St David's Hall: All the shows postponed due to dangerous concrete

Cardiff Council says the decision to close the building comes after a change in the advice on Raac.

Some 17 shows have been postponed at Cardiff's St David's Hall after the discovery of dangerous concrete.

The Health and Safe Executive changed their advice on Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (Raac) which has forced the iconic venue to close for at least four weeks.

Cardiff council says it's been aware of Raac in St David's Hall since 2021 and the need to manage it.

It says regular inspections have been held by independent structural engineers in the past 18 months to ensure the building is safe.

Cardiff Council say that throughout this time no issues were raised about the condition of Raac in the building and there was no evidence of deterioration. It says this still remains the case.

The change in advice means all shows scheduled until Thursday 5 October have been postponed with the venue set to host the likes of Dexys (formally Dexys Midnight Runners), Adrian Edmondson (Bottom, The Young Ones) and Miriam Margolyes (Romeo + Juliet, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2) in the coming month.

St David's Hall's website says: "We will contact all bookers as soon as we can as to whether this show can be rescheduled."

It comes after two Welsh schools were recently told to close over concerns about dangerous concrete in their buildings.

Education Minister Jeremy Miles said he was still unaware of the full evidence the UK government has on the dangers of Raac in buildings.

In a statement, Cardiff Council has said it has "continued to engage with its insurers and expert structural engineers and, based on advice received today from those experts, we believe it is prudent and responsible to carry out intrusive surveys to further reassure ourselves and the public on the safety of the Hall".

"This will require drilling into panels to confirm their interior construction and to determine if any further work is required to ensure continuing safety.  

"We expect this procedure could take at least 4 weeks, and we will look to re-open the Hall as soon as possible, dependent on any action which may or may not be required.

"We know this will cause a lot of inconvenience and disappointment, and we would like to apologise to all our customers, but we hope you will understand that the safety of audiences, staff, artists, volunteers, and everyone at the venue is paramount, and that the Council is obliged to act in response to the updated HSE guidance and expert advice."

Here's the full list of shows which have been postponed at St David's Hall:

  • Lindisfarne - Friday 8 September

  • Celebrating 5 Years of Flame Dance Studios - Sunday 10 September

  • Trash Taste - Monday 11 September

  • Capital City Jazz Orchestra with special guest soloist Alan Barnes - Tuesday 12 September

  • Dexys - Wednesday 13 September

  • The Massed Bands of His Majesty's Royal Marines - Thursday 14 September

  • The 80s Show - Friday 15 September

  • Fascinating Aïda - Saturday 16 September

  • Graham Nash - Sunday 17 September

  • BANFF Mountain Film Festival World Tour - Wednesday 20 September

  • Miriam Margolyes - Thursday 21 September

  • Tredegar Town Band - Friday 22 September

  • Sir Ranulph Fiennes - Wednesday 27 September

  • An Evening with Adrian Edmondson - Thursday 28 September

  • Foil, Arms and Hog - Friday 29 September

  • Galliard Ensemble - Tuesday 3 October

  • BBC National Orchestra & National Chorus of Wales - Thursday 5 October

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