The Guild Hall Preston is set to open is theatre doors once more.
The official re-opening launch and the first event open to the general public since its closure, has been confirmed for November.
The Preston Weekender, staged by Preston Business Improvement District (BID), was due to take place on the Flag Market between 11 and 13 August, but has been re-scheduled to take place in the venue’s Grand Hall on Saturday 18 and Sunday 19, kicking off Christmas celebrations in the city.
This week, new signage was installed at the front of the building along with a new temporary logo.
Councillor Martyn Rawlinson, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Resources at Preston City Council, said:
“Now that the Guild Hall Preston is back under our control, we decided it was a chance to cut ties with the past and update the branding while we decide the best way to take the venue forward.
“The Guild Hall is a well-loved venue, particularly amongst Prestonians. By updating the frontage, the appearance of the venue will look much more appealing, and the new logo marks the beginning of a new chapter in its history.”
The new signage also promotes the Harris Library which is temporarily housed within the Guild Hall arcade while work continues on The Harris building.
The Guild Hall Preston is also launching a new website and social media accounts so that interested audiences can keep up to date with any news about the theatres and retail complex.
Work is planned to repair the sprinkler system within the building which will take around 16 weeks to complete. Replacing some of the mothballed seats in the Grand Hall and replacing lighting to LED bulbs is also part of the ‘to do’ list.
The Guild Hall opened in 1973 to replace the Public Hall on Lune Street as a venue for entertainment. The complex was created with two venues -The Grand Hall which holds 2,034 people and the Charter Theatre which holds 780 people. There are also a number of retail units and ground level.
The first music concert was held on 9 January 1973. The band Fumble were support to rock legend David Bowie. This was followed on 30 January by a performance by Led Zeppelin.
Significant cuts to local government funding after 2010 forced the council to outsource the venue but the private operator was unable to make it sustainable. The Guild Hall was then closed and, following a legal case, came back under council ownership earlier this year. Plans to permanently open the venue are not yet confirmed.