Theatres · South Wales
Wales Millennium Centre
Also known as: Canolfan Mileniwm Cymru
In or near Cardiff.
Wales Millennium Centre (Welsh: Canolfan Mileniwm Cymru) is Wales's national arts centre located in the Cardiff Bay area of Cardiff, Wales. The site covers a total area of 7.5 acres (3.0 ha). Phase 1
Anthony O'Neil — CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 2 h–3 h
- Nearest railway station
- Cardiff Bay · 0.4 km
- Limited wheelchair access
Getting there & planning your visit
The Wales Millennium Centre is located at postcode CF10 5AL in Cardiff, South Wales. The nearest railway station is Cardiff Bay, which is 0.4 km away. Entry details are not provided, and wheelchair accessibility is limited.
About
Wales Millennium Centre (Welsh: Canolfan Mileniwm Cymru) is Wales's national arts centre located in the Cardiff Bay area of Cardiff, Wales. The site covers a total area of 7.5 acres (3.0 ha). Phase 1 of the building was opened during the weekend of 26–28 November 2004 and phase 2 opened on 22 January 2009 with an inaugural concert. The centre is Cardiff's principal receiving venue for large-scale opera, ballet, contemporary dance and musicals. It comprises a large theatre and a smaller hall with a shop, bars and a café. It houses the BBC National Orchestra and Chorus of Wales and opera, dance, theatre and literature companies, with a total of eight arts organisations in residence. In 2012 the Centre announced that it would also be a producing company. Its productions across the genres have been performed in London, Edinburgh and Australia. In 2021 and 2024 it was in co-production with the Royal National Theatre. The main theatre, the Donald Gordon Theatre, has 1,896 seats, and is the second-largest stage in Europe. The BBC Hoddinott Hall seats 350 and the Weston Studio Theatre seats 250. In 2001 Lord Rowe-Beddoe was appointed chair of Wales Millennium Centre, a company limited by guarantee. Peter Swinburn is the current chair of Wales Millennium Centre.
Photo gallery
Official information
Wales Millennium Centre is an iconic arts venue in Cardiff Bay, known for hosting a variety of performances including musicals, comedy, and live music. The centre is currently undergoing a major refurbishment to enhance its facilities and visitor experience.
Protected designations
- Ramsar wetland: Severn Estuary
Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.
From the Wikipedia article
Wales Millennium Centre (Welsh: Canolfan Mileniwm Cymru) is Wales's national arts centre located in the Cardiff Bay area of Cardiff, Wales. The site covers a total area of 7.5 acres (3.0 ha). Phase 1 of the building was opened during the weekend of 26–28 November 2004 and phase 2 opened on 22 January 2009 with an inaugural concert. The centre is Cardiff's principal receiving venue for large-scale opera, ballet, contemporary dance and musicals. It comprises a large theatre and a smaller hall with a shop, bars and a café. It houses the BBC National Orchestra and Chorus of Wales and opera, dance, theatre and literature companies, with a total of eight arts organisations in residence. In 2012 the Centre announced that it would also be a producing company. Its productions across the genres have been performed in London, Edinburgh and Australia. In 2021 and 2024 it was in co-production with the Royal National Theatre. The main theatre, the Donald Gordon Theatre, has 1,896 seats, and is the second-largest stage in Europe. The BBC Hoddinott Hall seats 350 and the Weston Studio Theatre seats 250. In 2001 Lord Rowe-Beddoe was appointed chair of Wales Millennium Centre, a company limited by guarantee. Peter Swinburn is the current chair of Wales Millennium Centre.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
History
After the Cardiff Bay Opera House project was rejected, a new project was conceived that included more than opera and was felt to be a better reflection of Welsh culture. The change of name symbolised this, but the project still had to overcome many hurdles. Funding from the Welsh Assembly and Millennium Commission took years to obtain. Cardiff Council had to buy the land after the previous owner, Grosvenor Waterside (the property division of Associated British Ports) threatened to build a retail centre there due to the delays. Further boosts were given by large donations from South African businessman Donald Gordon and a loan from the international bank, HSBC. The £20 million donation from…
Architecture
Wales Millennium Centre was designed by Jonathan Adams of local practice Percy Thomas Architects (taken over by Capita Group in 2004), with Arup Acoustics as the acoustic designer and building engineer. His first concept drawings were made in early 1998, Kelsey Roofing Industries Ltd was the roofing contractor, and Carr and Angier were theatre consultants. The building was designed to reflect many different parts of Wales with local Welsh materials that dominate its history: slate, metal, wood and glass. Many of the materials used come from Wales, including 1,350 tonnes of Welsh slate. A million metres of electric cable and 300,000 concrete blocks were also used in construction. Slate The…
Description
Wales Millennium Centre replaced an earlier project for the site, the Cardiff Bay Opera House, a plan supported by the Cardiff Bay Development Corporation to construct a permanent home for the Welsh National Opera. An international design competition attracted 268 international applicants, and was won by Iraq-born architect Zaha Hadid. Her avant-garde design was so radical that she and a selection of other applicants were asked to submit revised designs for a second round of competition—which she again won with "a sleek and dazzling complex of sharp lines and surfaces that she compared to an 'inverted necklace'". In December 1995 the Millennium Commission, the body which distributed funds…
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 51.4650, -3.1635
- District
- Cardiff
- Parish
- Butetown
- Postcode
- CF10 5AL
- Parliamentary constituency
- Cardiff South and Penarth
- Established
- 2004
- Nearest railway station
- Cardiff Bay — 0.4 km
- Official site
- web.archive.org
Sources
- wikipedia: Wales Millennium Centre (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Featured in these 2 guides
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Clayton Hotel
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Duchess of Delhi — a restaurant in wales south.
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The Corner House in Wales South, United Kingdom.
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Frequently asked questions
- Where is Wales Millennium Centre?
- Wales Millennium Centre is in South Wales, United Kingdom (postcode CF10 5AL), in the parish of Butetown.
- What is Wales Millennium Centre?
- Wales Millennium Centre (Welsh: Canolfan Mileniwm Cymru) is Wales's national arts centre located in the Cardiff Bay area of Cardiff, Wales. The site covers a total area of 7.5 acres (3.0 ha). Phase 1
- How do I get to Wales Millennium Centre?
- The nearest railway station is Cardiff Bay, about 0.4 km away. Drivers can use postcode CF10 5AL.
- When was Wales Millennium Centre built?
- Built or established in 2004.
- Who owns Wales Millennium Centre?
- Wales Millennium Centre is owned by Phase 1: Wales Millennium Centre<br>Phase 2: Lime Property Fund (Aviva Investors).
- Is Wales Millennium Centre a protected site?
- Yes — Wales Millennium Centre is part of the Severn Estuary Ramsar wetland.
- How do I get to Wales Millennium Centre?
- The nearest railway station is Cardiff Bay, about 0.4 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode CF10 5AL.