THE manager of Bradford Live has teased what might be to come next year for the venue.
Bradford Live officially opened over the final weekend in August and has welcomed a variety of acts in its first few months.
The likes of Bill Bailey, The Prat Pack with Bradley Walsh, Brian Conley, Shane Richie & Joe Pasquale and DJ and radio presenter Jo Whiley have already delighted the public in the 3000-seater venue’s impressive auditorium.
Big names such as Diversity, the Kaiser Chiefs and Terrorvision are pencilled in for upcoming shows as Bradford Live’s programme really starts to kick into gear.
General manager, Darren Moore, spoke to the Telegraph & Argus at a special commemorative event on Wednesday at the venue, where a permanent plaque bearing the names of the masterminds behind the £50 million project, Lee Craven, Kirsten Branston and Chris Morrell, was unveiled.
Mr Moore said: “It’s been a very successful opening period for the venue.
“We’ve had a wide range of events, we’ve been very supported Bradford and the wider community.”
Darren Moore, venue director of Bradford Live (Image: Newsquest/Mike Simmonds)
The next step is to build on this and “develop the venue to its full potential on the journey to making a fantastic asset for Bradford and people beyond”, according to Mr Moore.
The building’s £50 million transformation from crumbling wreck to multi-purpose entertainment venue is the culmination of more than a decade’s work.
It now stands proudly among the city’s finest, such as neighbouring The Alhambra and St George’s Hall just down the road, and boasts not only a huge, adaptable space for live entertainment but also a spectacular ballroom and other spaces Mr Moore has grand ideas for.
It’s still early days in terms of acts and names making their way to Bradford Live and Mr Moore, who has more than 25 years of experience in the industry including leading the team at Connexin Live in Hull and five years managing First Direct Arena Leeds, explained what success looks like moving forward for the venue.
He said: “Having an eclectic programme and something for all the different communities in Bradford.”
And what about 2025? Are there any big names for people to keep an eye out for?
Mr Moore said: “We’re having conversations with really exciting performers and acts that want to come to this wonderful venue.
“I would advise to sign up to our newsletter to get the latest news from Bradford Live.”
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