, you name it, it is covered by these people.
I do not think there is one thing that they can not cater to.