Venue Cymru facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Venue Cymru |
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| 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 |
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Construction cost
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£10.7 million (2005 redevelopment) |
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Former names
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Aberconwy Centre (1982–94) North Wales Theatre and Conference Centre (1994–2007) |
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Classroom-style seating
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320 (Venue Cymru Hall) 600 (Venue Cymru Arena) |
| Banquet/ballroom | 250 (Orme Suite) 400 (Venue Cymru Hall) |
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Theatre seating
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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 big building in Llandudno, Conwy County Borough, North Wales. It's a place where you can watch shows, go to meetings, and see concerts. It has a theatre, a conference centre, and a large arena.
Contents
The History of Venue Cymru
This special spot used to be a sheep pasture. Over the years, many different entertainment places have stood here.
The Victoria Palace: The First Theatre
The very first theatre on this site was called the Victoria Palace. It opened in July 1894. It was meant to be a temporary building. It was designed as a concert hall with 1,150 seats. A famous musician named Jules Rivière and his orchestra performed there. They had moved from another theatre in Llandudno.
Llandudno Opera House
In 1900, the Victoria Palace changed its name to the Llandudno Opera House. It became a place where opera companies, like the Carl Rosa Opera Company, would perform.
The Hippodrome
Later, it was renamed the Hippodrome. This building was used for many fun activities. You could go roller-skating, dancing, or watch summer shows there.
The Arcadia Theatre
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 most popular theatres in Llandudno for many years. It was famous for its summer shows, including "Catlin's Follies." A well-known comedian, Ken Dodd, often performed there.
The Arcadia continued to host shows until 1968. The local council then bought it. It kept going as a summer theatre until 1993. The Arcadia closed in 1994 and was later taken down in 2005.
The Aberconwy Centre
In 1982, a new building called the Aberconwy Centre opened next to the Arcadia theatre. This centre was designed 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 and renamed the North Wales Theatre and Conference Centre. It now had a theatre with 1,500 seats. It also had a conference hall that could hold 800 people seated or 1,000 standing.
Venue Cymru Today
In July 2005, the old Arcadia theatre was taken down. This made space for new parts to be added to the North Wales Theatre and Conference Centre. The building was made bigger.
After this big update, the venue got a new arena. This arena is very large, about 1,550 square meters. It can hold 1,800 people for seated events or 2,500 people standing. This made the whole venue able to hold over 5,000 people! The new parts also included a cafe, a restaurant, and a place to buy tickets.
The updates cost about £10.7 million. Different groups helped pay for it, including the local council and the Arts Council of Wales.
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. It officially reopened on January 15, 2007.
Events and Shows
Venue Cymru hosts many exciting events.
- In 2010, the Irish pop band Westlife held a concert there.
- In 2016, Shane Filan, the lead singer of Westlife, also performed a solo concert.
- The arena has also been used for live rock band performances. Bands like Bloc Party, Manic Street Preachers, and Feeder have played there.
Community Use During Covid-19
In April 2020, during the Covid-19 pandemic, Venue Cymru was used to help the community. The arena was turned into a temporary hospital called Ysbyty Enfys Llandudno. This provided extra beds for patients. In May 2021, it stopped being a hospital. After that, it was used as a place where people could get their Covid-19 vaccinations.
