Live Nation Tropicana plans approved
The site's set to be transformed into a venue with a capacity of up to 10,000
Councillors have approved plans to turn Weston-super-Mare’s iconic former lido into a major 10,000 capacity arena.
The plan will transform the Tropicana, once used as Banksy’s Dismaland, into the biggest music venue for miles around. Live Nation, the world’s largest live entertainment company, will run the venue on a 25 year lease. It is expected to reopen in 2028 with Live Nation to put on a “programme of world class live entertainment.”
North Somerset Council voted overwhelmingly to approve the contract on May 12. The council had originally been due to vote on the plans three weeks ago (April 21) but, after councillors raised concerns that it could lumber them with more costs down the road, the decision was adjourned until May 12 so the contract could be renegotiated.
Council leader Mike Bell (Weston-super-Mare Central, Liberal Democrat) said: “This decision is great news and a significant step forward in the rebirth of the Tropicana. We know there is more work to be done, but I’m pleased councillors agreed tonight to progress with our preferred operator Live Nation leasing the Tropicana from the council for the next 25 years.
“Live Nation aims to make the Tropicana an all-year event venue which will ultimately increase footfall to our region, create higher accommodation occupancy rates, give our retail businesses an uplift, grow local supply chains and create more skills and employment opportunities for our communities.”
The decision agreed by the council still allows either Live Nation or North Somerset Council to walk away from the plan, and does not commit the council to any increased spending. Live Nation’s plans will also need to receive planning permission and licensing approval before they become a reality.
Acts to perform at the Tropicana are expected to be of a similar calibre to Live Nation’s east coast venues, which have hosted artists like Tom Jones, Queens of the Stone Age, Rudimental, McFly, and Madness. Live Nation also plans to support community and charity events.
Live Nation’s Eddie Kemsley said: “We are very excited to be working with North Somerset Council to bring the Tropicana back to life with a programme of music and live events from 2028. We look forward to working with local businesses, stakeholders and members of the public and community in the coming months to ensure a successful and happy start to this next chapter for the venue.”
“None of us can pretend this is a project without risk”
When the deal first came before councillors in April, the council said that inflation and new anti-terror legislation had led to an increase in costs, with the council potentially needing to borrow £6m to deliver the scheme. But updated council papers — released just hours before the second meeting on May 12 — said that council officers would be looking for more opportunities for mitigating costs, value engineering, or alternative funding.
Councillors will be consulted again before the final construction contract or increased spending is agreed to. The plan now also includes a “restoration levy” applied to tickets to fund the upkeep of the Tropicana.
As councillors debated the plans for the second time on May 12, deputy council leader Catherine Gibbons added: “None of us can pretend this is a project without risk. Any large regeneration project always has risk. But doing nothing carries continued risk of deterioration, missed economic opportunities, and another generation asking why the Tropicana was allowed to drift and collapse.”
Bridget Petty (Backwell, Green), who was a leading voice against the original proposals, said she was delighted with the work that had been done on the plans. It was also supported en masse by the Conservative opposition under their new group leader Michael Pryke (Cleveland Walton). He told the meeting: “I dare to dream that perhaps we might just be getting this one right.”
But others raised concern that the council was only delaying the decision to put in the £6m until later. Ash Cartman (Long Ashton, Independent) reminded councillors that the council had recently had to make major cuts and raise council tax by 8.99% and said: “The idea of cutting, for example, children’s services while we underwrite commercial events at the Tropicana does not sit comfortably with me.”
Stuart Davies (Wick St Lawrence and St Georges, Reform UK) said that the operator would be making a profit of £100k to £400k per event and the council should not subsidise it. He added that people on social media still wanted a lido back. John Crockford-Hawley (Weston-super-Mare Hillside, Liberal Democrat) said the council was “being sold a pig in a poke.”
Mr Bell told councillors: “There are lots of things we don’t know at the moment. We don’t know the detail of how the operational arrangements will work on event day, what the scale and number of those events will be, and exactly what the detailed design of the Tropicana will be — because we are not at that point in the process to be able to give final answers to that.
“But we can only get answers to some of those unknown issues if we press ahead with the further work needed. … This still has the capability to be a game changing project for Weston-super-Mare.”
Councillors voted 34-6 to approve the plan.
Among those who ultimately voted to approve was Mike Solomon (Hutton and Locking, Independent). In a highly unusual situation, he had said in April that he could not support the proposals at that time and planned to abstain, despite being the cabinet member responsible for the project. He has now left the cabinet to chair a council scrutiny committee.