Visiting the Bradford Odeon to see the renovation work taking place, Imran Hussain MP has congratulated Bradford Live and others in restoring the Odeon to the pride of place in a revitalised Bradford City Centre.

Originally opening in 1930 as the largest ‘picture palace’ in England outside London, the Bradford Odeon site in Bradford City Centre has been abandoned since closing its doors in 2000 and has faced numerous threats of demolition before Bradford Live, now in cooperation with the NEC Group, were awarded a contract by Bradford Council to re-develop the building.

After contactors for the re-development were appointed in March 2021, the main refurbishment work has begun to get underway at the site, and Imran saw first-hand the progress that has been made so far, with old fixtures stripped away to reveal the main auditorium, ready to install new features ready for the Odeon’s planned reopening next year.

Imran has been involved in the restoration plans for the Bradford Odeon since the very beginning, lobbying Ministers for additional funding for the project, which was ultimately granted in the form of £4 million of Government support from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport in March 2018.

Under Bradford Live’s current plans, the Bradford Odeon will be transformed into a mid-sized, live performance venue, and has been backed by some of the music industry’s most well-known acts, including Status Quo and the Kaiser Chiefs who have all declared that the Odeon is set to become a key location on the UK touring circuit.

Speaking on his visit to the Bradford Odeon, Imran said:

“Despite the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic on work at the site, the progress that we have seen at the Odeon has been phenomenal, and I want to thank all those who have made it possible for us to get to this stage where we are looking at one of the final pieces of the Bradford City Centre regeneration jigsaw slotting into place.

“However, it has not been easy with numerous obstacles on this long journey, and lobbying for the £4 million in Government funding that was needed to help finally get work underway on the Bradford Odeon, one of the city’s crowning jewels, remains one of my proudest achievements.

“There is no doubt that when it opens, the Odeon will be a major boost for Bradford, bringing trade and tourism, supporting good jobs right throughout the District and acting as a catalyst for investment, and I know that after so long, we are all looking forward to seeing the Odeon reopen to the public as soon as possible.”