Cambridge considers Temporary Venue to Bridge Corn Exchange & Guildhall Closure

A Cambridge City Council Cabinet report proposes a temporary venue, with capacity for roughly 1,000 people, to operate for about 18 months while the Corn Exchange and Guildhall -- which together draw more than 200,000 visitors a year -- close for refurbishment starting December 2026.

The plan aims to retain an estimated 50-60% of the Corn Exchange's usual programme within an existing £1 million budget, rather than pausing the city's cultural calendar entirely during construction.

Cabinet is being asked to approve progressing to a planning submission and preparatory procurement only at this stage -- not to sign off on the temporary venue itself -- with a final decision expected in September 2026 alongside the wider Civic Quarter project, a larger regeneration effort covering the historic buildings at the heart of the city.

Refurbishments like this one are usually driven by accessibility and fire-safety compliance on buildings that predate modern regulation by decades, and the temporary-venue question is really about how much a city is willing to spend to avoid a dark period in its cultural programming rather than just closing up shop until the main buildings reopen.

Source: Cambridge City Council