Dunard Centre marks start of construction with groundbreaking ceremony
December 1, 2025
Partners and stakeholders enjoyed a morning of music, speech and celebration
Guests including First Minister John Swinney, singer-songwriter Dougie MacLean and pupils from Broughton Primary School gathered on site for a morning of music, speeches and celebration
1 December 2025
This morning, we were thrilled to officially break ground on the Dunard Centre, marking the start of our four-year build with a ceremony that celebrated this historic moment before construction begins later today.
Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney joined representatives of the UK Government, City of Edinburgh Council, David Chipperfield Architects, Balfour Beatty and NatWest Group on site, with guests enjoying a range of musical performances that showcased the breadth and calibre of talent the venue will bring to Edinburgh.
This included singer-songwriter Dougie MacLean delivering an emotive rendition of his iconic ‘Caledonia’ in collaboration with P6 pupils from nearby Broughton Primary School, pipes from Finlay MacDonald, Director at The National Piping Centre, and a string quartet from the Scottish Chamber Orchestra starting the morning with a short performance.
Kickstarting a series of speeches from stakeholders and partners, Dunard Centre chief executive Jo Buckley thanked politicians and other guests for attending the ceremony, speaking about her personal focus on ensuring the venue plays a key role in enriching the lives of people across the city.
She said: “Today’s performances offered a glimpse of the breadth and calibre of talent the Dunard Centre will bring to Edinburgh.
“It is hard to build a concert hall — but important things are never easy. And what we are building here is not just a concert hall. It is a commitment to people and to community and to the transformational power of culture, which we believe really does change lives.”
“This venue will truly be a ‘Hall for All’, creating an open, accessible, and welcoming space in the heart of the city. It will be a place where Scotland’s musical legends will inspire the next generation of artists, giving children their first encounter with a concert hall and allowing them to feel the electricity that comes from live performance.
“I want to thank everyone who attended today for being part of this important moment for the project, and for their continued support. Reaching this key milestone has been made possible thanks to a unique partnership between government and private philanthropy, the product of which will be a world-class venue that Scotland can be proud of.”
Speaking at the groundbreaking, First Minister John Swinney said: “It’s a privilege to break ground and mark the start of construction of the Dunard Centre. The ‘Hall for All’ is a prime example of public and private investors coming together to invest in exciting, innovative projects that will help to grow our economy and significantly enhance Scotland’s cultural offering.
“Jo Buckley was part of the Scottish delegation to attend Tartan Week in New York with me earlier this year and spoke at the iconic Carnegie Hall. Partnerships were fostered and strengthened by this visit and it’s been a pleasure to once again address an audience of Scotland’s leading cultural and arts stakeholders as we prepare to start building this exciting new venue.”
UK Government Scotland Office Minister Kirsty McNeill attended on behalf of the UK Government. She said: “The Dunard Centre will be a tremendous addition to Edinburgh’s cultural landscape and I welcome construction getting underway. The UK Government is a big supporter of the project, investing £10 million as part of our £300 million commitment to the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal.
“We look forward to continued close working with the ‘Hall for All’ partners so that local communities and visitors from around the world can enjoy such a world class facility as soon as possible. The UK Government is investing more than £2 billion in dozens of important local and regional projects the length and breadth of Scotland over 10 years, bringing much-needed economic and community renewal.
Designed by David Chipperfield Architects with Reiach and Hall Architects, the Dunard Centre will be the UK’s first Nagata Acoustics hall, bringing together exceptional architecture, extraordinary acoustics and bold, ambitious programming to rival the best in the world in audience experience.
The Dunard Centre will be the first concert hall designed by Sir David Chipperfield. Speaking at the ceremony, the renowned architect said: “We are deeply honoured to have been selected to design this new cultural building in the historic heart of Edinburgh. We look forward to the concert hall becoming a significant contribution to Edinburgh’s cultural life and finding its place in the city’s extraordinary architectural and urban heritage”.
NatWest Chief Executive Paul Thwaite spoke about the bank’s support of the project, saying: “At the Royal Bank of Scotland, we are proud to partner in building a world-class facility here in the heart of Edinburgh. Seeing the Dunard Centre move from vision to reality is a testament to what ambition and collaboration can achieve. This world-class concert hall will be a huge asset to Edinburgh’s cultural life that will attract audiences from across the UK and further afield. We look forward to continuing to support this landmark project.”
The construction of the new concert hall is being led by Balfour Beatty. Nick Crossfield, Divisional CEO of Balfour Beatty’s UK Construction Services business, said: “Breaking ground at the Dunard Centre is a landmark moment, taking us one step closer to realising Edinburgh’s first purpose-built concert hall in a century.
“We now look forward to working in close partnership with IMPACT Scotland and applying the highest standards of modern construction throughout, to realise this visionary design that will stand as a beacon for music and culture for generations to come.”
A combination of private and public funding has secured this world-class venue for Scotland and the UK. The Dunard Centre is part of the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal, through which the Scottish and UK Governments committed £10 million each, alongside £5 million from the City of Edinburgh Council. Last month, First Minister John Swinney made an in-principle pledge of an additional £20 million in funding, which has been matched pound-for-pound by Dr Carol Colburn Grigor. Alongside the public funding, IMPACT Scotland has raised over £100 million to date from private philanthropy, setting a new capital funding record for a cultural project in Scotland.
Partners and stakeholders enjoyed a morning of music, speech and celebration
Work is due to begin on site within weeks
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