A HOST of exciting events are coming to the Citadel this year as organisers celebrate a successful relaunch of the historic venue.
Built in 1861, the Citadel Theatre was owned by the Salvation Army for much of the 20th century until it was converted into an arts centre by the Rainford Trust in the 1980s.
With a rich history of bands such as The Stone Roses, The La’s, The Verve, and Cast performing at the Citadel, the Waterloo Street venue developed a respected reputation and put St Helens firmly on the musical map.
Despite this reputation, the venue suffered financial hardships over the years and closed for a brief period in 2019, but a partnership with a national concert promoter has breathed new life into the historic venue.
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Since the partnership with Liverpool-based Glasswerk was agreed in September, the Citadel has hosted several successful events such as 90s band Space, Ian Prowse, Starsailor frontman James Walsh, and Sunbirds (from the Beautiful South's Dave Hemingway).
There has also been a number of high-quality tribute acts bringing back memories of fans' favourite bands, and the events programme has extended throughout 2024.
The line-up so far includes 80s new-wave band China Crisis, Gomez frontman Ben Ottewell, Mansun lead singer Paul Draper, and quality tribute acts of Bob Dylan, the Beatles, David Bowie, the Doors, The Smiths and much more.
Speaking about the Citadel relaunch and new events programme, a spokesperson said: "We are delighted with the relaunch of the Citadel.
"Since September 2023, we have welcomed lots of fantastic acts, and we are really pleased to see the iconic St Helens venue come back to life. The feedback from those attending has been brilliant, with many saying to us that they cannot wait to come back.
"We are incredibly excited about this year's lineup. We kick things off with The Doors Alive on 20th January which has been sold out for a few weeks.
"We also have many other great tribute bands booked, such as Simply Dylan and the Beatles Complete, as well as some fantastic original artists, such as Gomez frontman Ben Ottewell, who will be on stage on Sunday, January 28, followed by Steve Mason on February 2.
"We also have a new wave synth-pop band, China Crisis, and we are particularly looking forward to hosting local blues & rock singer/guitarist Laurence Jones, who was born in St Helens."
For more information about the Citadel and its events programme, you can visit the website here.
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