Trafalgar Theatres – the venues division of leading global live entertainment company Trafalgar Entertainment – has successfully won the contract to operate G Live in Guildford following a competitive bidding process.
The company has run G Live since it opened in 2011 and will continue to invest in venue improvements as part of the new deal.
The new management contract – which will run for a 25-year term – was awarded to Trafalgar by Guildford Borough Council (GBC).
Trafalgar’s existing contract was initially extended by three years in 2021 and, at the conclusion of that contract, GBC were required to undertake a competitive tender process. Bids were sought from operators with the relevant skills, experience, and aptitude to operate a venue of the size, complexity and scale of G Live.
G Live sits alongside other prestigious venues within the portfolio including Trafalgar Theatre in London’s West End, the Theatre Royal Sydney in Australia and 13 UK regional theatres including Southend Cliffs Pavilion, New Theatre Cardiff, Wycombe Swan, and the Pavilion Theatre, Glasgow. TE will also open the ground-breaking Olympia Theatre, the biggest new permanent theatre to open in London since the 1970s.
G Live plays host to an enormous selection of shows, events, and activities. Programming highlights for 2024/25 include Anton and Giovanni, Jimmy Carr, Dawn French, Julian Clary, Rhod Gilbert, Nish Kumar, Sandi Toksvig, Michael Palin, BBC Radio 2 Sounds of the Eighties, Scouting for Girls, Come What May, 10cc, Squeeze, Simon Reeve, Jools Holland, Omid Djalili, Cirque The Greatest Show, Jason Donovan, Katherine Ryan, Rob Beckett, Horrible Histories, The Lion Inside, Swan Lake from Ballet Del’Art, and The Music of James Bond by Candlelight.
G Live provides a variety of Arts community outreach projects, including its monthly relaxed Memory Cinema aimed for those aged 65+, and Baby Friendly Cinema Club offering parents and carers with children aged 0-12 months a place to develop a network of support. The Craft Café and Family Fun Days offer free interactive opportunities for the local community, and G Live’s annual Summer Youth Project returns in August 2024 with a production of Peter Pan featuring a cast of 84 young people aged 8-18. The venue recently hosted Autism in Surrey’s event to celebrate Guildford and Waverley as an autism friendly community, and this month hosted the launch of Pride in Surrey, that comes to Guildford in September.
In what is set to be an exciting time for G Live, the venue has also announced its 2024/2025 Guildford International Concert Season. In addition to the usual programming of top UK and internationally renowned orchestras (including the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Lviv National Philharmonic of Ukraine), the season has been extended to include a Christmas concert with the National Youth Chamber Choir in a new collaboration with clarinettist Emma Johnson, a performance of Peter and the Wolf for younger audiences (with associated Creative Learning activities), and a series of lunchtime concerts, from Cuban guitarist Ahmed Dickinson to students from The Yehudi Menuhin School, celebrating classical artists of the future.
And on 18 June, G Live will host The Pantomime Awards 2024. The ceremony’s move from the West End to Guildford’s premiere entertainment venue, is a marker of the UK Pantomime Association’s commitment to celebrating regional theatre.
Helen Enright, CEO Trafalgar Theatres, said: “We’re thrilled to be granted a further 25 years managing the incredible G Live. This highlights the trust placed in the Trafalgar team who have developed G Live as the go to destination for live entertainment and community events in Guildford. We’re immensely proud of G Live and look forward to continuing to deliver an even more exciting programme of events going forwards.”
Chris McGuigan, Group Commercial Director, Trafalgar Theatres, said: “We are delighted to further our relationship with Guildford Borough Council, who have championed Trafalgar Theatre’s vision for G Live. With the opportunity to continue delivering the best in live entertainment, it is also a testament to the contribution and commitment of the team at G Live, who I am very proud to work alongside.”
Kelvin Mills, Assistant Director for Commercial Services at Guildford Borough Council, l said: “I’m thrilled that we have secured a further 25 years with Trafalgar Entertainment that moves the operation from a cost to the council to a contributor, way above financial expectations budgeted for. This contract secures a long-term partnership with Trafalgar Entertainment that will ensure a first-class entertainment programme continues in Guildford.
“In line with our comprehensive Improvement Plan, it’s also pleasing to report that as part of the new contractual period, we’ve secured investment of over £5m for the enhancement of the building. This contract will ensure that the Council is sustainable, delivers excellent value for money, and provides services for residents and businesses that we can be proud of.”
