BRADFORD, UK (CelebrityAccess) — The Bradford City Council is seeking a new operator for Bradford Live, an under-construction £50m live entertainment venue, after British venue management company NEC Group dropped out of the project.
This follows a decision by the NEC Group that the venue will be better served by an alternative operator and a settlement with the City Council that allowed NEC Group to end its management contract for Bradford Live.
The Council will now seek a new operator for the former Odeon cinema, that is currently undergoing a transformation into a state-of-the-art entertainment venue, serving as the anchor to Bradford Live, a mixed-use retail and entertainment district in the City of Bradford.
“Bradford Live is a major part of our ongoing investment in revitalizing the city for the benefit of the whole district. It is a magnificent venue, something which the NEC recognise. But after being a founding partner with Bradford Live years ago, their business plans have changed. We respect their position and wish them well,” stated Cllr Susan Hinchcliffe, Leader of Bradford Council.
The City of Bradford has not announced a replacement for the NEC Group but noted that it is preparing for negotiations with potential partners.
“Advice from the sector leads us to believe that there are a number of potential operators who have shown initial interest in the venue. We are now in a position to have further discussions with them about the opportunity. We can’t say more about this at this stage given the commercially sensitive nature of discussions,” Hinchcliffe added.
The project, which reached its final stages in July, is over budget by more than 100%, according to the BBC. Initial plans to open in November of this year were not successful and the anticipated opening for the venue will now take place in 2025.
“We are aiming to have the venue operational in 2025 to host events as part of Bradford’s year as UK City of Culture,” Hinchcliffe noted.
Lee Craven, Founding Director of Bradford Live added: “Bringing this much-loved building back to life has been a huge task spanning years and involving many tough challenges. Throughout, we have had the steadfast support of Bradford Council, who have never wavered in their commitment. The result is a world class music venue whose quality exceeds even our own hopes. We look forward to securing a new operator soon who can do justice to the building’s potential and make Bradford Live a ‘must play’ venue for major touring acts.”
