Dundee is set to welcome a major addition to its entertainment scene with the opening of the Dundee Livehouse, a 4,000-capacity live events venue, scheduled to open next month.
As per The Courier, the new venue, which will be the third-largest in Scotland, will be located on the site of the former Mecca Bingo and the historic Greens Playhouse in the Nethergate. The venue aims to re-establish the legacy of this landmark as a cultural hub in the city.
Here is what the entrance with the revamped 1930s tower will look like:
Bringing back Greens for the 21st century
The original Greens Playhouse, designed by architect John Fairweather, was an art deco masterpiece that opened its doors in 1936.
Known for its towering 85-foot steel and glass structure, gold plaster decorations, and seating for over 4,100 people, Greens was one of Dundee’s grandest cinemas.
The stalls alone could accommodate over 2,500 guests, with an additional 1,500 seats in the balcony and boxes. The Playhouse quickly became a cultural staple, drawing crowds from across the region.
In the mid-1960s, the building was sold to Mecca, who converted it into a bingo hall.
However, in 1995, a devastating fire destroyed most of the original building, sparing only the iconic advertising tower. The site was rebuilt as a modern bingo hall, but many still remember the architectural glory of the original Playhouse.
Scaled down version of arena
For some time, the city considered plans to construct a new 10,000-capacity arena at the same site, but logistical challenges and funding constraints prompted developers to pivot.
The decision to renovate the existing site honours the history of Greens Playhouse, giving a nod to its past while adapting for a new era.
The Dundee Livehouse promises to be a vibrant addition to Dundee’s cultural landscape, capable of hosting large-scale concerts, theatre performances, and other live events.
Its launch is part of a broader push to revitalise Dundee’s entertainment options, underscoring the city’s commitment to celebrating its past while embracing its future.
Esports could play a huge role
There is a scope of events that the new venue will be used for, with esports as a potential . The Courier further adds that esports could take centre stage in the entertainment aspect with discussions with an international games developer ongoing.
This raises questions over the future of the 1,000-seater waterfront arena which originally was to be the same size as the Livehouse but there have been no updates on the project.
Dundee is growing as a hub for esports, being the first city in Scotland to introduce a course in the subject, as well as the opening of Dundee and Angus College’s state-of-the-art Esports Studios at their Gardyne Campus which is the first of its kind too, and Abertay University’s Competitive Games Lab at their campus.
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