Live music return to Wolverhampton Civic Hall still 11 months away after further delays
Wolverhampton Civic Hall will not see concerts return until autumn next year.
The chief executive of AEG Presents, which is to take over managing the city’s top live music venue, says he hopes it will open for the beginning of September.
Steve Homer said: “There have been a couple of delays on the completion of the project, but we are hoping for handover towards the end of April and then a 12-week fit out. We are looking to put on events from the start of September.”
The drive to get agent and promoters to bring their acts to the venue will start before Christmas this year. It had previously been said that the Civic and Wulfrun Hall would reopen early in the new year after the £40 million refurbishment was completed. It has been closed since 2015.
Mr Homer said AEG was looking to have a big local name to start. “There could be one launch show or a week of shows to show the breadth of what we will offer.
“We will be looking at a mixture of audiences to re-introduce people back to the Civic,” he explained.
London-based AEG’s sister company ASM Global will also be improving the offer at the Civic Hall for corporate events. Mr Homer said that the plan was also to employ people from the local area to operate the venue.
“There will be a local touch from the general manager down to the staff working within. Recruitment will start as soon as we get final confirmation of the completion date,” he added.
Mr Homer said key operational staff would be the first to be appointed. Speaking at the opening of the Black Country Business Festival, 57-year-old Mr Homer, who was born in Wordsley and saw his first concert at the Civic Hall – The Clash in 1978 – said: “We are very excited about being the new operators.
“When this came up as a possibility it was an exciting option that I couldn’t miss.”
He added: “The future is looking really good for us and Wolverhampton. Once the Civic Hall gets reopen in 2022 we are going to be looking to get this venue back on the map as one of the most prominent venues in the country.”
