Venue Cymru facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Venue Cymru |
|
|---|---|
.jpg) |
|
| Address | The Promenade Llandudno, Conwy County Borough, Wales LL30 1BB |
| Coordinates | 53°19′19″N 3°49′2″W / 53.32194°N 3.81722°W |
| Owner | Conwy County Borough Council |
| Opened | 1982 |
| Renovated | 1994, 2005 |
|
Construction cost
|
£10.7 million (2005 redevelopment) |
|
Former names
|
Aberconwy Centre (1982–94) North Wales Theatre and Conference Centre (1994–2007) |
|
Classroom-style seating
|
320 (Venue Cymru Hall) 600 (Venue Cymru Arena) |
| Banquet/ballroom | 250 (Orme Suite) 400 (Venue Cymru Hall) |
|
Theatre seating
|
1,450 (Venue Cymru Theatre Auditorium) 2,500 (Venue Cymru Arena) |
| Enclosed space | |
| • Exhibit hall floor | 7,000 m2 (75,000 sq ft) |
Venue Cymru is a large building in Llandudno, North Wales. It is a popular spot for many different events. You can watch plays and concerts in its theatre. It also has a big area for conferences and shows. This means it can host everything from music groups to important meetings.
Contents
History of Venue Cymru
Venue Cymru has a long and interesting history. It stands on a site that has been home to entertainment venues for over a century. Let's look at how it changed over time.
Victoria Palace: The First Theatre
The first theatre on this spot was called the Victoria Palace. It opened in July 1894. It was meant to be a temporary building. This theatre had 1,150 seats. It was designed as a concert hall for a famous musician named Jules Rivière. He had a large orchestra with 42 musicians. Many famous solo artists performed there.
Llandudno Opera House: A New Name
In 1900, the Victoria Palace got a new name. It became the Llandudno Opera House. This theatre hosted opera groups, like the Carl Rosa Opera Company.
Hippodrome: Many Uses
Later, the building was renamed the Hippodrome. It was used for many different activities. People could go roller-skating there. It also served as a dance hall and hosted summer shows.
Arcadia: A Long-Lasting Show Venue
On June 3, 1916, a man named Will Catlin bought the theatre. He renamed it the Arcadia. This theatre had 1,147 seats. It was one of the last traditional seaside entertainment venues in Llandudno. It was famous for Catlin's Pierrots and Catlin's Showtime. A well-known comedian, Ken Dodd, often performed there.
The Arcadia continued to host shows for many years. It was bought by the local council in 1968. The theatre kept offering summer shows until 1993. It closed on June 22, 1994. The building was empty for ten years. It was finally taken down in July 2005.
Aberconwy Centre: The Start of a New Era
The Aberconwy Centre opened in 1982. It was built next to the old Arcadia theatre. This new centre was a place for conferences. It could hold over 1,000 people for meetings. It also had sports facilities like squash courts and badminton courts.
In 1994, the centre was updated. It was renamed the North Wales Theatre and Conference Centre. It featured a large theatre with 1,500 seats. There was also a conference hall that could hold 800 people seated or 1,000 standing.
Venue Cymru Today
In July 2005, the old Arcadia theatre was demolished. This made space for new parts of the North Wales Theatre and Conference Centre. An atrium (a large open space) and more meeting rooms were added. The building also got bigger on its western side.
Modern Upgrades and Expansion
After these big changes, the venue had a new arena. This arena is 1,550 square meters (about 16,684 square feet). It can hold 1,800 people seated or 2,500 people standing. This made the whole venue much larger, able to host over 5,000 people. The new part of the building also included a café, a restaurant, and a box office for tickets.
The upgrades cost £10.7 million. This money came from several groups. These included the local council, the European Union, the Arts Council of Wales, Visit Wales, and the Welsh Development Agency.
Choosing a New Name
In December 2005, a competition was held to choose a new name for the building. A few months later, the name Venue Cymru was picked. The newly improved building officially opened on January 15, 2007. Andrew Davies, a politician, was there for the opening.
Events and Performances
Venue Cymru has hosted many exciting events.
- On August 27, 2010, the Irish pop band Westlife performed a concert there.
- In 2016, Shane Filan, the lead singer of Westlife, also held a solo concert.
- In 2018 and 2019, the Welsh TV channel S4C used Venue Cymru. They broadcast the "Chwilio Am Seren" show from there. This show chose the Welsh entry for the Junior Eurovision Song Contest.
- The Arena space has also been used for live rock concerts. Bands like Bloc Party, Manic Street Preachers, and Feeder have played there.
Community Role During Covid-19
In April 2020, Venue Cymru played a special role. It was used by the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board. The arena was turned into a temporary hospital. It provided extra beds during the Covid-19 pandemic. It was named Ysbyty Enfys Llandudno, which means 'Rainbow Hospital Llandudno'. In May 2021, it stopped being a hospital. After that, it was used as a Covid-19 vaccination centre.
