New venue and club to open on historic Burton site

A landmark heritage building in the centre of Burton-on-Trent is set to reopen as a 2,000-capacity live venue and club.

The Complex Burton, the building formerly known as Robins, The Ritz and Burton Opera House has undergone a £100k renovation since July 2022.

The venue now features the 1,200-cap Complex Arena, one of the Midlands’ first 360 bars Mono, alongside the already existing Lifestyle bar, the Guild and George Street venue.

Existing features of the 157-year-old Grade-II listed building have been preserved including its Art Deco frontage and interior, an original film projector alongside paintings and plasterwork.

The venue has seen the addition of graphics, parquet and demi-gloss epoxy resin flooring, as well as additional dressing room and production facilities, a stage extension, new bar and VIP area, as well as the introduction of a L’Acoustics sound system and LED lighting array in the main Arena space.

The venue will launch on December 21, with the Chapter 1 event headlined by British electronic stars Fabio & Grooverider, as well as DJ Luck and MC Neat, K Klass, Dillinja, and Nicky Blackmarket.

Venue owner and Burton native David Wain spent years building up local businesses before taking on The Complex renovation as a major project.

Wain said: “Being a local lad and watching first-hand the steady decline of nightlife in Burton, has compelled me to do something about it.

“I am very proud of what we have achieved here, a true cultural venue for everyone to enjoy, with all the history The Complex has inside its walls.

“We have carefully and sympathetically kept and restored the venue’s history and listed status, with keeping the art deco detailing throughout.

“We have worked very hard to appeal to all generations, and will carefully construct each and every chapter we launch. There is lots to look forward to and plans for the future ahead.”

Welcoming the news, East Staffordshire Borough Councillor Kim Smith said: “Burton people have some great memories of the historic building formally known by many as ‘the pictures’ or the Ritz, watching all the new films or attending the Saturday morning picture show.

“It now needs to be back on the map – Burton is in need of a multi use large venue, that can not only be used in the daytime, but can also bring some much-needed life back to our town’s nightlife.

“We have some great talent in Burton and The Complex is a fantastic place and platform to get them started on their journey to success.”