Baths Hall
A live-entertainment and arts venue in Scunthorpe, England, developed from a 1931 public bath house.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Baths Hall is an entertainment and arts venue at 59 Doncaster Road in Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, England. The building began life as a public bath house dating from 1931, but its later identity has been shaped primarily by its use as a concert, comedy, dance and live-events venue. It is a locally significant cultural facility rather than a consumer-goods brand, with its name attached to the building, the venue operation and the programme of public performances staged there. The venue has hosted a broad range of entertainment, including live music, comedy and dance. Artists associated with the hall have included The Kinks, Status Quo, Ocean Colour Scene, The Damned, The Bluetones and The Levellers. The late BBC radio DJ and broadcaster John Peel also appeared there regularly, contributing to the hall's reputation within the region's live-music circuit. Its programming has therefore combined established touring acts with the atmosphere and scale of a regional performance venue. Baths Hall's history has also been marked by local political debate. A previous Conservative-controlled North Lincolnshire Council administration planned to close the baths, demolish the building and replace it with privately developed housing. After Labour took control of the council in 2007, the new administration honoured its manifesto commitment to preserve the site. The resulting project retained the historic 1931 frontage while replacing or modernising the interior to create a contemporary entertainment venue. The rebuilt hall reopened on 11 November 2011. Comedian Bill Bailey and other guests performed on the opening night, making Bailey the first act to appear at the newly reopened venue. The redesigned facility can accommodate up to 1,000 seated visitors, with capacity increasing to approximately 1,800 when a standing floor arrangement is used. Its design, undertaken by North Lincolnshire Council's architects, incorporated environmental features including rainwater collection for use in the lavatories. Operational responsibility has changed over time. The reopened hall was initially operated by SMG Europe. SMG Europe later became part of ASM Global following the 2019 merger of SMG and AEG Facilities. In March 2022, North Lincolnshire Council assumed responsibility for operating the venue. During the COVID-19 vaccination programme, the hall temporarily served as a vaccination centre from 19 March 2021. It returned to entertainment use in August 2021. Baths Hall remains an active regional venue whose positioning rests on combining a preserved historic exterior with modern facilities for touring entertainment and community cultural use.
History
Baths Hall was constructed in Scunthorpe as a public bath house in 1931. Although its original civic function was bathing, the building later developed into a performance and entertainment space. By the 1970s it was being used as an entertainment venue, becoming part of the local live-music infrastructure and hosting touring bands, comedy and other performances. The hall's programming history includes appearances by The Kinks, Status Quo, Ocean Colour Scene, The Damned, The Bluetones and The Levellers. Broadcaster and DJ John Peel was also a regular visitor. These events established Baths Hall as a recognisable regional venue, particularly for live music, even as the original bath-house use receded. The building subsequently faced a major preservation dispute. A Conservative-controlled North Lincolnshire Council administration decided to close the baths and proposed demolishing the structure in favour of private housing. When Labour replaced the Conservative administration in 2007, it followed through on a manifesto commitment to save the hall. The council commissioned a substantial rebuilding project that preserved the 1931 frontage while creating a new interior designed for modern entertainment requirements. The rebuilt venue reopened on 11 November 2011. Bill Bailey performed with other guests on the opening night and became the first act to perform in the renewed hall. The new configuration provided seating for up to 1,000 people and could accommodate up to about 1,800 people when a standing floor layout was used. North Lincolnshire Council's architects incorporated environmental measures into the design, including rainwater collection used for toilet flushing. The reopened hall was initially operated by SMG Europe. In October 2019, SMG Europe merged with AEG Facilities to create ASM Global, placing the venue within that international venue-management structure for a period. The council later brought operations back in-house: North Lincolnshire Council took over the venue's operation in March 2022. The COVID-19 pandemic temporarily changed the building's role. Baths Hall opened as a vaccination centre on 19 March 2021 as part of the national vaccination programme. It resumed entertainment activity in August 2021. Its continuing identity is consequently based on both architectural continuity and civic adaptability: the retained historic frontage links the venue to Scunthorpe's municipal past, while its rebuilt auditorium supports contemporary touring shows and public events.
- 2022
Council resumes operations
[1]North Lincolnshire Council takes over operation of the venue in March.
- 2021
Temporary vaccination-centre use
[1]Baths Hall opens as a COVID-19 vaccination centre on 19 March and returns to entertainment use in August.
- 2019
SMG Europe becomes part of ASM Global
[1]SMG Europe merges with AEG Facilities, forming ASM Global, which assumes the successor operator's corporate identity.
- 2011
Rebuilt Baths Hall reopens
[1]The rebuilt entertainment venue opens on 11 November, with Bill Bailey and guests performing on the opening evening.
- 2007
Council commitment saves the hall
[1]After a change in council administration, Labour honours its manifesto commitment to retain and rebuild Baths Hall.
- 2005
Venue renovated and reopened before further rebuilding
[1]Baths Hall undergoes renovation and reopens, but later closes for a major rebuilding project.
- 1970
Entertainment use begins
[1]The building begins serving as an entertainment venue during the 1970s.
- 1931
Bath house opens
[1]The building at Doncaster Road is established as a public bath house.
Products and positioning
A regional live-entertainment venue that combines the heritage of a 1931 public bath house with a modern performance facility for music, comedy, dance and community events.
Concert programming
Live music
Baths Hall presents touring and regional live-music performances in a flexible auditorium. Its historical programme has included established British acts such as The Kinks, Status Quo, Ocean Colour Scene, The Damned, The Bluetones and The Levellers, as well as appearances by broadcaster John Peel.
Comedy programming
Comedy
Comedy is one of the venue's principal forms of stage entertainment. Bill Bailey performed at the hall's 2011 reopening, and the auditorium's seating and standing configurations allow it to support different scales of comedy and spoken-performance events.
Performing arts
Dance and stage events
The venue also accommodates dance and other live stage presentations. Its rebuilt interior was designed as a contemporary entertainment facility while preserving the original frontage, giving productions access to a modern audience space with a strong civic and architectural identity.
Brand decisions
2022
Return of venue operations to North Lincolnshire CouncilStrategyBackground
The venue had previously been operated by SMG Europe and, after the 2019 corporate merger, ASM Global.
Action taken
North Lincolnshire Council took over operations in March 2022.
Aftermath
The council became the direct operating authority for the venue.
2021
Temporary conversion into a vaccination centreOtherBackground
The COVID-19 vaccination programme required suitable public buildings for administering vaccinations.
Action taken
Baths Hall opened as a vaccination centre on 19 March 2021.
Aftermath
The venue returned to entertainment use in August 2021.
2007
Rebuild rather than demolish the venueStrategyBackground
A previous council administration had planned to close the baths, demolish the building and replace it with private housing. A subsequent Labour council had made saving the hall a manifesto commitment.
Action taken
The council proceeded with a major rebuilding project, retaining the 1931 frontage and creating a modern entertainment venue behind it.
Aftermath
The rebuilt Baths Hall reopened in November 2011 with substantially expanded functionality for concerts and other entertainment.
Recent events
- 2022
North Lincolnshire Council takes over Baths Hall operations[1]
Leadership change · Other
North Lincolnshire Council assumed operational responsibility for the venue in March 2022, following the period in which it had been operated by SMG Europe and subsequently ASM Global.
- 2021
Baths Hall temporarily operates as a COVID-19 vaccination centre[1]
Regulation · Other
The venue opened as a vaccination centre on 19 March 2021 during the United Kingdom's COVID-19 vaccination programme and returned to entertainment use in August 2021.
- 2011
Baths Hall reopens after major rebuilding project[1]
Other
Baths Hall reopened as a modern entertainment venue on 11 November 2011, retaining the building's historic 1931 frontage. Bill Bailey and other performers appeared on the opening night.
Sources2 sources
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