Guildhall Theatre reopening delayed

The reopening of Derby's Guildhall Theatre has been pushed back due to a delay in signing off a funding agreement, the council has said.

The 19th Century venue in Market Place closed in January 2019 due to safety concerns.

Plans to restore and reopen the Grade II listed building were announced in 2024 after the government allocated £10m towards the £25m project.

Derby City Council had hoped to reopen the venue by Christmas 2027 but said the funding was formally signed "later than expected", which has delayed the opening date with no new date estimated.

Last week, the council, which has contributed the remainder of the costs, approved work to inspect the historic building ahead of the refurbishment.

The aim of the work will be to "access, consolidate and repair the damaged and failing auditorium ceiling" and includes removing seats and putting them into storage.

When the government's funding announcement was made in 2024 it was hoped the city centre venue could reopen for live shows by December 2027.

However, the council has revealed the General Election in the same year meant the contribution for the major project was formally signed "later than expected", the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

A council spokesperson said the knock-on effect was that the renovation "will not be completed in 2027 as we initially hoped".

They added the authority was pushing ahead with the inspection work and was looking forward to giving an update "as soon as we can".

Plans for the refurbishment include a new "front-of-house" experience with an enhanced foyer, as well as a new cafe and box office opening on to Market Place.

The auditorium would also be re-modelled to increase the venue's seating capacity to about 280.

Back-of-house facilities would be renovated too in an effort to make the venue more accessible, while a new courtyard also forms part of the plans.

Derby City Council leader Nadine Peatfield said the restoration would help the mission "to put culture at the heart of our city".

The theatre project comes after plans were submitted to regenerate the other side of Derby's Market Place at the former Assembly Rooms.

Proposals there include new Grade-A office space, a four-star hotel, a multi-purpose visitor destination and "high-quality" public realm space.

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