Bristol Beacon reports post-renovation ticket sales surge

Bristol Beacon has reported a surge in ticket sales since reopening on 30 November following its £132m renovation.

The venue, formerly known as Colston Hall, has seen a 30% increase in sales for its opening months of December, January and February, compared to the same months in 2017, the last period when it was fully open. 

Over the three-month period more than 97,000 tickets have been purchased for forthcoming shows.

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The venue said it had also welcomed 100,000 visitors through its doors in its first 100 days, during which it has hosted "75 concerts, three world premieres, 14 comedy gigs, three family shows and two festivals".

Venue Chief Executive Louise Mitchell said: “The remarkable increase in ticket sales and huge numbers of people through the doors is a heartening reminder that we are wanted and needed by our artists, audiences and communities, who are coming back to experience live music with us now that we’re open again." 

Events at the 2,920-capacity venue have included gigs by Jools Holland, Bombay Bicycle Club, and Malian singer-songwriter Fatoumata Diawara.

Renovation

The council-owned venue saw the cost of its renovation sky rocket over a five-year period.

The initial budget for the building, which orginally opened in 1867, was £49m with £10m coming from Bristol City Council.

However, the final cost of £132m includes £83.9m from the council and £44m raised by the building's operators, the music education charity Bristol Music Trust. This figure includes £22m from Arts Council England.

Marvin Reese, Mayor of Bristol, said in October that the project was a “journey that’s taken many twists and turns along the way".

He added: “Challenges in the shape of a building filled with unknown complexities and hidden secrets, a global pandemic, national cost-of-living crisis and the pressure this is putting on the construction industry, have all been navigated to get to this point.”