Morecambe Winter Gardens eyes 2027 reopening

Morecambe Winter Gardens, which once hosted world-renowned musical acts but has lain vacant since the 1970s, plans to reopen in 2027.

Subject to approval for the latest plans, the Grade II listed building is to undergo a multi-million-pound refurbishment and will reopen as a 2,300-capacity music venue within three years.

Project manager Place Capital Group (PCG) is overseeing the work alongside lead architect Buttress.

In April 2023 the Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s Cultural Development Fund awarded £2.3m award to the Morecambe Winter Gardens Preservation Trust for the project.

Now, new restorative works have begun that will improve amenities and increase the music venue’s capacity from 1,000 to 1,600.

Buttress was appointed for the feasibility study that secured funding, and a conservation plan, survey and masterplan for the future of the building.

The building’s old electrical system will be rewired, with accessible lift, AV and lighting equipment added. The funds will also go towards an acoustic shell for the building’s fly-tower.

A further planning application submitted has now been submitted which features a two-storey extension further increasing capacity. If approved, work will begin this Autumn.

Prof Vanessa Toulmin of the University of Sheffield, who chairs the trust, said: "The Winter Gardens has been a sleeping beauty for over 40 years. It’s a building that is central to Morecambe’s regeneration. It shows us that we not just a past but that we have a future."