GLASGOW Life has announced the city’s Royal Concert Hall will receive an investment of more than £2 million from Glasgow City Council’s capital funds.
All the main auditorium seats will be replaced, and stage lifts will receive electrical upgrades after 32 years of service and there will also be accessibility improvements.
The Royal Concert Hall is one of the city’s most loved venues. It’s the home of Scotland’s national orchestra, the RSNO, and has one of the top national festivals, Celtic Connections, at its core.
Over the past three decades, it has hosted many legendary acts, including Debbie Harry, BB King and Johnny Cash.
The works will get underway after next year’s Celtic Connections. They will begin on February 6 and are expected to finish on March 31.
Bailie Annette Christie, chair of Glasgow Life, said: “This investment will ensure Glasgow Royal Concert Hall continues to be a world-class venue, which allows arts and music in the city to flourish and enhances our reputation as a Unesco City of Music. It contributes to the vibrancy of Glasgow and attracts artists and musicians of all genres and visitors to the city to see them.
“This investment ensures the venue matches the dreams of young people in Glasgow who want to have a career in music, arts and culture. People will return to an improved venue and enjoy a better concert experience.”
Alistair Mackie, RSNO chief executive, said: “We are grateful to Glasgow City Council for this investment which is excellent news for the whole city. The Concert Hall is the RSNO’s home in Glasgow, right in the heart of the city centre and we love performing there regularly during the concert season.
“We are excited to see how these developments will improve the concert experience for our loyal supporters and will also help to bring new audiences into the concert hall for the first time.
“Improving accessibility is a priority for the RSNO and we’re really looking forward to seeing the impact that these updates have on our concert goers.”
