The growing practice of hosting high-energy music concerts in traditional theatres in Zimbabwe is causing damage to historic venues and undermining the live music experience, according to arts stakeholders. The mismatch between venue design and event format has prompted calls for investment in purpose-built concert spaces, particularly in Bulawayo.
Venue Mismatch Stifles Atmosphere
Venues such as Reps Theatre and Bulawayo Theatre were designed for dramatic arts, where audiences sit quietly. They lack the space for standing crowds, dancing, and the high decibels typical of music concerts. Fixed seating restricts movement, creating a disconnect between performers and fans.
Different art forms require different environments to thrive, arts commentators note. A theatre’s controlled atmosphere, ideal for plays, becomes a constraint when applied to a rock or pop show.
Damage and Financial Strain
Concert audiences often stand on chairs and dance in aisles, leading to broken fixtures and worn upholstery. The revenue from venue hire frequently falls short of the cost of restoring seats to their original condition, resulting in a cycle of degradation that erodes the theatre’s quality over time.
Limits on Artist Growth
For artists with the ambition to fill large venues like the Harare International Conference Centre (HICC), performing in a closed theatre with a capacity of fewer than 500 people makes little business sense. It caps ticket sales and fan reach, misaligning supply and demand due to a lack of suitable infrastructure in cities like Bulawayo.
Call for New Infrastructure
Stakeholders are urging city councils, investors, and event organisers to preserve historic theatres for their intended purpose and to develop modern, large-scale music venues. The call emphasises the need to stop fitting square pegs into round holes, advocating for dedicated spaces that can accommodate the energy and scale of contemporary live music.
