(Photo credit: Richard Saker)

Director John Gilhooly reports that Wigmore Hall has succeeded in its aim to raise £10m and will no longer require Arts Council funding.

Last year, Gilhooly launched a fund that aimed to make the Wigmore Hall financially self-sustaining in “an uncertain public environment for classical music in the UK.” The venue hoped to raise £10m by 2027, but has reached its target early. An official press release stated, “Providing long-term financial security, the fund allows Wigmore Hall to remain ambitious and artistically bold while retaining its independence.”

Wigmore Hall also received a £500,000 grant from the AKO Foundation. This grant enables the Hall to provide £5 tickets for concertgoers under 35 to continue for a further five years.

Amid its 125th anniversary celebrations in April 2026, the London venue will voluntarily take itself out of the Arts Council England portfolio. It currently receives £344,206 a year from the Arts Council.

Upcoming performances at Wigmore Hall include musicians Rhiannon Giddens and baritone Matthias Goerne, Lawrence Brownlee, Benjamin Appl, and Barbara Hannigan, among others.

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