Bradford Live reveals first performances

UK venue Bradford Live is to host a performance from Bantam of the Opera, a choir composed of fans from local football team Bradford City AFC, prior to its official opening this autumn.

The 3,800-cap West Yorkshire venue had been in limbo since Birmingham-based NEC Group pulled out of the £50 million (€60m) project last September following months of speculation. The venue had been due to open in November 2024, but the shows were cancelled and customers were refunded.

Global live business Trafalgar Entertainment was named as the new operator in February and a month later, it was announced that events veteran Darren Moore was rejoining Bradford Live as venue director.

Trafalgar plans to announce details of the official launch season shortly.

Prior to that, it has been revealed that Bantam of the Opera, accompanied by the Yorkshire Symphony Orchestra, will grace the venue on 1 August also known as Yorkshire Day.

Bantam of the Opera, accompanied by the Yorkshire Symphony Orchestra, will open the venue on 1 August

The Bradford City AFC fans have been taught to sing opera to mark the city’s stint as UK City of Culture as part of a BBC Radio Leeds challenge.

The project has been backed by Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber, opera singer Lesley Garrett and former City boss and sports presenter Chris Kamara.

Under its former name of The Gaumont, Bradford Live welcomed legends such as Bill Haley, Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, the Rolling Stones and the Beatles in the 1960s. It then became an Odeon cinema and Top Rank Bingo club, before closing its doors in 2000.

Bradford Live came in to find a long-term viable use for the venue in 2012 following a successful campaign to save the building. NEC Group had been due to take over the operation ahead of its planned November 2024 opening, but decided it “will be better served by an alternative operator”.

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