Becketwell Regeneration

Following the closure of the Assembly Rooms in 2014, Derby has not had a significant performance venue in its city centre, limiting the area’s ability to attract and host major cultural events and business tourism. The creation of the Becketwell Performance Venue located on Becket Street within the Becketwell Regeneration area will address this need.

The delivery of a new, state of the art, 3,500 capacity performance venue in the heart of Derby’s city centre represents a flagship, transformational regeneration opportunity for both the city centre and the wider city region, driving renewed confidence in Derby as a place and making a significant contribution to the cultural life and vibrancy of the city.

The Becketwell Performance Venue forms part of the wider £200 million Becketwell Regeneration area scheme, the first phase of which has already started on site and consists of a 259 apartment build to rent scheme (funded by Grainger plc) and a new public square.

The purpose-built venue will include a flexible, 3,500 maximum capacity events auditorium, plus a smaller 400 capacity secondary space. It is projected that the venue will host over 200 cultural and commercial events each year and attract an additional 250,000 visitors to Derby.

Over 200 new local jobs are expected to be created, giving the city centre economy a significant boost. The scheme is set to generate more than £10 million each year for the area, stimulating further investment in the city’s leisure and night-time economy and supporting the city centre’s recovery post Covid-19.

Construction of the Becketwell Performance Venue will commence in 2023 with the new venue due to open in 2025.

Key delivery partners for the project include Derby City Council (forward funder of the venue), St James Securities (development partner for the Becketwell Regeneration scheme) and ASM Global (the selected operator for the venue).