Scottish theatre to get £3.5m state aid to complete refurbishment

The grant, which will cover the final fit out of the theatre’s heritage exhibitions, furniture for the café bar and front of house, will take the total Scottish Government contribution for the theatre’s development to £17.5 million.

It will also fund the final settlement of the main building works contract for the redevelopment. The total cost of the refurbishment remains at £40.7m.

The funds will cover the final costs associated with the extensive refurbishment of the building which has been home to the theatre since 1945.

The Gorbals theatre was closed from 2018 and finally re-opened in August 2025, following seven years of work to modernise the building.

Kate Denby, executive director of the Citizens Theatre, said: “Thanks to this vital funding from the Scottish Government we can now close out the redevelopment project and fully embrace the new opportunities the building offers audiences, artists and communities across Scotland.

“When the Citizens Theatre reopened last year, we were overwhelmed with the outpouring of support for our return.”

She said more than 50,000 people had visited the theatre since it reopened, with almost 5,000 people signing up to its membership scheme.

She added: “With the building project now complete, we can concentrate on what we do best - delivering inspiring experiences to connect people and communities together. We thank the Scottish Government and all our funders for their support and leadership.”

Culture secretary Angus Robertson said Citizens Theatre was a “significant national asset for the theatre sector”.

He said: “This latest funding, covering the final costs of the seven-year refurbishment, takes total Scottish Government investment in the theatre’s development to £17.5 million, underlining our recognition of the Citizens’ importance for the Gorbals, for Glasgow, and the wider theatre sector.”

The building has undergone a transformational, multi-million pound refurbishment, the first since the category B-listed venue began life as a working theatre in 1878.

Initially slated for reopening in 2021, the project was delayed by the Covid pandemic and complications with the renovation. Final costs are believed to be more than £30 million, with the Scottish Government forced to step in at the end of last year to plug an £8m funding shortfall that MSPs warned could put the theatre’s future at risk.

The first play to be performed in the theatre after its reopening last year, was Lockerbie-themed Small Acts of Love, by Frances Poet, a music-led story based on the 1988 terrorist attack on Pan Am 103.

Alison Newtown, chair of the Citizens Theatre Board, said: “We are deeply grateful to the Scottish Government for this crucial funding that allows us to complete our building redevelopment project. With our funders support, we have delivered a transformed, accessible theatre building, deeply rooted in the many communities that it serves.

“Glasgow has welcomed us back with open arms – with more than 50,000 people through our doors since we reopened last year. Our funders have been steadfast in their commitment to the project and this final intervention by the Scottish Government was the last step in the journey.

“With an exciting season of work ahead, we will continue to deliver artistic excellence for and with our communities as part of Scotland’s rich and internationally renowned cultural offer.”