Talks over new Wolverhampton music venue to rival the NIA
A multi-million pound music venue to rival Birmingham's National Indoor Arena could be built in Wolverhampton under new options being explored by council chiefs.
A consultation has been launched to see if the demand is there for a larger entertainment venue in the city.
There are concerns that the current 3,000 capacity Civic Hall struggles to compete with the much larger LG Arena and NIA in Birmingham which pull in acts such as Justin Bieber, One Direction, Girls Aloud, Olly Murs and Alfie Boe.
Any new venue would have to be financially viable and, in effect, pay for itself via ticket sales, corporate sales and lucrative sponsorship deals.
Discussions are at an early stage and another option on the table is to expand the Civic Hall.
Councillor Peter Bilson, Wolverhampton City Council's regeneration chief said they were looking at the part that entertainment venues play in the city's economy.
He added: "This involves exploring all options such as leaving them as they are, undertaking basic improvements or significantly improving venues such as the Civic Halls – particularly if it means they can increase their capacity and improve the bar and catering areas, so that they can generate more income.
"We are seeking feedback on all options, including whether there is demand for a much larger venue in the city that would open up new revenue streams such as banqueting and conference facilities, as well as much bigger shows.
"We are conducting a survey with residents, visitors, promoters and also those that currently do not visit the venues to assess the level, and type, of demand."
The survey, which has also been sent to entertainment promoters to get feedback on how the civic compares to others in the region and the country, asks whether people would go to a new larger venue in the city.
It says: "We are also exploring the idea of a larger new venue in Wolverhampton, to complement the Civic Halls.
"The larger new venue could also host conferences and large business events."
The survey also asks how often people would go to a new larger venue and whether they would then go to the Civic and Wulfrun Halls less often.
The Civic Hall – as well as the smaller Wulfrun Hall in the same complex – was built in 1938 in North Street. It has played host to some of music's biggest names down the years including David Bowie, Genesis, The Jam, Take That, Oasis and Slade.
More recently, One Direction have played to a packed house.
