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The re-opening of Preston’s Guild Hall foyer as a venue is to kick in from Thursday 3 October.
15 events including tribute acts, Gareth Gates and burlesque shows are confirmed for what’s been called The Guild Lounge.
Holding around 350 people the venue is due to operate from Thursdays to Sundays over a six-month period, as Blog Preston reported last month.
Read more: See what’s on in and around Preston
The main Grand Hall and Charter Theatre remain closed due to inspections needed to confirm how crumbly concrete found in the roof panels (known as RAAC) can be dealt with.
Full list of events taking place in October and November
Disco Inferno – Thursday 3 October, 7:30pm
The Dolly Show – Friday 4 October, 7:30pm
Taylor Swift Tribute: The Eras Experience – Sunday 6 October, 6pm
The Magic of The Bee Gees – Greatest Hits Concert Show – Saturday 12 October, 7:30pm
Gareth Gates Sings Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons – Sunday 20 October, 2pm & 6pm
Mr Sleepybum – Thursday 24 October, 11am & 2pm
Woman Like Me – The Little Mix Show – Friday 25 October, 7pm
Psychic Sally – Saturday 26 October, 7:30pm
The Makings of a Murderer 2 – The Real Manhunter – Friday 1 November, 7:30pm
Million Dollar Men – Saturday 2 November, 7:30pm
The Take That Experience – Friday 8 November, 7:30pm
An Evening of Burlesque – Saturday 9 November, 7:30pm
Twist and Shout – Saturday 16 November, 7:30pm
A Tribute to The Carpenters – Friday 22 November, 7:30pm
Barry Steele’s Roy Orbison Story – Friday 29 November, 7:30pm
A total of 60 events are due to take place by the end of March 2025.
Tickets for the shows are priced between £12 to £33 and available from the Guild Hall website.
What the politicians and acts say
Gareth Gates, who performed at the venue in 2017 as part of the UK-wide Footloose tour, said: “It’s so exciting that theatre is coming back to Preston. I’m proud to announce that I’ll be visiting the brand new Guild Lounge, situated inside Preston’s iconic Guild Hall with my new show “Gareth Gates sings Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.”
Cabinet member for resources and deputy leader of Preston City Council, councillor Martyn Rawlinson, said: “This is a significant moment in the history of the Guild Hall. Through the Guild Lounge we are increasing the city offer of events and arts to the people of Preston.
“The Winter programme will add a new element to Preston’s nightlife, supporting the local economy and I’m sure it is welcomed by all. We hope that people will enjoy the diverse range of shows that Guild Lounge has to offer with more to come in the future.”
The Guild Hall has not seen a public show since 2019 when the city council took back control of the building – after a legal battle with the late Simon Rigby.
It was scheduled to re-open in 2023 but all plans had to be abandoned after the discover of the RAAC in the roof of the two main venues.
No timescale has been given for when the two main venues are due to re-open – with the city council awaiting reports from specialist engineers on how the RAAC can be safely contained.
The city council has been under pressure to get the building operating again – as Blog Preston revealed nearly £4m has been spent on the Guild Hall since 2019 with very little in return due to the venues being closed and maintenance and upkeep costs rising rapidly.
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