Iconic Preston venue to re-open with music event

The Guild Hall Preston is set to open its theatre doors to the public for the first time since 2019.

Preston City Council operated the venue until 2014, when local entrepreneur Simon Rigby paid £1 to take ownership. However, the company which he established to run the venue went into administration in 2019 and Rigby died in 2020.

Following the resolution a number of legal issues, the venue is now back under council control and the official re-opening has been confirmed for November.

The Preston Weekender, staged by Preston Business Improvement District (BID), was due to take place on the Flag Market between 11 and 13 August, but has been re-scheduled to take place in the venue’s Grand Hall on Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 November.

This week, new signage was installed at the front of the building along with a new temporary logo.

Coun Martyn Rawlinson, deputy leader, and cabinet member for resources at Preston City Council, said: "Now that the Guild Hall Preston is back under our control, we decided it was a chance to cut ties with the past and update the branding while we decide the best way to take the venue forward.

"The Guild Hall is a well-loved venue, particularly amongst Prestonians. By updating the frontage, the appearance of the venue will look much more appealing, and the new logo marks the beginning of a new chapter in its history.”

The new signage also promotes the Harris Library which is temporarily housed within the Guild Hall arcade while work continues on The Harris building.

The Guild Hall Preston is also launching a new website and social media accounts so that interested audiences can keep up to date with any news about the theatres and retail complex. 

Work is planned to repair the sprinkler system within the building which will take around 16 weeks to complete. Replacing some of the mothballed seats in the Grand Hall and replacing lighting to LED bulbs is also part of the ‘to do’ list.