As Trafalgar Entertainment continue with their final £3m fit out of Bradford Live and prepare to announce their opening acts, Bradford Council can confirm that Trafalgar have signed a 25-year lease to operate the venue.
The council will receive a guaranteed annual rental income for the venue, as well as an additional profit-share arrangement which has the potential to boost the total income to council for the venue up to around £17m over the life of the lease.
The wider regeneration delivered through the success of Bradford Live will also drive significant economic growth across the district, creating new jobs, supporting businesses and increasing business rate income for the council. UK-wide economic impact calculations set out that, for every £1 generated in ticket sales, £1.40 is delivered in additional income to the local economy. Over the contract lifetime, from the operation of Bradford Live alone, this figure would exceed £580m.
A total workforce of around 40 permanent jobs will be supported at the venue alongside a large number of supervisory, managerial and specialist on-site roles to support shows and events as required. The majority of roles at Bradford Live will be filled from the local labour market – and the venue will also help to sustain employment amongst myriad local suppliers, partners and organisations across the region.
Bradford Live, the company created to drive and manage the restoration of the venue, will be wound down in the coming months.
The first evening concert at the venue has been announced for 1 August as Bradford and Ilkley host this year’s Yorkshire Day celebrations. The Yorkshire Symphony Orchestra and the BBC Bantam of the Opera choir will be performing as part of the wider programme of City of Culture festivities.
Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe, Leader of Bradford Council, said:
“Now that Trafalgar Entertainment are confirmed as the operators, we are happy to reveal the details of the contract. This project is about so much more than the money though; Bradford Live is a building the people of Bradford campaigned to save, and we did. It’s a building of social and cultural significance which has now been restored as one of the premier venues in the country with a bright future ahead under the expert management of Trafalgar Entertainment, who we’ve been delighted to welcome to Bradford.
“We’re also delighted to be hosting Yorkshire Day during our year as UK City of Culture and what better way to celebrate than the first concert at Bradford Live celebrating all things Yorkshire. This is just a taste of all the amazing things to come at this stunning venue and we’re all looking forward to seeing the main programme of events being announced by Trafalgar in the near future”
Cllr Alex Ross-Shaw, portfolio holder for regeneration, transport and planning added:
“The Bradford Live (BL) company was created to oversee and deliver the restoration project of the former Odeon building into a modern live events and conference facility. The project is a key part of the council’s plans for the regeneration of the city centre area to support inward investment and growth.
“Lee Craven and the team at Bradford Live have done an amazing job on the restoration work, the quality of the finish is testament to the care and passion they have put into this project.
“Now the restoration work on the venue has completed and an operator has a long-term lease for the venue, the BL company is no longer needed. As a consequence, the council will be moving to work with Bradford Live to end the operation of the company during 2025/26. Once concluded the company will be closed and its final accounts published.”
