MORE than £2.5 million has been secured to redevelop Weston’s iconic Tropicana.

North Somerset Council has been awarded £2.7m from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Cultural Development Fund, delivered by Arts Council England.

The council said the cash will pay for additional work as part of a project to transform the iconic seafront building.

The £2.7m funding for the Tropicana in Weston will be used to:

• improve and fit out interior spaces for culture and entertainment, increasing accessibility, and enabling greater flexibility of use through the ability to hold events and activities of a greater range of sizes
• install equipment such as for lighting and sound to accelerate a future venue operator’s delivery
• deliver a cultural programme in a partnership between the council, the venue operator and local cultural organisations boomsatsuma and Super Culture.

The council, which recently unveiled plans for the Tropicana, is also working on the procurement of an “experienced operator” to run the venue for at least 20 years.

Decisions on exactly how the funding will be spent will be discussed and agreed once the venue operator has been appointed, due to be announced this summer.

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Cllr Mike Solomon, executive member for culture and leisure, said: “I’m delighted that our bid has been approved – well done to council officers for all their hard work in making this happen.

“This funding will enable us to work with a venue operator to further secure the long-term viability of the site as a culture and entertainment venue.

“The much-loved Tropicana is a key destination at the heart of Weston’s seafront. Reinventing this iconic landmark building will create new jobs, support local businesses and deliver a year-round experience-led economy for the future.

“We want to attract higher profile acts, culture and entertainment events to elevate Weston’s place within the regional, national and international scene.”

How the revamped frontage at the Tropicana in Weston could look. Picture: KTA/North Somerset Council

The Tropicana shot to international fame in 2015, when it housed the Dismaland art installation by renowned graffiti artist, Banksy.

And Phil Gibby, south west area director for Arts Council England, said the new funding would help develop a “year-round cultural programme” in Weston.

“This is a landmark moment for cultural development in North Somerset, a designated Arts Council England Priority Place,” he said. “The redevelopment of the Tropicana will benefit both residents and visitors through a dynamic, year-round cultural programme.

“We’re proud to be investing on behalf of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport alongside North Somerset Council and other key partners in support of culture-led regeneration, building on the legacies of initiatives like SEE Monster and Dismaland, and Arts Council-funded organisations such as boomsatsuma and Super Culture.

“We know the power of cultural investment goes far beyond the stage – it creates jobs, nurtures skills, improves health and wellbeing, boosts tourism, revitalises public spaces, and inspires the next generation to reach their full potential.

“This is a big moment for the future of Weston-super-Mare.”

Mark Curtis, CEO at boomsatsuma, said: “boomsatsuma is excited to be part of the reimagining of the Tropicana and to be returning to Weston-super-Mare.

“We are looking forward to bringing our unique approach to creative industries training to the town and contributing to its future.”

The Tropicana housed Banksy’s Dismaland in 2015. Picture: Jambot2000

And Fiona Matthews, creative director at Super Culture, added: “This award from Arts Council England’s Cultural Development Fund presents a momentous opportunity for culture and creativity in Weston and at the Tropicana, one of Weston’s landmark destinations.

“From freelancers to internationally renowned companies, the local and regional cultural sector brims with an innovation and vibrancy that will hallmark future plans.

“A heritage building that straddles land and sea, the Tropicana is beloved as a site for the whole community to play.

“This ethos will be at the heart of Tropicana’s future story – an inclusive and ambitious space for creative collaboration and experimentation, underpinned throughout by talent development opportunities that enable the wider creative economy to flourish.”

Plans for the Tropicana, submitted last week by North Somerset Council, aim to bring the venue up to date.

The Tropicana closed at the start of this month (January), although the Bay Café and the Makers Market concessions at the front of the promenade building will remain open until after the Easter school holidays.

Subject to planning approval, work is due to complete on the makeover by March 2026, when an appointed venue operator will move in, reopening the Tropicana shortly afterwards.