Gloucester Guildhall one of four venues to host 80th Anniversary of The Moomins

Gloucester Guildhall to host 80th Anniversary of The Moomins with a new artwork commissioned from Dana Olărescu.

Gloucester Guildhall has been selected as one of four partners around the UK to host a brand-new artwork co-commissioned by Counterpoints Arts and made possible by the support of Moomin Characters in celebration of 80 years since the publication of the first Moomin story.

The Moomins and the Great Flood was originally published in 1945 by the acclaimed Finnish artist, illustrator and writer Tove Jansson. Since their debut, the Moomin books have inspired generations worldwide with their messages of inclusiveness, kindness and belonging. Under the theme “The Door is Always Open” – referring to the door of the Moominhouse, which offers shelter, comfort and security to all who seek it – new and returning fans alike are invited to join in celebrations which will include charitable fundraisers, fan competitions, new books, a film, product launches and much more.

In the UK, the brand is partnering with Counterpoints Arts and Refugee Week to commission four artists to create four public artworks inspired by The Moomins and the Great Flood.

The four artworks have been co-commissioned and will be co-produced by Counterpoints Arts and partners around the UK: Southbank Centre in London; Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, Gateshead; Gloucester Guildhall; and Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture.

The artworks will appear in May and June 2025 and will be supported by a range of community programming, Refugee Week resources and activations.

James Zambra, Creative Director of Moomin Characters, said: “The shelter, comfort and security that the Moominhouse provides are all universal needs, as relevant today as they were 80 years ago when Tove Jansson penned the first Moomin story. We couldn’t think of a better partner with which to celebrate the importance of a warm welcome and a sense of belonging than Refugee Week.”

Almir Koldzic, Director, Counterpoints Arts, said: "We are so excited to be working with Moomin Characters to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the first Moomin book as part of Refugee Week in June 2025. Our vision for refugees and asylum seekers to be able to live safely within inclusive communities aligns perfectly with the life and work of Tove Jansson, and this collaboration will help us reach new audiences of all ages and backgrounds. We look forward to the exciting public art commissions that we are co-producing with our partners in Gloucester, London, Gateshead and Bradford as well as the related programming and the Refugee Week resources that will be available across the UK.”

Red Isaac, Senior Producer, Gloucester Guildhall, said: “As a dock city, welcoming people seeking sanctuary is built into our story. There is huge pride in this heritage, and the theme of welcoming people features prominently in the work of communities and arts organisations across the city, recognising the transformative and rich contributions of all the cultures that make up Gloucester. The story of welcome, belonging and safety at the heart of the Moomins chime perfectly with Gloucester Guildhall and city’s values. We are delighted to explore and celebrate these important themes in this project with Moomin Characters and Counterpoint Arts.”

Other Moomin80 celebrations around the world will include major exhibitions in Finland, Sweden, Poland, China and South Korea; a raft of new publishing and special anniversary editions; and new product lines across high-end fashion, homeware, gifting and much more.

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We’ll be sharing all the events happening across the city on our website and on social media, bookmark this page and check back for updates to the programme coming soon!

Raise a Glass at Gloucester Guildhall’s Happy Hour!

Looking for the perfect way to relax after a busy day? We’ve got just the thing! Join us for Happy Hour at Gloucester Guildhall, running from 5pm to 7pm, Wednesday to Friday. With draft beer at just £3.00, a 125ml glass of wine also £3.00, and all soft drinks for £2, you can sip, save, and enjoy!

Had a long day? Or maybe you just need an excuse to treat yourself—either way, we’ve got your back. Feeling fancy? Grab a glass of wine and pretend you’re a wine expert (whether you taste oak or just grape, it’s all good).

Prefer a pint? For £3, our draft beer will have you feeling like you’ve struck liquid gold.  And if you're keeping things alcohol-free, don’t worry—our soft drinks are just £2, so you can stay soda-lightful and still join in on the fun.

Whether it’s a pint, a glass of wine, or a fizzy drink, Gloucester Guildhall’s Happy Hour is the best way to wind down. So come along, because here, every sip is a reason to celebrate!

Refurbishment update September 2022

September 2022 has been an extremely busy month for everyone involved with Gloucester Guildhall.  Our renovation work supported by the Galvanised Fund grant of £230k alongside funding from Gloucester City Council has been steadily providing improvements across the facility.

We welcomed customers back to the site on Saturday 1st October with ‘Open Arts Surgery’ a collaborative production between Gloucester’s Your Next Move and Breakin’ Convention in London Sadler’s Wells developed in just one week with mentorship from hip hop theatre aficionados Jonzi D and Jane Sekonya-John. On Sunday 2nd we welcomed ‘Inglorious’ for a night of hard rock and on Wednesday 5th the cinema restarts with a showing of the National Theatre’s production of ‘Prima Facie’ starring Jodie Comer.

The main hall floor has now been stripped back and treated retaining our famous bouncy gig experience.

New lighting, sound and projection technology has been implemented in our hireable rooms. The Fisher Room on our 3rd floor now also benefits from a new sprung dance floor.

One of the biggest improvements to the Guildhall is hidden from view with super-fast internet now available across the whole building. All rooms now benefit from a stable fast connection that provide the capability for hosting online meetings or streaming productions. The task of laying cabling around our Grade 2 listed building was a difficult one but with a fibre connection now installed any future upgrades will be possible.  

Café improvements include a new performance area for live pop-up gigs in the café bar and till systems have been updated to help staff provide the best service possible.

Technical improvements have also been made in the main hall with upgraded LED lights and a 4K projector which produces an incredible picture on our retractable screen.

Alongside all the capital building work Guildhall staff have been busy focussing on other areas to achieve as much as possible whilst the site was closed. One element that was previously hidden from site by carpet was a Victorian tiled floor along the main corridor. This has painstakingly been uncovered and links our modern facility back to its historic past.

You will also notice that lighting has been improved in the gallery and main staircase areas with chandelier style lighting installed to add to the grandeur of the building.

The Guildhall box office is now open Monday to Saturday 10am – 5pm. Please call 01452 503050 or email guildhall.boxoffice@gloucester.gov.uk for all of your enquiries.

For all room hire enquiries across the site please contact 01452 396372 or email hireofguildhall@gloucester.gov.uk.

The following images show some of the changes that have taken place over the past two months.

The painstaking task of removing carpet adhesive from a Victorian tiled floor.

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Gloucester’s biggest performance venue needs to hear from you!

Gloucester Guildhall is currently conducting an open survey to gather the views and opinions of our audiences and those who have not visited us. The results of this survey will feed into development plans that will help to shape our future.  

We have been awarded funding from the DCMS Cultural Recovery Fund to inform the Guildhall’s future sustainability and viability following the pandemic. As such, we are excited to embark on a consultation process to inform a Business Plan that supports the future plans of the Guildhall from 2022 – 2027.  

As part of the consultation process, Marketing and Development Agency, Flying Geese, will be working with the council, Guildhall venue staff and internal and external stakeholders and partners, as well as members of the public via surveys, to draw on local experiences and priorities to ensure that the Guildhall moves into the future as a local venue, firmly embedded in and inspired by the Gloucester community, but playing an important role as a venue that can draw audiences for quality events on a regional and national scale. 

The Guildhall wants to hear from you, whether you’re a frequent visitor or new to the venue - find survey below. Completed entries are entered into the prize draw to be in with the chance of winning £100: https://surveyhero.com/c/guildhall-elist

Gloucester Guildhall is a local authority-run venue right in the heart of Gloucester City. The venue is owned by Gloucester City Council and has been operating for 30 years. It has a well-earned reputation as ‘The County’s Liveliest Venue’ due to its impressive programme of music, comedy and film. As well as the 400-capacity main hall, there is a beautiful 75 seat cinema, multiple meeting and conference spaces, a gallery space and a food and beverage offer, all housed in a Grade II listed building. 

Thank you for taking part in our consultation.