'Reincarnated' Scottish bingo hall could serve 80% of Scots for music, conferences, theatre and Esports

A new 4,500 capacity Scottish entertainment venue and conference complex could ‘transform’ the centre of Dundee.

Dubbed ‘LiveHouse’, the redevelopment of the Tayside city’s former Mecca bingo hall on Nethergate will serve as a venue within 90 minutes’ travel time for four out of every five Scots.

The first phase of the development - the creation of a state-of-the-art music and event space - is expected to open before the end of this year.

The creation of a new 4,500 capacity entertainment venue and conference complex will help “transform” Dundee city centre. | LiveHoue

A second phase of work to extend the multi-purpose campus will continue into 2025. The intention is to use the adaptable space for conferences, concerts, theatre productions, exhibitions and Esports.

Owner Michael Carolan, who led the development of the nearby Malmaison Hotel, says LiveHouse could further boost the fortunes of Dundee’s city centre.

He said: “We want to keep the transformational momentum going and really build on the good work that has been done.

“Dundee is in the enviable position of having 80% of Scotland’s population within 90 minutes’ travelling time.

“It has been demonstrated elsewhere, in Glasgow for example, that a multi-use events space can transform the surrounding area.

“LiveHouse can bring back increased numbers of people to the city centre, ensuring it is beneficial not only for the venue, but surrounding businesses.

“These are exciting times, and we look forward to opening our doors for the first time in December.”

The former bingo hall, a fixture of the city’s skyline for nearly a century, first opened as Green’s Playhouse in 1936 - then one of the largest cinema and theatre complexes in Europe.

Nicoll Russell Studios is overseeing the expansion. Professor Ric Russell said: “This is a really exciting and ambitious project which will significantly help re-energise the heart of the city.

“This latest reincarnation of the building will unfold in several development phases, increasing its capacity to host a diverse range of events, from vibrant musical performances to conferences, exhibitions and more.”

When complete, only the OVO Hydro in Glasgow and the P&J Arena in Aberdeen will have greater capacity.

Venue operator Angus Robb said: “I have been promoting shows in Dundee for over thirty years and see a gap in the market for a venue of this size.

“The space is very flexible and can be adapted on an event-by-event basis, it has the potential to attract large exhibitions and conferences as well as international touring bands, theatre productions, awards dinners and sporting events.

“The venue will also be used for Esports with talks already in place with an international games developer.”