The latest report on the Our Town Hall project charts further progress on the largest and most complex heritage scheme in the UK – including a key milestone for Albert Square.
The update confirms that most of the transformed and enlarged square will be made available to support 2025’s Christmas programme – for the first time since 2019.
While works to the square will not be completely finished, they will be resequenced and accelerated to ensure it makes a welcome winter return.
The project team of skilled contractors is now 80% of the way through works in the project’s ‘construction’ phase. While negotiations with contractors around financial claims and other issues are ongoing, a programme to completion has been developed which would see works conclude in August 2026.
The festive attraction, more details of which will be announced later in the year, will kick-start a period of engagement with Manchester residents designed to share and celebrate the reopening of the remarkable town hall and square. This will run up to and including September 2027, which will mark the 150th anniversary of the building’s original opening.
Safeguarding the town hall, a nationally-important Manchester icon, for generations to come through repair, restoration and refurbishment is at the heart of the project. So too is improving public access to this incredible building and its collection of artefacts which help tell the story of the city. When it reopens it will include a new free visitor attraction which will open up its history and add to the city’s cultural offer.
Deputy Council Leader Councillor Garry Bridges said: “We know Mancunians and visitors alike are looking forward to having their town hall and their civic square back and better than ever and it’s great that we can now look ahead to that.
“We are developing a civic square to rival the best in Europe and it will be exciting to see it pilot Christmas events this year ahead of a full permanent opening next year.
“We look forward over the course of this year to announcing more details about Christmas in Albert Square and how people in Manchester can help us celebrate the reopening of their magnificent town hall.”
“We’ve overcome so many challenges to get to this point and while the unique nature of the project is such that some inevitably still remain, we believe the end result will be something special.”
The Our Town Hall report will be considered by the Council’s Resources and Governance Scrutiny Committee when it meets on Thursday 6 March.
The project is continuing to operate within its revised £429 million budget, adjusted in October last year, but some residual risks remain. A further update report will be brought forward this summer once negotiations with the management contractor have concluded and the completion date is confirmed.
