Peek inside Civic Halls with famous Wolverhampton venue almost ready to rock
Wolverhampton's Civic Halls have officially been declared ready for use – although people will have to wait to see them.
A long-delayed refurbishment, which has seen costs rise to £48 million, has been completed and city leaders were invited for a tour to mark the milestone.
It was a special moment for Black Country star Jonn Penney of Ned’s Atomic Dustbin, who has performed there many times and helped to lead the tour.
He said: "I'm so pleased with the way that the new hall looks, there is a lot of thought gone into keeping the history of the hall as part of the design. The foyer has the original marble pieces, it just looks amazing."
The frontman also talked about the new, redesigned main stage: "When bands play they want to be able to see the white in the eyes of those they perform to, they want them to be right there in the moment.
"I feel like they have done a lot with what they have, I'm very excited."
The Halls have a combined capacity of around 5,000, with 3,400 in the Civic. Both it and the adjoining Wulfrun have had an extra seated gallery built.
Some test events may be held earlier next year, but the first scheduled concert is expected to be on June 1, when British electronic music duo Leftfield are expected to sell out the Civic.
Steve Homer of venue operator AEG Presents said: “We’re thrilled to be able to play a role in restoring this iconic and historic venue, bringing live music back the Midlands. The hall is set to open mid next year, and we already have an exciting line-up.”
