An Update on the Redevelopment of Cambridge Corn Exchange
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Avid Corn Exchange visitors and supporters may have spotted that we haven’t published an events programme for January 2027 or beyond.
This is because we have been busy planning an exciting renovation which, if approved by Cambridge City Council in November, will see our much-loved venue modernised, helping us ensure we can continue providing you with the live experiences you love. An improved roof, improved toilets and improved accessibility are all built into the plan with work anticipated to start in January 2027 until summer 2028.
A final decision on the project (part of Cambridge City Council’s Civic Quarter project) will be taken in November but in anticipation of our temporary closure we have chosen not to book in events from January onwards rather than continue with a programme that may then need to be cancelled.
We understand that the temporary closure (if approved in November) may be disappointing to visitors and supporters, as well as local businesses, but we are confident that you will love our transformation and that it will be worth waiting for.
As custodian of the Corn Exchange, we need to invest in its upkeep and we want to do this in a way that will ensure the venue remains a leading cultural venue for future generations. The redevelopment will help us reduce maintenance costs that otherwise continue to increase, bring down our carbon emissions by up to 80%, whilst improving accessibility, sustainability, hospitality, and the experience for both performers and audiences.
The council has been developing proposals over the last couple of years, with multiple consultations to help shape the proposals. During 2026, the planning applications related to the proposals were approved. But the final decision about whether to proceed will be taken by councillors at a meeting of Full Council on 26 November 2026.
If councillors decide to proceed, the Corn Exchange will close at the end of December this year, so that the refurbishment can start from January 2027. This is anticipated to take 18 months, meaning the refurbished Corn Exchange would be due to reopen in summer 2028.
Should councillors decide not to go ahead, we will get straight to work on getting some great shows booked in for 2027 and audiences will likely see shows start to appear on the schedule from autumn 2027 onwards.
In the meantime there will still be plenty on offer across the city at Cambridge’s other arts and cultural venues – visit the BID’s event listings, or take a look at the council’s own year-round programme of free City Events.