SALISBURY’S City Hall will reopen later this year after the team behind the MECA in Swindon agreed a lease with Wiltshire Council.

Music Entertainment Culture and Arts (MECA) will take over full operation of the venue on a 25-year lease in a deal that will see City Hall reopen as an entertainment venue later this summer.

The venue has boasted huge names since it opened in 1961, hosting the likes of David Bowie, Led Zeppelin, The Beatles and household names in the world of comedy.

From December 2020 to January 2023, City Hall was used as a COVID-19 mass vaccination centre, playing its part to keep thousands of people safer during the pandemic.

Wiltshire Council is currently carrying out repairs and maintenance to the external fabric of the site so it is in the best possible condition for when it rejoins the city’s arts, cultural and entertainment scene.

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The new operators will carry out their own works to improve the overall customer experience at the venue and it is planned these will take place concurrently with Wiltshire Council’s.

The team at MECA was identified as the preferred operator after Wiltshire Council carried out a market engagement process, which established that after speaking to potential third-party providers, offering the venue on a long-term lease would be the preferred arrangement.

The MECA venue in Swindon has been a fixture in the town’s entertainment sector for almost 100 years.

It has been known as MECA since 2010, following a full refurbishment, where it has evolved into a commercial and community-based events venue catering to everyone and continues to go from strength to strength.

The addition of City Hall to the group ensures both venues are in a position to bring bigger and better acts to the area.

The management of MECA, which is led by Justin Britchford, has confirmed the Salisbury venue will continue to be called City Hall.

Wiltshire Council Corporate Director for Place, Parvis Khansari said: “We are delighted that we have finalised an arrangement and that City Hall will reopen soon.

“We want City Hall to have the best chance of long-term success. Justin and his team have the passion, experience and expertise to ensure City Hall will retain its proud standing in the community and complement all the great things the city has to offer.

“Today marks the start of a new era for City Hall and when it re-opens its doors, I’m sure the city and wider area will come out and support it once again.”

Justin Britchford said: “We are delighted to have been given this opportunity and cannot wait to get started.

“Wiltshire Council has worked tirelessly with us to make sure the venue will be a roaring success.

“We have some great plans for the venue and have listened to people’s views on what they have missed the most while it has been closed.

“Support us by liking our Facebook page, signing up to our newsletter but most of all, by buying tickets for the events.

“We are working closely with local people to tap into their wealth of knowledge about City Hall and the surrounding area and have recruited some local managers to run the venue that have years of experience in similar venues.

“We look forward to welcoming you all to City Hall in the very near future.”