Organisers of the New Zealand Brass Band Championships, scheduled for Dunedin in July next year, have joined the list of those caught out by the closure.
The organising committee planning the event is now looking for other venues, but while a smaller theatre would be adequate for the group's requirements, finding a venue with the right acoustics is proving more difficult.
The council announced in October the town hall would be closed for 12 months during its $45 million redevelopment, requiring a variety of events to be held elsewhere.
That included the University of Otago's graduation ceremonies, and a performance by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra.
Major events were to have been held in the town hall during the redevelopment stage, but health and safety concerns and possible construction delays forced the council to close both the town hall and the Dunedin Centre.
Dianne Smeehuyzen, president of the Brass Bands Association of New Zealand and member of the organising committee for next year's event, said the Glenroy Auditorium was booked three years ago for the championships, an international event with bands from Australia and musicians from Europe and England.
The Glenroy was "a beautiful auditorium" and there was nothing in Dunedin to match it.
Dunedin had competed against three other centres for the event, and now the committee was struggling to put it together.
"We were left high and dry," she said.
"It puts Dunedin in such a poor light; it puts us in a poor light."
The Glenroy was to have been used for three events, one of which would now be held at the Regent Theatre.
Despite the group's concerns, organising committee secretary Cathy Bennett said she was not critical of the council, as she had been told there were renovations expected, and once the decision was made, she had been informed immediately.
The Kings and Queens Performing Arts Centre has solved next year's venue problems for the Southern Sinfonia and the Otago Festival of the Arts.
Sinfonia general manager Philippa Harris said it and the festival had undertaken an extensive investigation into alternative venues, with the result that concerts the Sinfonia was to have held in the Glenroy Auditorium, and some of the festival's events, would be held at the arts centre.
"This recently built auditorium will, we feel, be an ideal venue for the Sinfonia's Sunday afternoon chamber orchestra concerts.
"Its acoustics are excellent, there are 400 comfortable chairs, almost all of which are raised so that they all have an unimpeded view of the stage, and the stage is large."
The arts centre would be the home for the orchestra's chamber orchestra series for 2010, and possibly 2011, while the Glenroy Auditorium was being redeveloped.
The orchestra's three full symphony concerts would still be held in the town hall, with all three occurring before it closes at the end of May for redevelopment.
The Otago Festival of the Arts was also keen on the centre, and had decided it would be holding several of its 2010 events there.
Council strategy and development general manager Kate Styles could not be contacted yesterday.
