Stuart WoodThekla, the floating live venue and bar in Bristol, will undergo a £1m overhaul, beginning 6 June.
The overhaul is to secure the venue’s future for another 50 years, fitting a new steel offset hull around the existing hull.
The venue say that “although Thekla undergoes regular, routine inspection and repair, a detailed survey showed that the existing hull is near the end of its life.”
The renovation is expected to take around three months, and will take place in the Albion dry dock. Thekla will reopen in September, with the exact date set to be announced through its website and social media channels.
George Akins of DHP Family, Thekla’s owner, said: “There’s a lot of love for Thekla in Bristol, around the country and worldwide. Both music fans and bands like Florence and the Machine, White Denim, Mumford & Sons, Ellie Goulding and many others who have played there over the years have taken part in some great nights.
“We’re committed to preserving that heritage and that’s why we’re getting the new hull fitted – we need to make sure that Thekla continues to be a great night out for the next fifty years.”
Martin Childs of the Albion Dock Company said: “We are very pleased to be undertaking works on the Thekla and so secure her long-term future in Bristol. Equally, her visit to the Albion Dockyard helps our venture bringing this historic facility back to full-time use as a working dry dock.”