Wales Millennium Centre to remain closed until January 2021

The Millennium Centre in Cardiff has announced plans to remain closed until January 2021.

Stating that the closure was down to the "devastating impact the Coronavirus pandemic has had on the theatre industry", managing director Mat Milsom said that "this week has been one of the toughest in my entire career".

Milson went on to say: "With no information on when restrictions around mass gatherings may be lifted and no guidelines on how the UK theatre industry will operate when we are allowed to open, it was one that was necessary in order to secure the future of the organisation.

"Like many other venues across the UK, we know that we will not be able to put performances on our stages again while social distancing measures are in place. In these circumstances, we can't open the theatre in a way that provides a good audience experience and is economically viable for the Centre and the producers who present their work here.

"All our major shows for 2020 have now been postponed or cancelled and we could remain closed until spring or even summer 2021."

Milson also said that he expects "significant disruption to the availability of touring shows for years to come", and that venues and companies need "Government intervention and guidance urgently". The BBC has said that over half of the 140 staff members at the venue may face redundancy.

You can support the venue here while it remains closed – Milson notes that a 12-month closure will result in around £20m of lost commercial revenue for Wales Millennium Centre and around £70 million for the Welsh economy.