• Swindon & Wiltshire Culture
• Wednesday December 4 2024
• Author Name: Peter Davison

Bristol Beacon welcomes 380,000 music lovers in first year

Bristol Beacon has welcomed 380,000 music lovers through its doors since the venue reopened last November – an increase of 25 per cent since its last full trading year in pre-pandemic 2018, when it was still known as the Colston Hall.

The venue has put on 726 events featuring over 500 artists across its four performance spaces: Beacon Hall, Lantern Hall and Weston Stage (the venue in The Cellars) and Bridgehouse Stage (the foyer).

Some headliner highlights have included Ezra Collective, Beabadoobee, Paul Weller, London Symphony Orchestra and Sir Simon Rattle, Paloma Faith, Lankum, Beverley Knight and Fisherman’s Friends.

Over 6,000 audience members experienced BBC Proms in Bristol for the first time – these concerts were also broadcast live on BBC Radio 3 during the residency.

As well as concerts, the venue launched its brand new Bristol-based Resident Artists programme which gives three emerging artists funding and support to develop their musical practice. This year’s artists are Grove, Holysseus Fly and Waldo’s Gift.

Meanwhile, 3,676 young people have engaged in weekly teaching activity through the Music Hub which is run by Bristol Beacon.

The venue also hosts conferences, graduations, and even weddings. In the past year, over 13,000 UWE graduates and their families celebrated their graduation at Bristol Beacon and the venue hosted 23 major conferences including the Association of British Orchestras and Association of Independent Festivals.

Simon Wales, chief executive of Bristol Beacon, said: “We built this venue to be full of music, music-making and visitors having transformational experiences, the kind that only music can provide.

“It is wonderful to see the venue living up to this promise, welcoming record audiences, concerts on almost every day of the week and attracting musicians of the highest calibre to our city.”