Work begins to change lido into 1,000-seater venue

After closing as a pool in 2000, the Tropicana has recently been used as an events space

Work has begun to turn Weston-super-Mare's Tropicana into a "nationally significant" venue for culture, arts, and entertainment.

North Somerset Council won Levelling Up funding in 2023 to rejuvenate the former lido, which was also the home of Banksy's Dismaland exhibition in 2015.

Contractors Morgan Sindall are currently stripping out the interior of the building, ready for it to be demolished in November to make space for a new 1,000-seater indoor event space.

The work, due to be completed in 2026, will also see the 1930s facade repaired, the venue's outdoor capacity increased, and the building made more environmentally friendly.

Banksy used the Tropicana for his Dismaland bemusement park in 2015

After closing as a pool in 2000, the Tropicana stood vacant for years until Banksy used it as the setting for his Dismaland bemusement park in 2015.

Since then, North Somerset Council has run the Tropicana as an events space for hire, attracting about 40,000–50,000 people a year.

But the events did not cover operational costs and the building was in need of repair.

The renovation will see new purpose-built indoor and outdoor entertainment spaces, as well as heat pumps and solar panels to help make the building more environmentally friendly.

The design of the new venue, due to be completed next year

Despite widespread support for the project, the planned new event space building has been controversial.

When the plans for the new building were unveiled in January, some residents dubbed the planned building "brutalist" and a "1980s warehouse".

The plans were then amended, switching the bright white material it would have been made from for a mottled light grey.

Works began on 30 October, ahead of the building being demolished in November

Mike Solomon, the North Somerset Council cabinet member responsible for the project, said: "This is an exciting step forward for the Tropicana, a much-loved and iconic destination at the heart of Weston's seafront.

"This is one of our key projects – it will unlock significant inward investment opportunities to benefit not just the local economy and local residents but North Somerset and beyond.

"We continue to work hard to secure an experienced venue operator to run the Tropicana for at least 20 years."

The operator that will take over the rejuvenated venue is yet to be announced.