Bedworth Civic Hall
 Hall entrance | |
 | |
| Address | High Street Bedworth England |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 52°28′44″N 1°28′18″W / 52.478773°N 1.471775°W |
| Owner | Bedworth Civic Hall Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) |
| Capacity | 763 |
| Current use | Theatre |
| Construction | |
| Opened | September 1973 |
| Renovated | 2004 |
| Closed | October 2022 |
The Bedworth Civic Hall was a multi-purpose entertainment venue in the town centre of Bedworth, Warwickshire, England. It was opened in 1973, closed in 2022, but will reopen again in 2024.
The centrepiece of the venue was a 763-seat hall, other facilities included a gallery, meeting rooms, a bistro, a coffee bar and a small hall.[1][2]
History[edit]
The facility was opened in September 1973. It was owned and managed by Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council.[3] In 2004, the hall underwent a major refurbishment costing £1.4 million.[1][2] In 2021, the hall was used as a vaccination centre during the COVID-19 pandemic.[4] In October 2022 the borough council announced that the Civic Hall would close permanently, citing the cost of maintaining the venue, but they stated that it would be redeveloped into a new theatre and library.[5] [6][7] However in March 2024 it was announced that it would be reopened in phases, after the council transferred the running of the venue to a community-driven organisation, Bedworth Civic Hall Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) on a 20 year lease.[8]
Notable acts[edit]
In 1990, the world famous opera singer Luciano Pavarotti sang here as a rehearsal with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra.[9]
Other notable acts to have performed at the venue include Lenny Henry, Billy Ocean, Pam Ayres, Billy Fury, AC/DC, Ken Dodd, Morecambe and Wise, The Drifters, Larry Grayson, Norman Wisdom and Cilla Black.[10]
References[edit]
- ^ a b "Civic Hall, Bedworth". Theatres Online. Retrieved 29 January 2019.
- ^ a b "Civic hall set to close for refurbishment". BBC Coventry and Warwickshire. 15 April 2004. Retrieved 29 January 2019.
- ^ "Bedworth Civic Hall". CWN. Retrieved 29 January 2019.
- ^ "Bedworth's Covid-19 vaccine hub beats national target as hundreds of jabs given every day". Coventry Telegraph. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
- ^ "'Much loved' Bedworth Civic Hall to close permanently". BBC News. 3 October 2022. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
- ^ Harrison, Claire (3 October 2022). "Bedworth's Civic Hall will never reopen - and could be bulldozed". CoventryLive. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
- ^ "'Much loved' Bedworth Civic Hall to close permanently". BBC News. 3 October 2022. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
- ^ "Civic Hall in Bedworth will finally re-open after council lease confirmed". Coventry Telegraph. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
- ^ "Potty over Pavarotti... in Bedworth". Coventry Telegraph. 7 September 2007. Retrieved 2 September 2020.
- ^ "BEDWORTH CIVIC HALL". We Love Coventry & Warwickshire. Retrieved 2 September 2020.