The Royal Albert Hall is calling for ‘urgent’ donations as the iconic British venue looks to recover from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

The 5,000-seat capacity venue has staged musical performances for 150 years, but has been closed for the past six months after mass gatherings were banned in the UK.

And while CEO Craig Hassall hopes the Government will grant them a loan, he revealed even that may not be enough.

He said: "Six months on from enforced closure, and circa £18m down in lost income, we are not eligible for any of the Government’s emergency grants. This leaves us in an extremely perilous position, with no way of replacing our lost income, apart from a government loan which may or may not materialise.

"We raised concerns months ago about the potential for independent, unfunded organisations such as the Royal Albert Hall to miss out on government support, and especially having been held up by Government as a ‘crown jewel’ that must be saved.

"With millions of pounds of essential building work called to a halt owing to COVID we had hoped to be eligible for a capital grant but have been informed that, as we are not a portfolio of nationally spread sites, we are not eligible for this scheme.

"We are fortunate to have supportive members and private donors who have given generously, but unfortunately, the ‘Rescue Package’ fanfare has given many potential donors the false sense that we are being sufficiently supported elsewhere. The Royal Albert Hall now faces a bleak future unless it can secure not only a repayable Government loan, but also urgent donations to plug our current £20m shortfall."

A number of test events have taken place in the UK as the public prepares to return to live sport and music later in 2020.

It is expected that limited capacity crowds will be able to return to sporting and other social events in October.

If you would like to donate to help the Royal Albert Hall, click here.