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07 July 2026
A multi-million-pound site upgrade has started at the Harrogate Convention Centre as part of a wide-ranging package of improvements to ensure that the centre can thrive in the competitive conference market and help organisers deliver larger, greener events.
Thanks to a £9.4 million investment from the North Yorkshire Council, the venue’s Studio Two will be reconfigured with soundproof demountable walls, dividing the space into up to eight breakout rooms that can accommodate up to 1,200 delegates. An escalator will be installed to enhance the accessibility between Studios One and Two.
Once complete, Studio Two will bring the Yorkshire venue’s total breakout capacity to 2,600—one of the largest in the UK—complementing the venue’s purpose-built 2,000-seat auditorium, the largest in Northern England. The reconfigured Studio Two is expected to generate more than £1.5 million annually by the 10th year.
Contractors from Galliford Try have been appointed for the upgrade to Studio Two. Work has begun this week (6 July 2026) and is expected to be completed in the spring of 2027.
Smaller improvement projects are already underway to update the building, improve its sustainability performance and bring a more contemporary feel to the North Yorkshire venue. These schemes range from cosmetic enhancement, such as new carpets and interior wall panels, to a comprehensive programme of energy and climate control infrastructure upgrades, which will enable the venue to deliver a better delegate experience in a more efficient and sustainable way, with almost £150,000 in savings in energy bills.
Harrogate Convention Centre was last month (June) named Venue of the Year (Less than 20,000 square metres) at the prestigious AEO Excellence Awards, which are often referred to as the Oscars of the events industry.
The win represents the venue’s second major industry award in the past 12 months, after taking home the title of “Most Innovative and High-Tech Venue” at Event Technology Awards in November 2025.
Michael Constantine, Head of Operations at Harrogate Convention Centre, says “This is a really exciting milestone for the venue and a major investment in our future, enhancing flexibility, accessibility and sustainability, while helping us meet the evolving needs of conference and exhibition organisers for many years to come.
“We look forward to welcoming organisers and delegates into the transformed spaces next year as we celebrate our 45th anniversary and seeing the benefits these improvements will bring. Throughout the project, our priority will be to minimise any impact on clients and events, with careful planning and close collaboration across all teams. I'd like to thank everyone involved at North
Yorkshire Council, Galliford Try and HCC in getting the project underway on schedule, as well as our clients for their continued support as we deliver these important improvements.”
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