Inside Manchester Town Hall’s £524m Refurbishment Project 2026

Key Points

• Refurbishment work at Manchester Town Hall is almost complete, with reopening expected in spring 2027, and it has cost £524.8 million.
• The Manchester Evening News received an exclusive guided tour of the Grade I-listed building.
• The project started following closure of the town hall in January 2018 and is behind schedule by three years.
• Refurbishment work at the town hall has cost around £200 million more than originally budgeted, the Manchester Evening News reports.
• Cleaning of stone, restoration of glass windows, installing new lifts, enhancing accessibility, heating and interior conservation have formed part of the work done so far.
• There are plans for free visitor attraction and visitor center in the building on opening.
• The state rooms will be bookable for private functions like weddings from January 2028.
• According to Manchester City Council, the project aims at conserving the building for future generations and improving public access.
• The Manchester City Council had earlier stated that construction work was 80% complete and would be completed by August 2026, but recent reports indicate that work will be complete in spring 2027.

Manchester (Manchester Mirror) October 20, 2026 – Manchester Town Hall’s long-running £524.8 million refurbishment is entering its final stages, with the Grade I-listed landmark expected to reopen to the public in spring 2027. The Manchester Evening News reported that it was given an exclusive guided tour of the building this week as workers complete the final touches ahead of reopening.

The Our Town Hall project has transformed the Victorian civic building after eight years of closure. As reported by the Manchester Evening News, the restoration has made the historic structure “brighter, cleaner, and more polished”, while retaining its Gothic Revival character and original architectural detail.

The project’s reopening is now projected for spring 2027, three years later than initially scheduled. The Manchester Evening News also reported that the project budget has increased by about £200 million during that period.

What has changed inside Manchester Town Hall?

The most visible changes are at the building’s grand main entrance, beneath the clock tower. According to the Manchester Evening News, visitors will be met by regilded glasswork in the vaulted archways, cleaned stonework and a new lighting design intended to highlight historic features.

The report said every stone surface on the public levels underwent a three-step cleaning process. Steven Hannon, logistics lead for the building, told the Manchester Evening News: “The difference is quite literally night and day.”

Numerous ornate glass windows were removed for cleaning and restoration before being reassembled and reinstalled. The Manchester Evening News reported that the “spiral windows” near the grand staircases had been in poor condition when work began and were carefully rebuilt before returning to the building.

Accessibility has also been a central part of the refurbishment. The Manchester Evening News reported that every entrance has been modified for accessibility and that new lifts now connect all floors of the building.

Which historic rooms have been restored?

The Great Hall on the first floor remains the centrepiece of the restoration. It houses the main civic and state rooms, which the Manchester Evening News described as presenting major conservation challenges because of the intricate detailing across nearly every surface.

The report said conservation teams and archaeological historians researched original designs to inform new lighting and restoration work. It added that the aim was to bring the building as close as possible to the original designs of architect Alfred Waterhouse.

Ford Madox Brown’s murals in the Great Hall have been protected throughout the renovation. According to the Manchester Evening News, they will undergo their own detailed restoration in the coming months.

The organ has been restored to its original design, while light fixtures have had layers of paint removed to reveal original burgundy and green colours. The Manchester Evening News reported that the Great Hall ceiling, decorated with crests from Manchester’s historic trading partners, required careful cleaning to remove tobacco smoke and grime.

The original council chamber is set to become one of the building’s most striking spaces. The Manchester Evening News reported that it will be suitable for small events and weddings, with views over Albert Square and original ornate galleries looking into the chamber.

How will the public be able to use the town hall?

When the town hall reopens, it will include a public visitor centre for the first time. The Manchester Evening News reported that the centre will be located on the ground floor and will highlight the history of the building and Manchester City Council.

Manchester City Council has also said the reopened town hall will feature a new free visitor attraction designed to open up the building’s history and strengthen the city’s cultural offer. As reported by the council, the project is intended to improve public access to the town hall and its collection of artefacts.

The Tower Room will open to the public for the first time in decades. The Manchester Evening News reported that the space, previously used for storage, will be restored and made available as an event space.

All state rooms will be available for private bookings once the town hall is fully operational. According to the Manchester Evening News, weddings can be reserved from January 2028.

A new production kitchen has also been created at the rear of the Great Hall to support functions and events after reopening. The Manchester Evening News reported that corridors have been repainted in colours applied directly to plaster, with workers replicating original designs throughout the building.

Why has the project taken so long?

The town hall closed in January 2018 for the Our Town Hall restoration programme. The Manchester Evening News reported that the project has spanned nine years, nearly matching the time taken to construct the original building, which opened in 1877.

Manchester City Council leader Councillor Garry Bridges said the project had faced “unprecedented challenges”, including the Covid pandemic, labour shortages and unexpected issues within the building that required bespoke design solutions. As quoted by the Manchester Evening News, he said these factors had complicated “an already intricate task”.

Earlier council reporting had identified financial and scheduling pressures. In 2024, the BBC reported that the restoration had gone over budget by £29 million at that stage and that completion could be delayed until summer 2026, rather than the original July 2024 target.

The council later said the construction phase was 80% complete and that a programme had been developed for works to conclude in August 2026. It also stated that negotiations with contractors over financial claims and other issues were ongoing.

More recent reporting from the Manchester Evening News said scaffolding had begun to come down from parts of the building and that the project remained planned for completion in spring 2027. The council was quoted as saying the forecast was in line with that date.

What work remains before reopening?

Although much of the exterior work has progressed, significant interior tasks remain. The Manchester Evening News reported that mosaic flooring in the bees landing area was still covered while restoration continued, and that further polishing would take place once the wider refurbishment was complete.

The report also said the sculpture hall would be reinstated on completion, alongside the new visitor centre. The building’s third floor is set to house the Coroner’s Court and officials, while the fourth floor will include legal services offices.

Outside the town hall, Albert Square has been transformed and fully pedestrianised. The Manchester Evening News reported that the square reopened and hosted the finale of Manchester Day, while scaffolding has been removed from large parts of the town hall exterior.

The council previously said most of the enlarged Albert Square would be available for the 2025 Christmas programme, the first time since 2019. It said the square’s works would be resequenced and accelerated to enable the winter return.

What has the council said about the project?

Councillor Garry Bridges, deputy leader of Manchester City Council, said residents and visitors were looking forward to having the town hall and civic square back. As reported by the council, he said: “We know Mancunians and visitors alike are looking forward to having their town hall and their civic square back and better than ever.”

He added that the council was developing “a civic square to rival the best in Europe” and looked forward to announcing more details about Christmas in Albert Square and celebrations for the town hall’s reopening.

In the Manchester Evening News report, Bridges described the refurbishment as a “once-in-a-century endeavour” to preserve the landmark for future generations. He said the council looked forward to welcoming people back to a town hall that was “more accessible and impressive than ever”.

He also said the project was the largest heritage project in the UK in recent memory. According to the Manchester Evening News, he said the completed building would be prepared for the next 150 years and would be opened up “like never before”.

Background of the development

Manchester Town Hall was designed by architect Alfred Waterhouse in the Gothic Revival style and first opened in 1877. The Manchester Evening News reported that the building is Grade I listed and remains one of Manchester’s most significant civic landmarks.

The Our Town Hall project was launched to repair, restore and refurbish the building while upgrading its infrastructure. The council has described it as the largest and most complex heritage scheme in the UK, with work covering structural repairs, internal stonework, mosaic flooring, stained glass, electrics, plumbing, heating, ventilation and lifts.

The project also includes restoration of the State Rooms, Great Hall, Ford Madox Brown murals, town hall clock, organ and the building’s collection of paintings and artworks. The council said safeguarding the town hall for future generations and improving public access were central aims of the scheme.

The project has faced repeated delays and cost pressures. The BBC reported in 2024 that the restoration was £29 million over budget at that point, while later reporting by the Manchester Evening News said the overall budget had risen by around £200 million.

Prediction: How will this affect Manchester residents and visitors?

For Manchester residents, the reopening is likely to restore a major civic and cultural space at the heart of the city. The planned free visitor attraction and visitor centre could give local people greater access to the building’s history, artworks and civic heritage than before.

For visitors, the restored Great Hall, State Rooms and improved public access may make the town hall a stronger cultural destination alongside the redesigned Albert Square. The council has positioned the square and town hall as a combined civic offer, with the square already hosting major public events including the Manchester Day finale.

For the events and weddings sector, the return of bookable state rooms from January 2028 could create new opportunities for ceremonies, private functions and civic events. The Manchester Evening News reported that a new production kitchen has been built to support such functions once the building reopens.

For Manchester’s wider visitor economy, the spring 2027 reopening could coincide with the 150th anniversary of the town hall’s original opening in September 2027. The council has said it plans a period of engagement with residents to celebrate the reopening of the town hall and square up to and including that anniversary.