Update (Tuesday 14th April)
Further to the fire on New Year’s Eve which rendered the main hall at The Alexander Centre out of action for the rest of this year, the Board of Directors of The Alex, and the Trustees of The Assembly Rooms have been in conversation about The Alex using the Assembly Rooms as an alternative venue to accommodate many of their activities and events.
Since the fire, The Alex, which had bookings for every weekend throughout 2026, has been relocating events to other local venues around the town. There has been comedy in St Mary’s Church and the Abbey School, comedy and music in The Old brewery Store and theatre in the Arden Theatre. The Assembly Rooms has also accommodated numerous events as well as regular exercise classes and groups. We’d like to extend our thanks to all these local venues for stepping in – often at short notice – to work in partnership with us on this.
Since The Alex and Assembly Rooms are such close neighbours, it made complete sense for the Assembly Rooms to become a temporary home for The Alex. Therefore from 13th April, The Alex took over the running of The Assembly Rooms for the rest of 2026, and into early 2027. The Directors of The Alex are grateful to the Trustees of the Assembly Rooms for their collaboration on this. The team at The Alex very much look forward to populating that lovely space and working with the regular users and hirers of the building.
Photo: Graham Setterfield (Chair of the Board of the Alexander Centre CIC) and Alasdair Nicolson (Chair of the Board of Trustees of The Assembly Rooms) signing the Lease for occupation of the building.
Update (Friday 10th April)
We are pleased to report that the Planning Application, Listed Building Consent and Building Control applications, have all now been submitted to Swale Borough Council. The Alexander Centre Directors have been in communication with Swale Borough Councillors, the Swale Conservation Officer and Faversham Town Councillors, so we hope the approval process will be expedited as much as possible (within the constraints of regulatory consultation periods of course).
Update (February 27th, 2026)
The contractors have now completed the strip out of the hall, back to brick – so it is now an empty space with blockwork walls and concrete floor.
The planning for the rebuild is well along the way with conversations being had with the architects, Mechanical and Engineering consultants, Acoustic Engineers and theatrical technical advisors.
Whilst the process is generally to reinstate the building on a like-for-like basis, the Board of Directors are working towards improving facilities wherever possible and providing a venue for the town that will be future-proofed and sustainable.
Update (January 15th, 2026)
Following the fire, construction teams are now on site and have begun stripping out the hall. The main building has been fully sealed off from the rest of the venue, allowing us to continue thorough cleaning and sanitising. Our front rooms remain fully operational and are available to hire for meetings, workshops, and smaller events.
New Year’s Eve Fire – Overview (January 5th, 2026)
On New Year’s Eve, a fire occurred at the rear of Gatefield Hall, The Alex’s main large events space. The fire is suspected to have been caused by an electrical fault. Thankfully, no one was in the venue at the time, and there were no injuries. We hope to share future developments here on this page as they happen.
Main Building & Heritage Areas
We are pleased to confirm that the main building and heritage areas of The Alex were largely unaffected by the fire. These areas are now operating as normal where possible, and we are happy to welcome customers back into these spaces.
Gatefield Hall (Main Events Space)
Our Gatefield Hall is currently unavailable while essential safety checks, assessments, and remedial works are carried out.
Bookings for 2026
If you have an event or tickets booked in Gatefield Hall, our team is reviewing all upcoming bookings as a priority. We will contact you directly with specific information about your event, and options may include rescheduling, relocation, or refunds where applicable.
We will also be updating individual event listings on our website as and when we know more, so please check online for the latest information regarding your booking.
How You Can Help
As always, the best way to support and help fund The Alex is by continuing to book and attend our incredible lineup of events across the building. Your visits, ticket purchases, and ongoing support make a genuine difference and help ensure we can continue delivering a diverse programme for our community.
While not all events will be able to take place here as originally planned, we are working hard to make this process as clear, straightforward, and supportive as possible for everyone affected.
We would like to sincerely thank everyone for their understanding, patience, and continued support during this time — it truly means a great deal to us.
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