New operator selected for Bradford Live
Global live business Trafalgar Entertainment has been named as the new operator of UK venue Bradford Live following a competitive tender process.
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, but is now expected to open by this autumn.
Founded in 2017, Trafalgar Entertainment is home to Trafalgar Theatres, Trafalgar Theatre Productions, Trafalgar Releasing and Trafalgar Tickets, among other businesses. Its existing venue portfolio includes London’s Trafalgar Theatre and Olympia Theatre, the Theatre Royal Sydney in Australia, Southend Cliffs Pavilion, Glasgow Pavilion, G Live Guildford, New Theatre Cardiff and Fareham Live.
The company will now begin the final fit out of Bradford Live and work “at pace” to develop and launch a programme of live events.
“Trafalgar Entertainment is the perfect fit for this venue, and we’re delighted at their appointment,” says Lee Craven, founding director of developer Bradford Live. “Bradford Live and Bradford Council have together brought this wonderful building back to life. It will act as a catalyst for regeneration. And when the people of Bradford finally get to see a show here, they will realise what a jewel they have. This beautifully restored venue is Bradford’s present to itself.”
Under its former name of The Gaumont, the historic venue 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.
“The sheer scope and scale of Bradford Live gives us a fantastic opportunity to bring the best premium programming”
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”.
Tickets for two tribute shows – Thank you for the Music, The Ultimate Tribute to ABBA and Legend – The Music of Bob Marley – went on sale as part of its planned launch season but the events were later quietly cancelled.
“Lee Craven, the team at Bradford Live and Bradford Council have transformed this glorious landmark venue into a modern and truly world-class destination, whilst honouring and preserving its stunning Art Deco heritage,” says Sir Howard Panter, joint CEO, co-founder, and creative director at Trafalgar Entertainment.
“Bradford is already a thriving, cultural destination, but as the UK’s City of Culture for 2025, Bradford has an even greater future ahead, and we’re excited to be a part of that journey with Bradford Live. Our immediate priorities include supporting and promoting Bradford as the UK City of Culture 2025 – and engaging with the Bradford 2025 team to deliver an exemplary programme of events during what is a milestone year for the city.
“The sheer scope and scale of Bradford Live gives us a fantastic opportunity to bring the best premium programming, enabling us to host a huge range of shows from the biggest live-music events and comedy to large-scale entertainment of all kinds and from some of the world’s biggest stars.”
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