The Capitol Centre’s future may be as an entertainment venue, 41 years after its famous theatre closed
WHEN you walk past the Capitol Centre, you are met with a sign which read: “Where friends meet, chill, eat, chat, films, shop, park.”
Yet, in recent years it has become known for short-lived businesses and empty store fronts.
“It is all sadly boarded up or they have got massage chairs and nail shops and charity shops in there. So, there’s no big draw anymore,” said Tom Lloyd, a retired headteacher turned tour guide known as Difflomats.
The Capitol Centre was opened in 1990. Before then, it was the Capitol Theatre, an ornate cinema and concert venue which seated more than 3,000 people.
Mr Lloyd was an urban geography student in 1978 when he attended the meeting for the demolition of the theatre and the other buildings on Station Terrace, including the YMCA.
“I told them I wasn’t very happy with them knocking down some really interesting facades and putting up something rather bland,” he recalls.
During the 57 years that the Capitol Theatre was open, it saw a range of famous performances from icons including Tom Jones, Queen, Led Zeppelin and Elton John. In 1964, The Beatles concluded their final UK tour with two performances on its stage.
“It is a sad loss to lose those buildings for the architecture but also the activities. The YMCA had a lot of activities, like a billiard room and a gym for young men. Of course, the Capitol cinema and theatre held great concerts and films,” said Mr Lloyd.
“All these activities were lost just for retail outlets.”
However, this was not a complete loss for the Cardiff city centre. When the Capitol Centre was opened, it drew crowds from across Cardiff to new stores such as H&M and the Virgin Megastore.
Mr Lloyd said: “H&M was its first store in Cardiff. They were very attractive. I would regularly go out of my way to shop there, as I wouldn’t normally have shopped that end of town.”
This success was short-lived as the Virgin Megastore closed its doors in 2009, followed by H&M relocating to St David’s Shopping Centre in 2015.
Mr Lloyd attributes its failure as a shopping centre to its layout.
“There were two design faults, a balcony that doesn’t go anywhere and an entrance that was never built on Station Terrace,” he said.
Since then, there have been proposals for renovations that accommodate flats, student housing and a hotel. More recently, plans for a food court were proposed by Kommune, which owns a food hall in Sheffield. These plans have all fallen through.
The Future of the Capitol Centre
Gravity MAX, a multi-purpose leisure company which runs entertainment centres in England, sees the Capitol Centre as an opportunity to expand into Cardiff.
The company, which already has centres in Westfield and Liverpool’s ONE centre, has applied to renovate the rear section of the centre, which faces onto Queen Street and Station Terrace.
This will mark a return of the building to use as an entertainment venue. The plans feature an indoor kart track, indoor golf, battling cages, laser tag, bowling, darts, karaoke, sports bars, food outlets and outdoor seating areas.
The planning statement says: “Gravity, which will re-anchor this part of the shopping centre, attract and generate customer footfall as well as enhancing the vitality, viability and attractiveness of the city centre.”
‘Shopping centres aren’t good business in this era’
Glen Arguido, who owns HGC Scooter, has to relocate his business due to renovations to accommodate Gravity MAX, said: “We had very blessed years in the Capitol Centre but unfortunately had to leave.
“In my unit I had a good amount of people coming in because I am the only electric and e-bike repair shop in the city centre. But overall, the footfall in Capitol is really bad.
“I do not believe that shopping centres are a good business in this era where shops are closing down rapidly.
“I think it will be a good place to have in the centre. As a family man, there is not much to do in the centre for the family.”
Krishna Katari, who works in RingMaster Sports, also sees the decline of the Capitol Centre. “I have heard that this used to be the place. A lot of customers come in and say that they used to hang out here all of the time. It is a shame that it has come to this point.”
RingMaster Sports, which moved to the Capitol Centre from Newport in 2018, is now concerned about the upcoming renovations. Mr Katari is worried that the changes could attract a different type of customer, potentially affecting their business.
Infinity Vape, which opened in February 2024, is looking forward to the potential new visitors.
“I am all for it, honestly, it is going to bring a lot more excitement to the area, and it will bring a lot of younger crowds in,” said Geraint Randall.
“You know there is pros and cons for everything. There are a lot of businesses on that side that have been closed up now because Gravity has built the building. Prior to this, the Capitol Centre has been a dying unit to be honest.”
Similarly, Matgo Styles, the marketing and events co-ordinator at Pulse and Kings nightspots, is looking forward to these renovations bringing people to the area.
“The overall vibe of Gravity MAX seems to be very fun, it’s very slick, and it kind of fits in with what we have to offer as a venue,” he said.
Pulse, a popular bar and nightclub, faces the recently uncovered Churchill Way dock feeder. Cardiff Council reopened the canal as part of a plan to create a canal quarter, aiming to attract shoppers and visitors to the quieter side of the city centre.
“People come to us a bit of a destination venue anyway. But obviously we have noticed that the centre has been quieter,” said Mr Styles.
“Whether or not there is footfall in the centre to the shops doesn’t really have an impact on us, but the fact that there’s another leisure operator coming can only be a positive for us.”
Gravity MAX “has a really good vibe about it. And we are never of the opinion that we want to be the only venue open around here. We are fully aware that the more vibrant the area is, the more benefit there is to us as well,” said Mr Styles.
“I understand why the shops may have a different view, but as far as we are concerned it’s going to really benefit the city centre and that side of Cardiff.”
Gravity MAX is currently waiting for planning approval from Cardiff Council.
