The leaseholder of Southend-on-Sea’s historic Kursaal may be open to selling the venue, according to the council leader. AEW Property Group holds a 250-year lease on the building, which opened in 1901 and has hosted acts including Queen and AC/DC.
Daniel Cowan, leader of Southend-on-Sea City Council, said he would do “everything we can” to get the mostly empty building reopened. He suggested AEW may not have the expertise to manage the venue long-term.
“In previous years, perhaps the leaseholders have not been held very strongly to account,” Cowan said. “We are meeting regularly and also doing what we can to help them to find buyers as well.”
An AEW spokesperson said the company was focused on “finalising a long-term solution for the Kursaal and hope to conclude these discussions in the near future.”
The Kursaal, thought to be the world’s first entertainment park, was placed on the Victorian Society’s top 10 list of endangered buildings in 2024. The Labour-run city council owns the building, but it is overseen by AEW.
AEW signed the lease in March 2018, a decision made without debate by councillors, according to a Freedom of Information request submitted by Lee Clark of Southend’s Confelicity Party. Clark said at the time: “It’s disgusting to see such an iconic building crumbling before our eyes.”
On Wednesday, the council included the Kursaal on a new list of neglected sites it hopes to bring back into use, known as the “dirty dozen,” which features 11 other properties.
The AEW spokesperson added that the council had been kept updated on ongoing discussions but could not provide further comment while commercial negotiations continued.
