Denton Festival Hall to temporarily close ahead of major transformation

Denton Festival Hall will close its doors this Friday (29 August) as part of ambitious plans to transform the much-loved venue into a space that blends residential and community uses.

The closure marks the start of preparatory work ahead of marketing the site to a development partner, who will help deliver a vision for the building’s future.

The redevelopment is being supported by a £16.8m award from Round 3 of the Government’s Levelling Up Fund, secured by Tameside Council for Denton regeneration projects. Of this, £2m has been earmarked for Denton Festival Hall, ensuring the building is given a sustainable long-term role in the town.

The proposals include retaining elements of the Festival Hall while repurposing the site to better serve the community’s evolving needs.

All existing users of the hall, including local community and voluntary groups, have been informed of the closure, and alternative arrangements are in place.

• The Denton North East Luncheon Club will still hold its September luncheon inside the building on 25 September before works fully commence.
• From 29 August, the on-site public toilets will no longer be available, but facilities remain open at Denton Town Hall. Details can be found at www.tameside.gov.uk/publicconveniences.

Councillor Andrew McLaren, Tameside Council’s Deputy Leader (Growth, Housing and Homelessness), emphasised both the heritage and future potential of the site: “We respect the heritage of Denton Festival Hall and its value as a community venue. However, the hall has not been in full time use for a number of years and - in its current format and condition – is an unsustainable drain on public funds. The Levelling Up money presents an exciting opportunity for us to work with a private developer to redevelop the building to secure its future to meet both residential and community needs.

“In the meantime, we’re working closely with current users of the building to ensure they can continue their valued work in the community during the temporary closure.”