Fareham Live venue takes big step towards opening with work on its fly tower

The 10m-high wall panelling is being lifted into place on Fareham Live using a 150-tonne crane, in works which are scheduled to take around two weeks to complete. This element of work will dramatically change the appearance of the venue.

The fly tower allows stage components such as curtains, lights, scenery and sometimes people to be lifted off the stage quickly, quietly and safely. This technology will attract bigger and better shows to the venue. Fareham Live is the replacement for Ferneham Hall which closed down in January 2020. The project was originally to have cost £12.57m, but after Covid-enforced breaks and spiralling building and material costs, that rose to £17m.

Executive member for leisure and community at Fareham Borough Council, Councillor Sue Walker, said: “This is an exciting development for Fareham Live and takes us another step toward our grand opening in 2024. I think the gold external wall panelling is only fitting on such an important feature, as the fly tower will be game changing in attracting high-quality shows to the venue.”

The council has chosen Trafalgar Theatres to operate the venue when it opens.

Alvin Hargreaves, group operations director at Trafalgar Theatres added: “The inclusion of a fly tower at Fareham Live will ensure that the venue’s theatrical capabilities are aligned to the requirements of the most technically demanding modern shows. The fly tower is an integral part of the stage house and facilitates the live-flying of show cloths and scenery, as well as accommodating the theatre’s cinema and stage lighting systems. By including a fly-tower in the theatre’s design the council is ensuring that Trafalgar Theatres can present the widest possible programme of shows and events to the most diverse audiences.”

You can sign up to the new venue’s mailing list to be one of the first to find out about new shows and events when it opens at fareham.gov.uk/farehamlive. There is also a unique opportunity for the public to be a part of the exclusive soundwave artwork in the grand foyer, A Wave of Thanks.