A LANDMARK venue steeped in musical history is preparing to welcome live events back to the city - for the first time in more than a decade.

Work to restore Brighton Hippodrome to its former glory is well underway after it was bought by family-run company Matsim Properties last year.

On Thursday, The Argus was given an exclusive tour of the Grade II listed building, which has hosted acts including the Beatles and the Rolling Stones.

Now we can reveal that once planning is approved, this historic 123-year-old building will be home to live events once again.

The Hippodrome, which was built as an ice rink in 1897, will be used to host gigs, comedy shows and other live performances once the 18-month restoration is complete - subject to planning approval.

The Argus: Scaffolding has been erected under the roof Scaffolding has been erected under the roof

Speaking to the paper during a live stream on Facebook, owner Simon Lambor said he can't wait to welcome people back inside the historic venue.

He said: "Everyone who comes along next week will be able to find out the full proposals.

"They are initial proposals so we are looking to gear everyone thoughts and they are open to change.

"We just want to see the building interacted with as much as possible by everyone in Brighton and everyone coming to Brighton.

"It has got such an amazing performance history that performance has got to be apart of that.

The Argus: Our reporter had to watch his step Our reporter had to watch his step

"A great big performance and hospitality venue."

Mr Lambour gave Argus readers a tour of the building, which has been unused since 2007, pointing out the extensive damage and restoration needed to return the building to its glory days of old.

One such area is the roof, which has been subjected to extensive dry rot and damage caused by the city's harsh seaside climate.

To overcome this, Matsim has submitted plans for providing a new roof structure over the auditorium, which would allow crews to repair the ceiling before removing the defective roof coverings.

When Mr Lambour first took over the property last year, there was a leak in the structure so big, that it could be seen from Google Earth.

From May 19 until May 21, people can view initial thoughts and ideas about the Hippodrome’s future.

Groups of up to five will be allowed at any one time and sessions will be around 15 minutes.

Interested parties should visit https://brighton-hippodrome.co.uk to secure a slot to view initial concepts and view the auditorium.