About the refurbishment
A once‑in‑a‑generation transformation
Leeds Town Hall is currently undergoing the most significant refurbishment in its 168‑year history.
This ambitious and carefully planned project is revitalising one of the city’s most beloved landmarks, protecting its extraordinary heritage while transforming it into a more accessible and welcoming cultural venue for the future.
Behind the hoardings, specialist craftspeople, conservation experts and engineers are working to secure the building for generations to come, while introducing modern facilities that will support a bigger and more ambitious programme of events, concerts and performances.
Norse Property Services Leeds (NPS), working in collaboration with Page\Park architects, Mason Clark Associates (MCA), OFR Fire Engineers and Leeds City Council, have developed proposals that respect the existing building while introducing new interventions inspired by the original interiors and the vibrant cultural life of the city. The refurbishment will protect and preserve Leeds Town Hall’s heritage features, while ensuring the building is safe, accessible and fit for modern public use.
The project is being delivered by Kier Construction, a leading provider of construction, infrastructure and property developments in the UK, with specialist experience in complex heritage projects and historic buildings.
What’s changing?
The refurbishment will deliver a range of improvements designed to enhance the visitor experience and open the building up to more people than ever before. New and improved facilities include:
- A fully accessible entrance.
- An impressive new lift from street level to the ground floor, with a capacity for 21 people.
- Modern and welcoming bars offering pre-show and interval drinks.
- Upgraded toilet facilities that will be accessible to all visitors.
- A stylish and accessible new ticket office – the new home of Leeds Ticket Hub.
- Improved front‑of‑house areas making it easier to move around the building, with clearer routes for visitors.
- New seating in the Victoria Hall, providing greater comfort for audiences while complementing the hall's historic setting.
- A new state-of-the-art sound system, improving audio quality for concerts, events and performances in the Victoria Hall.
- Restoration of the decorative scheme in the Victoria Hall including hand-painting the organ façade pipes by leading specialist decorative artists.
- Organ Renewal Project – bringing together leaders in the field of organ renovation for work which has never been attempted on this scale before.
These changes will make Leeds Town Hall easier to access, more comfortable to spend time in, and better equipped to support a wider programme of events.
Conservation and craftmanship
Alongside the new facilities, extensive conservation work is taking place throughout the building. Specialist contractors have been chosen for their expertise in historic and listed buildings, bringing generations of knowledge and skill to the refurbishment of Leeds Town Hall.
Work includes the restoration and repair of:
- Stone masonry and external façades led by Stone Edge, northern-based expert in building restoration and conservation, specialising in historic and listed buildings.
- Decorative plasterwork, cornices and ceilings undertaken by multi-award-winning Leeds-based Ornate Interiors.
- Doors, ironwork and architectural details – contractors include Edinburgh-based Powderhall Bronze, Glasgow-based Sculpture & Design, and Cheshire-based Trinity Renovations specialist woodwork contractors.
- Decorative scheme restoration in the Victoria Hall undertaken by artists Robert Woodland MBE and Debra Miller of The Upright Guilders.
The contractors use sympathetic materials and traditional techniques, including lime mortar and lime plaster, ensuring repairs work with the building rather than against it. These natural and breathable materials help the Town Hall to age gracefully and remain structurally sound for decades to come.
The craftsmanship involved supports long‑lasting, sustainable conservation, protects the building’s architectural character, and maintains the authenticity that makes Leeds Town Hall so special.
External stonework has been carefully repaired and renewed using a mix of stone from elsewhere in the Town Hall and sympathetically sourced material, including local stone from the same quarry that supplied stone for parts of Barcelona’s iconic Sagrada Família.
Discoveries beneath the surface
As with many heritage projects, the refurbishment has revealed unexpected layers of Leeds Town Hall’s history.
Contractors uncovered previously hidden damage from a World War II Luftwaffe bombing in 1941. Although emergency repairs were carried out at the time, the true extent of the structural impact had remained concealed for decades.
This discovery has required additional engineering work to stabilise the building safely and sensitively, ensuring it can remain a proud symbol of Leeds well into the future.
Elsewhere on site, long-forgotten objects found beneath floorboards and stone flags, including 19th‑century concert programmes and fragments of historic tram tickets, have offered glimpses into the day-to-day lives and events that once filled the building. Below are some of the items that have been discovered.
The hoardings
The artist‑designed hoardings, created by artist Emma Hardaker and funded by Arts Council England, wrap the building in bold, colourful artwork inspired by its architecture and history.
The project also involved pupils from Rosebank Primary School on Burley Road, who created their own designs based on the ones found on the organ façade pipes.
A heritage‑funded revival of the Victoria Hall
Renowned decorative artists Robert Woodland MBE and Debra Miller of The Upright Gilders are leading the revival of the hall’s historic decorative scheme, having previously worked at Buckingham Palace, Kensington Palace, Palace of Westminster, and York Minster. Robert and Debra use traditional tools and techniques to recreate the rich colours, marbling and gilded finishes that once defined the space. Their work is highly skilled, rooted in decades of heritage expertise, and breathes new life into one of Leeds’ most spectacular Victorian interiors.
Work in the Victoria Hall also includes the £1.8 million Organ Renewal Project that brings together leaders in the field of organ renovation to oversee exciting and incredibly complex work - something which has never been attempted on this scale before.
Looking ahead
When complete, the refurbishment will secure Leeds Town Hall’s future as a dynamic cultural destination, enabling it to:
- Host a wider range of accessible, world‑class events and performances
- Welcome more visitors, more comfortably
- Generate vital income to support the building’s long‑term sustainability
- Continue its role as a cultural, civic and architectural heart in the city
Rooted in heritage and driven by creativity and connection, Leeds Town Hall brings people together through music, culture and shared experiences. Since opening in 1858, it has stood as a symbol of civic pride. Today it is both a historic landmark and a stage for creativity, dialogue and innovation.
Leeds Town Hall is currently expected to reopen in spring/summer 2027, with further updates to follow as the construction work progresses.
Follow the journey
This page will be updated as work continues, with new images and behind-the-scenes insights from across the site. You can also:
- Follow Leeds Town Hall on social media for regular updates
- Sign up to the email newsletter
- Support the project by adopting an organ pipe
