How To Build A Music Venue

Step One.

Take one music venue in the south west of the UK.

Step Two.

Carefully remove the artists, stage managers and production staff.

(If you haven’t removed the audience by this point, then do so now).

Then remove the seats (use the enclosed allen key for this), stage, lighting rig, trusses and PA.

Take down the balcony (yep, the whole thing), staircases, doors and dressing rooms.

Then remove all the signs, the floor and the roof.

Keep going until you have taken everything out.

Now remove the name. (Yes, the name).

Step Three.

Meticulously pack away the historical artefacts and millions of memories, ensuring you hold on to those iconic music moments.

Step Four.

Stop. Take a step back. What next? 

How do you build a music venue, almost from scratch?

Colston Hall in Bristol is undergoing a multi-million pound transformation, the largest capital programme ever to take place in the south west of the UK.

This is an exciting moment as we build a world-class venue for Bristol, but our ambitions don’t end with bricks and mortar. We are looking at how we share the joy of music with everyone. 

In this podcast series we discuss the highs and lows, the pains, the gains and the complicated decisions we’ve taken as an organisation during this transformation. We also explore the philosophy that envelops this project; one that focuses on inclusion, education and participation, without ever losing sight of the music. Hear from the countless experts driving this renovation forward: acousticians, leading musicians, architects and many, many more…

Join us on the journey as we #transformthehall