Redhouse Cymru
SITUATED in the heart of Merthyr Tydfil, Redhouse Cymru is far more than a venue — it’s a revival of cultural memory and creative possibility. Housed in the imposing Old Town Hall, a Grade II listed building originally built in 1896, Redhouse has been lovingly restored to become a beacon for arts and community alike.
Over the years, it has blossomed into a multi-faceted creative hub, bringing together a 110-seat theatre, gallery spaces, dance studios, recording suites, and creative business studios under one roof.
Its architecture preserves many of the original civic features — former council chambers, magistrates’ court rooms and even cells for remand prisoners — while overlaying a modern, flexible shell for performance and experimentation.
When it opened to the public on St David’s Day 2014, it marked the culmination of an £8million transformation, backed by a mix of Welsh Government, European, heritage and local funding streams.
From family pantomimes and children’s theatre to cutting-edge local music nights and gallery openings, Redhouse offers programming for all ages and tastes.
Its importance runs deeper than performances: when the centre was unexpectedly closed in 2024 amid contractual complications, voices across Merthyr rallied, highlighting it as an irreplaceable community anchor and cultural heartbeat.
Today, audiences who wander its re-imagined spaces are not only watching work — they are stepping into a story of heritage revived, of a town claiming its own creative voice, and of a place where art and community meet in dialogue.
Picture Special: A WANDER AROUND… MERTHYR