Robbie Williams venue has 'specific vibe'

Robbie Williams is to perform at University of Wolverhampton at The Halls on 9 February next year

The "specific vibe" of a Wolverhampton venue where pop star Robbie Williams will perform has been highlighted, as it prepares to welcome a number of big names in the coming months.

The Civic Hall at University of Wolverhampton at The Halls had a "bang in the middle offer" that was a compromise between a concert hall and an arena, councillor Chris Burden said.

Stoke-on-Trent star Williams will be there on 9 February, with Fatboy Slim, Kesha, Cat Burns, The Fratellis and Kaiser Chiefs also appearing over the next six months.

"We've had artists that would fill the Civic 10 times over," the Labour cabinet member said. "Robbie Williams would fill the Civic five, six times over."

He said artists balanced the need for a good atmosphere with the kind of audiences they knew they could attract.

"I think people like the Civic, the Civic has a specific vibe to it and it always has done," he added.

Other attractions at the venue in the coming months include Russell Watson, Soul II Soul, Justin Hawkins, The Last Dinner Party, Jason Donovan and Martin Kemp.

Cat Burns will be among those at the venue in the coming months

Questioned about what was going well to attract performers to the city, Burden replied there were "lots of things that are going right", but there was "still a lot of work to do".

After highlighting the "massive investment" at the University of Wolverhampton at the Halls site, the cabinet member for city development added: "We're actually seeing our visitor economy really soar."

City of Wolverhampton Council recently announced 10.4 million people had visited the city in 2024, spending a total of £506m.

Kaiser Chiefs are also due to play in Wolverhampton

Asked if he thought music tourism had contributed, the cabinet member replied "there's lots of it", adding there had been a big rise since the venue reopened following refurbishment.

"But also we have football tourism, having a Premier League football team right in the city centre.

"We've had the new cinema open [and a] new bowling alley open right in the heart of the city centre.

"Over the last few years, we have seen the city centre transition into more of a one-stop shop for evening activities."