Royal Albert Hall launches appeal for "urgent" donations to save venue from closure

Back in July, venue chief executive Craig Hassall revealed that the venue will go bust before it can celebrate the 150-year milestone in 2021.

Today (8 September), Hassall has launched an appeal for "urgent" donations, warning the venue "faces a bleak future" if they can't recoup some of the funds lost due to the coronavirus pandemic.

NME reports that the venue has lost over £18 million in income since closing its doors in March, and has refunded over £6.5 million in ticket sales.

Although the UK government announced a £1.57billion support package for the arts industries in July, Hassall has revealed that the venue isn't eligible for emergency grants, and has been advised to apply for a loan (which would arrive in December at the earliest if approved) instead.

Hassall said, "Six months on from enforced closure, and circa £18m down in lost income, we are not eligible for any of the Government’s emergency grants. This leaves us in an extremely perilous position, with no way of replacing our lost income, apart from a government loan which may or may not materialise."

The venue chief executive continued, "We raised concerns months ago about the potential for independent, unfunded organisations such as the Royal Albert Hall to miss out on government support, and especially having been held up by Government as a ‘crown jewel’ that must be saved."

He added, "We are fortunate to have supportive members and private donors who have given generously, but unfortunately, the ‘rescue package’ fanfare has given many potential donors the false sense that we are being sufficiently supported elsewhere. The Royal Albert Hall now faces a bleak future unless it can secure not only a repayable government loan, but also urgent donations to plug our current £20 million shortfall."