Preston Guild Hall

Preston Guild Hall is an entertainment venue in Preston, Lancashire, England.

Preston Guild Hall
Pictured in April 2015
Preston Guild Hall
Location in Preston city centre
Full namePreston Guild Hall and Charter Theatre
LocationPreston, Lancashire
Coordinates53°45′35″N 2°41′51″W
Public transitPreston bus station
OwnerPreston City Council
OperatorPreston Guild Hall Ltd
TypeConcert venue (Grand Hall)
Theatre (Charter Theatre)
Capacity2,034 (Grand Hall)
780 (Charter Theatre)
350 (Foyer)
Acreage1,087 m2 (Grand Hall)
336 m2 (Charter Theatre)
529 m2 (Foyer)
Opened1973 (1973)
Website
prestonguildhall.co.uk

History

The Guild Hall was built to replace the town's Public Hall, intended to be ready for the Preston Guild of 1972, but construction was delayed and it officially opened in 1973.[1]

The complex has two performance venues, the Grand Hall which holds 2,034 people and the Charter Theatre which holds 780 people.[2] There is direct pedestrian access, via footbridge, from the adjacent Preston bus station and car park. Artists that have performed at the venue include Martha Argerich, Morrissey, Led Zeppelin, David Bowie, The Jackson 5, Thin Lizzy, Busted and Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel among others.[3] It also hosted the UK Snooker Championship for the years 1977–1997.[4]

Until July 2014, it was owned by Preston City Council, who were considering its demolition due to its high running costs.[5] It was then sold to local businessman Simon Rigby, who promised to spend £1m to renovate the venue.[6][7] In June 2019, Rigby placed the Guild Hall into administration.[8] Preston City Council subsequently reclaimed possession of the building, citing the 'unacceptable behaviour' of Rigby.[9]

References
  1. "Historic Building Record: Preston Guild Hall". Preston Council. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
  2. About Preston Guild Hall, accessed 24 October 2014
  3. Venue has hosted rock royalty Lancashire Evening Post, 10 January 2013
  4. "Goodbye Guildhall: A look through time". Preston Hub. 8 June 2019. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
  5. "Preston Guild Hall could be bulldozed", BBC News, 11 January 2013, accessed 24 October 2014
  6. "Preston Guild Hall sold to businessman Simon Rigby", BBC News, 5 July 2014, accessed 24 October 2014
  7. "Preston’s Guild Hall saved", Lancashire Evening Post, 2 July 2014, accessed 24 October 2014
  8. "Guild Hall closes: Twenty full time staff have been laid off at Preston Guild Hall after it shut". www.lep.co.uk. Retrieved 2019-06-05.
  9. "Council reclaims troubled Guild Hall". 2019-06-21. Retrieved 2019-07-08.

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.