Bradford Live announces first acts as part of 2024 launch season

The front of Bradford Live will have a large screen advertising upcoming concerts and events

Tributes to two music greats are the first shows announced for a long-awaited new entertainment venue.

Thank you for the Music, The Ultimate Tribute to Abba and Legend - The Music of Bob Marley will take place at Bradford Live in November.

The former cinema has been empty for 23 years, with work ongoing to transform the site into a 3,800-capacity venue.

Darren Moore, general manager, said it was "extremely exciting" to begin announcing events.

The venue is scheduled to open in the autumn, although an exact date has yet to be confirmed.

Operator the NEC Group said it expected the developer to hand over the venue in the middle of the year, allowing it to complete the final fit.

The former Odeon building on Godwin Street has been empty for 23 years and is due to open as a 3,800 capacity venue in late 2024

The venue hoped to attract 300,000 visitors annually and host more than 200 events.

The building, which opened in 1930 as the New Victoria, later became the Gaumont and hosted some of the biggest music stars such as Buddy Holly and the Beatles.

It became an Odeon film centre and Top Rank Bingo club in 1969, but closed in 2000 and was threatened with demolition.

After a grassroots campaign to save it, developer Bradford Live took it on in 2012 and reached an agreement with NEC Group as operator in 2017.

Tickets for the first shows will go on sale on Friday.

"We've now arrived in our year of opening and to be able to start announcing events is extremely exciting," Mr Moore said.