Symphony Hall prepares for change thanks to funding

Working alongside arts charity ‘Town Hall Symphony Hall’, the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) has committed £256,000 towards Birmingham’s Symphony Hall’s redevelopment. This will help towards the refurbishment of the foyer and the construction of a new entranceway.

The project will create more than 528 jobs, 21 of which are due to the WMCA funding. Additionally, the project will deliver a further nine apprenticeships. Also, the announcement from the WMCA is the latest signal to the market that the region is continuing to use its brownfield site investment to support economic and cultural recovery following the pandemic.

Nick Reed, chief executive of Performances Birmingham Limited, said: “I am thrilled we can share the first glimpses of the new Symphony Hall following the completion of the Making an Entrance project.

Over the past 18 months, we have worked with various teams to transform the public spaces of our iconic concert hall to create new spaces for performance and learning, giving new opportunities for local musicians, and supporting our local community in musical discoveries.”

Home of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Symphony Hall is one of the world’s most outstanding concert halls and is renowned for its acoustic excellence and diverse programming, attracting renowned artists, musicians, and performers both locally and internationally. 

It also fosters creativity through music and education, and this new design will welcome a diverse audience to celebrate and participate in the arts.

The construction project extends and remodels Symphony Hall’s public spaces to create a building that is economically sustainable, vibrant and connected to Centenary Square and surrounding areas. The unveiling of the new foyer was marked by a Covid-safe performance by a group of top musicians.

Andy Street, the Mayor of the West Midlands and former vice-chair of Performances Birmingham, which runs both Symphony Hall and the Town Hall, added: “As a born-and-bred Brummie and former vice-chair of Performances Birmingham, I know first-hand just how truly special Symphony Hall is. I am therefore delighted that the West Midlands Combined Authority could play its part in helping the transformation happen, and I cannot wait until the public can start taking their seats again.”