Preston Guild Hall

Preston Guild Hall

Pictured in April 2015
Preston Guild Hall Location in Preston city centre
Full name	Preston Guild Hall and Charter Theatre
Location	Preston, Lancashire
Coordinates	53°45′35″N 2°41′51″W / 53.75972°N 2.69750°W
Public transit	Preston bus station
Owner	Simon Rigby
Operator	Preston Guild Hall Ltd
Type	Concert venue (Grand Hall) Theatre (Charter Theatre) Shopping arcade
Capacity	2,034 (Grand Hall) 780 (Charter Theatre) 350 (Foyer)
Acreage	1,087 m^2 (Grand Hall) 336 m^2 (Charter Theatre) 529 m^2 (Foyer)
Opened	1973
Website
www.prestonguildhall.com

Preston Guild Hall is an entertainment venue in Preston, Lancashire, England. It was built to replace the town's Public Hall, intended to be ready for the Preston Guild of 1972, but construction was delayed and it officially opened in 1973.

The complex has two performance venues, the Grand Hall which holds 2,034 people and the Charter Theatre which holds 780 people.^[1] There is direct pedestrian access, via subway and bridge, from the adjacent Preston bus station and car park. Artists that have performed at the venue include Led Zeppelin, David Bowie, the Jackson 5 and Thin Lizzy, among others.^[2] It also hosted the UK Snooker Championship for many years.

Until July 2014, it was owned by Preston City Council, who were considering its demolition due to its high running costs.^[3] It was then sold to local businessman Simon Rigby, who has promised to spend £1m to renovate the venue.^[4][5]

References

1. About Preston Guild Hall, accessed 24 October 2014
2. Venue has hosted rock royalty Lancashire Evening Post, 10 January, 2013
3. "Preston Guild Hall could be bulldozed", BBC News, 11 January 2013, accessed 24 October 2014
4. "Preston Guild Hall sold to businessman Simon Rigby", BBC News, 5 July 2014, accessed 24 October 2014
5. "Preston’s Guild Hall saved", Lancashire Evening Post, 2 July 2014, accessed 24 October 2014

Coordinates: 53°45′35″N 2°41′51″W / 53.7596°N 2.6975°W