A group that hopes to bring Bradford’s former Odeon building back to life revealed plans for a live music venue at a day of free concerts yesterday.

Bradford One wants to turn the derelict city centre building into a concert hall that could fit up to 2,000 people, and build a new office building behind it to help fund the project.

The redevelopment would also include shops, cafes and bars, and has been budgeted at around £20 million.

Plans were on display during the Our Big Gig event in City Park yesterday, with people interested in the building’s future being asked to join Bradford One.

Hundreds of people attended throughout the day to listen to the best local bands, which Bradford One says proves the city has the desire for a new concert venue.

The renovation of the current building has been estimated as costing £9,286,707, while the construction of a new office building is priced at £10 million and new shops at £633,906. Bradford One says the offices and shops are necessary to make the scheme viable in the long term.

The building is currently owned by Bradford Council, which has asked groups to register their interest and propose possible uses for the site, which Bradford One has now done.

Kate Wellhan, one of its founders, said: “We’ve had a few people sign up and a lot of people taking away our details. It is the first time these plans have been on display.

“For so long people have been saying something should be done with the Odeon, and we’re saying ‘do you want to join us and do something?’”

Jim Mitcham said the city was losing out to Leeds because it lacked a good-sized music venue. He pointed to the success of yesterday’s free gig to highlight that the audience, and the talent, was there for their proposed concert venue.

“It would be a similar size to the O2 Academy, but it wouldn’t be a chain. We want to keep its character – it is already a beautiful building, and that is a key selling point. There is nowhere in Bradford with that capacity.

“There are a lot of bands here, but we don’t have the venues to support them. It is becoming a bigger and bigger problem.”

They hope various grant applications would help towards funding the project.

Yesterday’s music was part of the national “Our Big Gig” weekend, where towns and cities across the country were encouraged to hold free concerts. Among the bands and acts playing were drum and bass duo La La and the Boo Ya, The Coopers, Analog Bombs, Kascarade, Born Thief, Mucky Sailor, Warme and Idiotbox.