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The Crucible Theater is set for a major £45million upgrade as the World Snooker Championship remains in Sheffield
Danny Jones
Sheffield Theaters' popular Crucible is set for a massive upgrade as the World Snooker Championships (WSC) will remain in the Steel City.
Great news for sports Yorkshire all around.
The redevelopment of the listed building, estimated to be worth around £45 million, will not begin soon but is expected to increase the capacity of the premises by more than 50%.
The major renovation, announced on Tuesday, March 24, will be funded in part by public money and supplemented by the private sector and “philanthropic partners.”
The UK Government and Sheffield City Council will invest around £35 million, with a further £10 million coming from the investment mentioned above.
With the theater soon to be able to expand or contract in size, the hope is that the new “in the round” format will allow the Crucible to serve its arts and sports audiences for decades to come and open the large north stage to new possibilities.
The start is scheduled for summer 2028. The exact completion date is still unclear, but the plans support confirmation that the annual snooker tournament will remain in place.
A new agreement with the WSC They will remain in Sheff until at least 2045, with the number of seats in the Crucible increasing from just under 1,000 to 1,480.
It is also said that the contract includes an option to extend the contract until 2050, and given that it is one of the largest competitive events held in the city year after year, they would be expected to lobby the council and partners for this as well.
Photo credit: Bread and Butter PR (included)
Dan Walker, Chairman of Sheffield Theaters Trustsaid in a statement: “The Crucible is a wonderful theater with an excellent reputation, and the positive impact of this investment will be seen for years to come.”
“As a proud resident of Sheffield, I know how important snooker is to our city, but this isn’t just good news for Sheffield: it’s amazing news for the north of England and the wider UK.”
If all goes according to plan, the overhaul is expected to take about 18 months, with productions taking place in the Lyceium and the newest space, the Montgomery.
At the same time, Sheffield Theaters will continue to present new works at home and abroad throughout this period. Further details will follow in autumn 2026.
Credit: Supplied
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