Closure of St David’s Hall extended

Cardiff’s St David’s Hall has announced the extension of its temporary closure until the New Year ‘at the very least’. The extended closure will allow for further checks on the venues Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) panels and facilitate the building work needed to allow the hall to reopen safely. Shows scheduled for this period will continue to be postponed, relocated or cancelled.

In a statement released on Friday (13 October), Cardiff Council revealed that early indications from checks carried out by RAAC experts show that work will be required if the Hall is to reopen safely. The experts’ findings are due to be reported to the local authority this week when the extent of work needed will become clear.

In its statement Cardiff Council said: ‘Bearing in mind remedial/temporary works might take several months to put in place, a decision has been taken now to extend the closure of St David’s Hall until the New Year at the very least… We know this is causing a lot of inconvenience and disappointment, and we would again like to apologise to all our customers, but the safety of audiences, staff, artists, volunteers, and everyone at the venue is paramount, and the Council is obliged to act in response to the updated HSE guidance and expert advice.’

A decision on the nature and timescale of work on the Hall is expected from the council’s Cabinet (the main decision-making body of the Council) later this month. Cardiff council became aware of the material in the Hall, which hosts events including the Cardiff Singer of the Year competition and Welsh Proms, in 2021. Recent changes in government guidelines have seen the Government’s Health and Safety Executive (HSE) declare that: ‘RAAC is now life-expired. It is liable to collapse with little or no notice’, prompting the closure of schools across the country.