Open tenders / Events, arts & leisure
Planned procurement · Notice 089299-2026
Electric Theatre - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
- Value
- Value not stated
- Stage
- Early notice
- Where
- South East
- Lots
- 1
- Suitable for SMEs
- Yes, says the buyer
- Contract
- 11 Jan 2027 – 10 Jan 2052
In plain English
Guildford Borough Council is testing the market before deciding how to find an operator or leaseholder for the vacant Electric Theatre, a historic arts venue in central Guildford. Any resulting deal would run on a lease or concession basis from January 2027 for 25 years, but this notice is only market engagement, not a competition.
Good fit for: Theatre, arts or community venue operators, and commercial entertainment businesses.
- Very long 25-year commitment, and the operator would take on running a historic building
- Minimum requirements and procurement route are not yet set, so no guarantee a contract will follow
Written with AI from the official notice. Check the notice before relying on it.
What the buyer says
The Electric Theatre is an iconic and historic building in the heart of Guildford, originally built as an electricity works in 1913 and converted into a theatre in 1997. The venue is currently vacant, with Guildford Borough Council assuming full responsibility for the building and its associated holding costs. The Council has undertaken a programme of technical surveys and stakeholder engagement to establish a clear evidence base to inform the future of the asset, confirming both the significant cultural value of the venue and a strong community aspiration for its continued use as an arts and performance space. The Council intends to appoint an operator or leaseholder to run the venue on a lease or concession basis pending final classification and is undertaking preliminary market engagement to understand market capacity and appetite among cultural, community and commercial operators before finalising its procurement route and minimum requirements. This is not a call for competition and does not commit the Council to commence a procurement process.
What happens next
This is an early notice: the buyer is planning a tender, and its documents come when the tender is published. Read the official notice for the details.
Procedure: not stated. Published 21 Sep 2026.
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