The Scottish theatre named Great British Theatre of the Year after £40m renovation project

It is a much-loved performance space in Glasgow’s Gorbals area, which re-opened after a seven-year closure last year following a £40 million refurbishment.

Now the Citizens Theatre in Glasgow has scooped two awards for creating a renovated "theatre of the future" with "people and art at its centre".

The Citz, which reopened last August, won Great British Theatre of the Year and also the award from Great Renovation at the inaugural Great British Theatres Awards, held by Theatres Trust, which protects and supports theatre buildings around the UK.

Other Scottish winners include Leith Theatre Trust - which recently came off the organisation's "at risk register" - winning Great British Theatres Shining Star and Eden Court in Inverness winning Great Community Connection.

Launched by Theatres Trust to mark its 50th anniversary, the awards celebrate venues making an outstanding contribution to their communities, from major cultural landmarks to volunteer-led theatres.

The Citz has undergone a transformational, multi-million pound refurbishment since 2018, the first since the category B-listed building began life as a working theatre in 1878. Initially slated for reopening in 2021, the project was delayed by the pandemic and complications with the renovation.

Theatres Trust, which operates the Theatres at Risk register, said in July that Leith Theatre securing £4.5 million of National Lottery Heritage funding last year and the appointment of a design team to start a major capital project meant it was no longer at risk of closing for good or being redeveloped for another purpose. It won the shining star award, jointly with Daniel Shrimpton, chair of the Joseph Rowntree Theatre in York.

The Citizens Theatre was closed for seven years.

The theatre has been on the at risk list for almost a decade and has not been open on a permanent basis since 1983 due to its poor condition, although it has hosted pop-up events and productions.

Eden Court, which won the community award jointly with Polka Theatre in London, was recognised for tackling rural isolation through creative programmes reaching remote schools and communities, while providing inclusive spaces for LGBTQIA+ and disabled people and rural artists to connect, collaborate and create.

Josh McTaggart , chief executive of Theatres Trust, said: “What the Citizens really demonstrated is bringing past, present, and future together - really thinking about where the building has come from and also navigating some of the challenges of what that presents, while also really thinking about what a theatre of the future needs to be, while being really confidently rooted in its its local area.”

He added: “In terms of the renovation, what really impressed judges was not only was it architecturally very proficient and competent in the technical sense, but the application was really written about people and art at its centre.

”While it really demonstrates the the power of the physical space, the engineering and what they did with their architecture and infrastructure, they were also able to really present a really good understanding of how a building interacts with its people, both the people who will be using the space from a staff and an artist perspective, as well as the wider community.”

The awards ceremony, held on Monday night in London, also saw acclaimed actor and theatre advocate Julie Hesmondhalgh honoured with the Great British Theatres Lifetime Achievement Award 2026, presented by Olivier Award-winning playwright James Graham, recognising her exceptional contribution to championing theatre buildings and widening access to the performing arts.