When Nicky Chance-Thompson first visited the Piece Hall in Halifax, it was in a ‘terrible state of disrepair’. Today it’s the town’s ‘golden goose’ welcoming some of the biggest names in music
A huge 66,000 square foot open-air courtyard, Halifax’s Piece Hall is unlike anywhere else in the world – and that’s a fact. This Grade-I listed Georgian cloth hall is the only one of its kind, but that’s not the only thing which makes this stunning tourist attraction so special.
As well as being a piece of history, it’s very much grounded in the present as one of the North’s major music venues hosting some of the biggest names in the world. This year the line-up includes Madness, The Kooks, David Byrne and CMAT to name but a few.
Another string to its bow are the Christmas markets it puts on every festive season, which welcome thousands of visitors. Oh, it’s also worth mentioning that it’s home to a diverse range of independent shops, cafes and bars which operate all-year round.
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A 40-minute train ride from Manchester, Halifax has become a popular destination for Mancunians, whether it’s for a market visit or to head to an open-air gig in the summer months. The Piece Hall has played a huge part in that success.
It recently welcomed its 20 millionth visitor and it’s on track for a surplus of £300k this financial year. Not bad considering that just under 10 years ago it wasn’t even open to the public.
Over the last couple of decades the Piece Hall has been transformed from a tired, unused space into an engine for economic growth and a major tourist destination. One of the masterminds behind its transformation is the current CEO of the Piece Hall, Nicky Chance-Thompson.
Nicky moved up to Yorkshire in 2006 from London as her husband’s family is from Halifax, and the Piece Hall was one of the first buildings he took her to as it was somewhere his family were connected to because of the markets.
At the time the Piece Hall was in a “terrible state of disrepair”. Nicky had been working on major projects across the world in her day job and she thought the piece hall could really do with some TLC, “it wasn’t a place where people would visit or hang out”.
In 2010 Calderdale Council was awarded funding by the Heritage Lottery fund to restore and redevelop the Piece Hall with restoration beginning in 2014. Funding also came from the Garfield Weston Foundation and the Wolfson Foundation.
Nicky describes this move by the Council as a “brave decision” at the time, given the austerity measures of 2010-2012. “I think they thought that this could be a really valuable asset, which needs to be nurtured, cherished and protected. If done correctly it could be a catalyst for regeneration in the area – a bit like what Covent Garden has done in London.”
Initially Nicky was a trustee, balancing the role alongside her day job working in major infrastructure projects across the USA, Europe and the UK. In 2017 the CEO left the business and Nicky was brought in as the interim CEO thanks to her skillset with the goal of creating a plan to get the building open.
Realising the mammoth task at hand, eventually Nicky quit her day job and took a “significant pay cut” in the process and gave up dreams of buying a property in France, which meant she could “get this marvellous building open again”.
The Piece Hall officially opened on August 1, 2017 – fittingly on Yorkshire Day. Since then – in Nicky’s words – it’s gone “from strength to strength” and now welcomes some of the biggest names in music. In fact the Piece Hall has become so renowned as a music venue that artists actually ask to play there, rather than the other way round.
She told the M.E.N: “This year we’ve got our biggest music series yet with 42 concerts of high calibre acts, including Johnny Depp and Hollywood vampires, Empire of the Sun, who are my personal favourite this year – and I believe they’re only doing three shows, one of which is the Piece Hall.
“We’re not seeing these types of the acts of this calibre performing at other venues of a similar capacity elsewhere, certainly not at the scale that we’ve got with a capacity of 6,000. Obviously Manchester can pull in these big names because you have these big venues, yet we’re managing to do it and actually break even or make money.
“We’ve got a great partnership with Live Nation and I work closely with Daniel Cuffe and Peter Taylor [who founded Cuffe & Taylor, now part of entertainment company Live Nation], we share the same dream and the same vision. For example, they agreed to allow our tenant bars to remain open when the concerts are taking place allowing them to benefit from the gigs. They understand that community is so important to us.”
Of course, it helps having such a unique building to offer, which drives “curiosity”, as Nicky puts it. “The Piece Hall was kind of known as a hidden gem and people hadn’t heard of it – so there’s this interest to see this amazing building. It’s a beautiful building and to experience music here, in this space, is quite ethereal and magical.
“You get goosebump moments here, where you’re standing in history, in this phenomenal building, listening to your favourite bands – in my case Duran Duran. But whoever that may be, you still get that same feeling.
“It’s almost like this place was built for concerts, because it’s got this kind of amphitheatre feel to it. The sound is unbelievable, it echoes and bounces.”
The Piece Hall isn’t just known for its music scene, every winter it holds Christmas Markets for the course of five to six weeks. “These bring in around 300,000 people, and the markets are almost like stepping back in time. It feels like a Dickensian film, especially when it’s snowing, it’s really beautiful and we’ve got high quality producers too. As a series of market towns, it’s in our DNA to love markets, and we’ve been told we’re rather good at them now.”
Naturally running a building as unique as the Piece Hall comes with its challenges, and the biggest one is “balancing the books”. Nicky highlights that the building is very expensive to run, but they do not rely entirely on public funding, instead operating at a model which is around 70 per cent commercial and 30 per cent public funding.
Unlike other historic buildings, the Piece Hall doesn’t charge for entry due to the shops and facilities within, and it doesn’t have a car park which is another way of generating revenue. “We’re not the only ones that feel this pain, but we try to be as self-sustaining as we can, and I believe that we have been over time. But it would be madness to suggest that we could be self-sustaining without public funding – for example there are other cultural assets out there which don’t generate 300,000 visitors [like the Piece Hall], charge entry and receive £90,000 of government funding,” Nicky said.
“You’d say, well where’s the national funding for this important asset that’s doing two things: it’s preserving this marvelous building for future generations and creating economic and socioeconomic uplift for the area.
“But it’s not just about the money, it’s also about opportunity. We have the Academy which takes on young people and nurtures creative skills, we deliver events, we’re extending into TV and film – so on that basis, you could argue that if you want this to be a regional and cultural asset it will always require some level of public funding. The question of where from will always be asked, and that’s very much an ongoing debate.”
Nicky explains that even though the Piece Hall puts on these huge music events, they also bring huge costs such as the infrastructure and security. Even the weather can have an impact as the better it is the more likely people will spend in the bars.
She added: “I think the challenge going forward is recognising that this is Halifax’s golden goose, and you want to preserve the golden goose that’s doing these wonderful things for the economy, then you need to support it. It’s always going to require some formal support in the future. Obviously when we set out with these plans all those years ago the world was a very different place back then, so we need to adapt. Will we ever be self-sustaining? No, but we can always strive to minimise the pull on the public purse as much as we can.”
Transforming a local landmark and attracting visitors doesn’t just benefit the building itself, it has repercussions for the wider economy, as well as boosting civic pride, as Nicky explained: “I think a lot of people in Halifax are proud of the Piece Hall, they love and cherish it, and they’re proud of what we’re doing. There are a few voices of discontent, but I think that happens with any success story and there’s always a difference of opinion of how it should be run and how it should be used. We’ve got a sustained high street because of the Piece Hall – Lloyds Bank have stayed here, M&S have stayed here, so that shows that we’re sustaining employers in the area.”
The Piece Hall is part of a huge tourism boom in the Calderdale region which has also benefitted nearby towns like Hebden Bridge and Todmorden, boosted by TV writer Sally Wainwright’s creations such as Gentleman Jack, Happy Valley, Last Tango in Halifax and Riot Women. According to Visit Calderdale, in 2024 the region welcomed 7.179 million day visitors, worth £469.86m to the local economy. “These have all given a sharp focus to the area, we’re really rich in history, rich with interesting stories and there’s a lot which is yet to be told,” Nicky explained. “Cultural assets like these create a sense of place, create narrative, and create stories that people are fascinated by, which means you get tourism.”
One thing which is clear is Nicky’s passion for the Piece Hall, no doubt a key part in its success. “I’m aware of the responsibility we have and we take this very seriously, but looking after this building is a side of life which is about fun. We’re creating magic for people, memories, experiences and allowing them to enjoy this building – which is the only one of its type left in the world. It’s like our Eiffel Tower.
“I believe it deserves more spotlight, that’s what our next ambition is.” Nicky indeed has big plans; she travelled to India last year as part of a delegation following Keir Starmer’s visit, focussing on businesses with a common interest with India – which the Piece Hall has through its history with trading cloth and textiles. Nicky was invited to speak about the topic of culture and heritage, discussing the role of people and culture as a unifier. “If we’re going to be a world-class destination, we need to ensure that we are engaging and having relationships with other parts of the world.”
The Piece Hall’s transformation offers a blueprint for other ‘unloved’ historic buildings across the North and Nicky has been invited to share her expertise elsewhere. She added: “I’m often invited to go to places to help them understand their strengths and how they can play into them. I think Andy Burnham once said he’s not envious of anything in Yorkshire except the Piece Hall – which is a bit naughty but we’ll take the accolade.
“I think the sense of place is the really important thing, you need to ask what’s important to the people, what are the stories of the place? When you prioritise that you’re reinforcing the community. Many places have lost that social infrastructure – I’m very envious of places where there’s a strong sense of community. I think Liverpool is a good example of this, they have a strong sense of who they are, and they’re proud of it. Some of that has been carved out of adversity, but some of that has also been carved out of a love of place – and we need to start doing more of that in the UK.”
Nicky reveals that they do see a lot of visitors from Manchester, but they’re keen to encourage even more. “The Piece Hall is just a part of their heritage as much as it is the heritage of the people of Halifax. Own it, be proud of it. Many of the artists who perform here are Manchester artists and they love it. Johnny Marr said to me that this is all people talk about, The Charlatans, they love it here. We have some great independent traders who are working really hard to make this a wonderful attraction and a really wonderful place to come.”
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