York Barbican is an indoor entertainment venue located in

York York is a cathedral city in North Yorkshire, England, with Roman Britain, Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers River Ouse, Yorkshire, Ouse and River Foss, Foss. It has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a Yor ...

, England. Named after the nearby

barbican A barbican (from ) is a fortified outpost or fortified gateway, such as at an outer defense perimeter of a city or castle, or any tower situated over a gate or bridge which was used for defensive purposes. Europe Medieval Europeans typically b ...

attached to Walmgate Bar, the venue hosts a busy calendar of live music, comedy and sports, as well as business events and conferences. It has a 1,500 seating capacity and a 1,900 standing capacity. York Barbican is the host venue for the second biggest-ranking

snooker Snooker (pronounced , ) is a cue sport played on a rectangular Billiard table#Snooker and English billiards tables, billiards table covered with a green cloth called baize, with six Billiard table#Pockets 2, pockets: one at each corner and ...

tournament, the

UK Championship The UK Championship is a professional ranking snooker tournament. It is one of snooker's prestigious Triple Crown events, along with the World Championship and the Masters. It is usually held at the Barbican in York, England. Ronnie O'Sull ...

, and has done so from

2001 The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...

2006 2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. Events January * January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute. * January 12 – A stampede during t ...

, and then from

2011 The year marked the start of a Arab Spring, series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen ...

onwards. The centre is located on the southern end of

city centre, opposite the

city walls A defensive wall is a fortification usually used to protect a city, town or other settlement from potential aggressors. The walls can range from simple palisades or earthworks to extensive military fortifications such as curtain walls with to ...

History

The current facility was built in 1989 at a price of £15 million by York Council, adding to a swimming pool, which had been previously constructed on the site in 1980. The 1989 construction added a sports hall and auditorium, with a climbing wall facility, café and bars. Despite offering the largest concert facility and a wide range of classes and local events (such as the annual York Interschool Battle of the Bands), York Barbican consistently made losses while it was operated by the council, and in 2000, both the swimming pool and new facilities were placed on the market in a bid to pass them on to private management. By 2003, a single bidder had emerged as the preferred company to develop the site. Proposals to build new swimming facilities were part of the plans. However, a local group of residents, 'Save Our Barbican' (S.O.B.) spearheaded local opposition to the proposals circulated in the public consultation. Later planned developments suggested apartments on the site, or a casino and nightclub facility. By the end of 2004, with no plans accepted and a legal case going forward by the resident group, York Barbican was closed and lay empty for years to come. The swimming pool building was demolished, and the 1989 building began to show signs of weathering and vandalism and closed down. In spring 2011, it finally reopened after a £1.5 million refurbishment, owned by the council but managed by ASM Global, an international venue operator. On 19 June 2021, a local group of squatters moved into the demolished swimming pool and reclaimed it as "Barbican Community Centre". They claim they are stopping the land - which has been empty for 15 years - from being developed into expensive student accommodation.

Notable events

The Liberal Democrats regularly hold the

Liberal Democrat Conference The Liberal Democrat Conference, also known inside the party as the ''Liberal Democrat Federal Conference'', is a twice-per-year political conference of the British Liberal Democrats (UK), Liberal Democrats, the third-largest political party in ...

at the venue.Roger Mortimore and Andrew Blick, ''Butler's British Political Facts'', Palgrave Macmillan 2018, p. 274 & 275. The venue is the current host of the UK Snooker Championship. In 2019, the venue hosted the Conservative Party Hustings, between Jeremy Hunt and Boris Johnson.

References

External links

https://asmglobal.com/ *
The 'Save Our Barbican' Site
{{Authority control Commercial buildings completed in 1989 Indoor arenas in England Snooker venues Buildings and structures in York Culture in York Event venues established in 1989 Music venues in North Yorkshire Sports venues in Yorkshire