Arts centre reopens after £2m refurbishment

Lewis Smith, local democracy reporter

A popular arts centre has re-opened its doors after a £2m refurbishment project to expand and revitalise it.

The Pontardawe Arts Centre, located off Herbert Street near the town centre, was opened to the public in October 2025 with its new 74-seat cinema and café bar which was built alongside a redesigned ticket office area and foyer.

The building is well known as a cultural hub in the Swansea Valley for its traditional theatre that hosts a range of events such as classical music, stand-up comedy, celebrity talks, and dance and drama clubs.

Blockbusters

The latest improvements will now allow for the building to show the latest Hollywood blockbusters, which is something it was previously unable to do.

It was opened on October 6 with an invited audience watching a short film on the history of the Pontardawe building, which was built in 1908 as a public hall and institute.

Prior to the opening, Meirion Gittins who is venue manager at the centre said: “It’s really exciting as we’ve been wanting this to happen for a long time.

“To have a dedicated cinema space alongside our main theatre allows us to open for Blockbusters on release, and the cafe bar area will be a good social area for our local community to use.”

The project was funded with a grant from the Arts Council of Wales as well as funding from the Welsh Government’s Transforming Towns programme and Neath Port Talbot council’s capital programme.