Brighton Dome venues to reopen after six-year refurbishment

Two venues at Brighton Dome are to reopen for live performances after a six-year refurbishment.

The Grade I and II-listed Corn Exchange and Studio Theatre will officially reopen from November.

The £38m restoration includes two new bars, a new copper roof, 5G technology and a horse sculpture.

Brighton and Hove City Council leader Bella Sankey said it was "one of the most important and ambitious projects undertaken in the city".

The concert hall and Corn Exchange were originally commissioned as a stable block and riding house by the Prince Regent in 1803, while the Studio Theatre was built as a supper room in the 1930s.

As part of the refurbishment, the original wooden beams of the Corn Exchange's timber frame have been restored, while 34 pilaster columns have been recreated from 200-year-old archive drawings.

The Studio Theatre's original copper roof has also been replaced.

Ms Sankey said the restoration "mixes old and new" and provides historical insight.

"From a royal riding house to a skating rink, to a centre of suffragette action, Brighton Dome has long been the beating heart of Brighton and this can now continue into the future," she said.

From November, both venues will welcome back live performances and will return as core venues for the annual Brighton Festival in May.

Brighton Dome chief executive Andrew Comben said: "Brighton punches above its weight as a city and its thriving cultural and creative sector is a huge part of that success.

"Restoring these wonderful historic buildings to make them more open to residents and visitors, more useful to the city and its artists, more creative and more sustainable has been a labour of love."

Other improvements include an increased audience capacity in the Corn Exchange, a new balcony seating area in the Studio Theatre and two new bars and a restaurant.

Follow BBC South East on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].