Bristol Beacon reopens after five-year "transformation"
£132 million has been spent turning the former Colston Hall into “one of the great cultural icons of modern-day Britain”
Last updated 5th Dec 2023
Concert venue the Bristol Beacon officially reopens today after five years of refurbishment work costing £132 million.
Formally known as the Colston Hall, the venue now features four performance spaces labelled "world class", a new music education centre in the cellars featuring practice and rehearsal spaces, as well as a new bar and restaurant.
Beacon bosses say that as well as having "some of the best acoustics" of any similar venue in Europe, it is also now one of the most accessible.
Described by Arts Council England as “one of the great cultural icons of modern-day Britain”, the venue will host its first formal concert since reopening this evening, when Bristol-based Paraorchestra, electronic composer Surgeons Girl and audio-visual experts Limbic Cinema combine to create a sound and light show called Trip the Light Fantastic., starting at 7pm.
Louise Mitchell, chief executive, Bristol Beacon, said: “The skill, hard work and love poured into this huge refurbishment has resulted in one of the best and most accessible performance and music education spaces in Europe.
"What excites all of us here is the potential of the new Bristol Beacon, which will allow us to continue delivering transformative musical moments to all Bristolians.
"From weekly one to one opportunities for care experienced young people, to sessions with those living with dementia, in hospitals, in community halls and in 92% of Bristol’s schools, for 7,000 hours of music lessons a week.
"It all comes back to this building – it is our engine, it is our home, it’s Bristol’s stage for everyone.”
The refurbishment saga
Then known as the Colston Hall, the Beacon first closed for refurbishment work in June 2018.
At that point it was expected it would reopen in 2020, with a budget for the work of £48.8m.
However, once proper surveys of the building were conducted several issues were found, which initially saw the reopening date pushed back to 2021.
It was then pushed back even further and the costs pushed ever higher, by a mix of the Coronavirus pandemic, logistical issues and the increasingly clear poor state of the building, which was at one stage described as a "worst case scenario".
Some of the project team’s unexpected discoveries included three Elizabethan wells ten feet deep in the cellars, sinking below the level of the floating harbour, a Victorian heating system, and hollow pillars that they had thought were solid supporting columns.
When the building roof was removed, the 120-tonne birdcage scaffolding put in place to hold the original walls in place was believed to be the largest of its kind on any building project in Europe.
Thousands of tonnes of concrete – enough to fill 1,280 baths – have been poured in to shore up the foundations.
The £132m needed to complete the work came from a range of funders including Arts Council England, central government in Westminster, The National Lottery Heritage Fund and the West of England Combined Authority as well as Bristol City Council.
Additionally, more than 9,000 individuals have made one off donations, with contributions ranging from £5 a month as a seat namer up to a £1m gift.
Marvin Rees, Mayor of Bristol, said: “Delivering a world class music and arts venue for Bristol signifies a major investment in our city's artistic reputation and its cultural roots.
"The generosity of funders and donors, alongside our city's major investment, has brought to life one of the finest music venues in Europe and an inclusive centre for community learning and education.
"It is thanks to the city’s significant investment that Bristol Beacon will create hundreds of jobs for residents and has the potential to generate £253.7m to Bristol’s economy."
Mr Rees offered his thanks to everyone who has donated since 2018.
“Bristol Beacon is not a two, three, or even five-year project," he said.
"It is a 100-year legacy for Bristol; from the main stage to the cellars’ recording studio, it is a venue designed by the people of Bristol, for the future of Bristol."
All the work was completed by contractor Willmott Dixon.
Richard David, director at Willmott Dixon said: “I can’t emphasise enough just how proud Willmott Dixon is to be a part of Bristol Beacon.
"Its complexities and challenges over the last four years have been like nothing the team has ever undertaken, but everyone has risen to the challenge and both the Willmott Dixon team, and our supply chain partners deserve recognition for their commitment and dedication.
"The project has required intricate planning at every stage, and we have ensured that since the start we have truly respected the heritage of the building, its conservation, restoration and renovation, as well as understanding the building structure and fabric.
"An extraordinary amount of work and skill has been required to resolve the issues we faced; archaeological, historical, logistical and technical and the building that has been delivered is incredible."
Cost controversy
There has been criticism of how much the work has ended up costing, with the £132m bill almost three times more than what was originally expected.
With public services having been stretched for the entire period of work, some have questioned whether the money could have been better spent, but Marvin Rees has always argued it is a job that needed doing.
Speaking to Hits Radio last week (21 November) he said: "It's always has been a £132m development.
"We just didn't know that, because we didn't have access to the fullness of the building.
"So for example we didn't know about the Elizabethan fireplaces, we didn't know that the pillars holding up the roof were hollow, we didn't know that so much of the work that was done after the building was burnt down in the war was essentially bodged and had to be totally renewed and on top of that we've put in levels of sustainability...
"Also...the decision is not simply about whether you renovate the Colston Hall, Bristol Beacon as it is now, or not...
"If we didn't say yes, (to the work) we would have a building in the middle of the city that was surrounded by hoarding, wrapped in cellophane or whatever we'd wrap it in, and would just slowly deteriorate...
"You're not just getting an asset, you're avoiding a liability."