Wigmore Hall “no longer requires public funding” after successful appeal
Howard Lake | 3 April 2025 | News
Wigmore Hall, the concert venue in London, has announced that it no longer requires public funding, after raising £10 million in order to become financially self-sufficient.
The achievement follows a campaign last year from the venue’s director John Gilhooly to make it financially self-sustaining. Indeed, following the Director’s Fund’s success, reaching its target earlier than expected, the classical music venue will withdraw voluntarily from the Arts Council England portfolio of funded organisations in April 2026.
Gilhooly said:
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“The financial security provided by the Director’s Fund will allow us to remain artistically ambitious for years to come, ensuring that Wigmore Hall continues to be a vital and independent force in the musical life of the UK and beyond. We are deeply grateful to music lovers at home and abroad who so faithfully support our work”.
The Director’s Fund timeframe was “for the next 50 years”, during which it would “invest in future generations of artists at every stage of their career, innovative independent programming, and an uncompromising quality of experience”.
The achievement comes in the hall’s 125th season. It coincides with a new £500,000 grant from the AKO Founation that will support Classic FM’s £5 Tickets for Under 35s scheme for a further five years. Established 10 years ago the scheme has helped over 200,000 young people access live classical music.
Wigmore Hall’s Monday lunchtime concerts continue to be broadcast live on BBC Radio 3.
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About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.