Among the many notable Bristol grassroots venues are the Louisiana ( 140 ) and Thekla ( 400 ). The latter , a former cargo ship moored in the Mud Dock area of the harbour , has been busy hosting gigs since 1984 .
At the other end of the scale , the 27,000-capacity Ashton Gate Stadium has hosted concerts in recent years by acts including Take That , Muse , the Spice Girls , Massive Attack and Rod Stewart . Elton John and The Killers will perform there next year .
Arena arrival Ashton Gate , O2 Academy Bristol and even the Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff ( 5,000 ) some 45 miles away , could well face competition hosting major music events in a few years ’ time .
Following planning approval in April last year , the YTL Arena is undergoing the last stage of its technical design . Construction is expected to begin in 2022 , with the opening of the new Bristol arena planned two years later .
The venue will be built at the historic Brabazon hangars in Bristol ’ s northern district of Filton , where the Brabazon and Concorde airliners were developed . When constructed , it will form the focal point of a new £ 100m housing development and train station on the former airfield .
The arena ’ s CEO Andrew Billingham says its flexible capacity options mean event promoters will be able to stage shows there with a “ sold-out feel ” in audience capacity configurations from 4,000 to 17,000 . The venue is being built in three interconnected hangars . The central hangar , the largest , will house the arena while the two smaller hangars flanking it will offer a separate exhibition and events hall providing 11,000sqm of usable space .
Billingham says , “ We have had great feedback to our plans , especially the service yard which provides space for more than 150 articulated lorries to load and unload , creating one of the biggest service yards in Europe .” Asked how confident he is there will be sufficient demand to sustain the arena , Billingham says , “ Prepandemic the UK arena market had been growing year on year and the European Arena Association forecast it would continue to grow by up to 5 %. Post-pandemic , early indications are still very positive and demand is higher than ever .
“ Bristol and the South West has been recognised as one of the last
Bristol Harbour Festival
remaining key regions for a large scale music arena by promoters and event organisers – which is partly down to an untapped 16m population catchment .”
Bristol ’ s creative scene has long been celebrated but why do event professionals think it has such a thriving event sector ? Inman says , “ Bristol has been a place that welcomes people from all over the world and it is this diversity of people , ideas and cultures , that supports the sector to flourish . Culture and events are a core part of the city ’ s image and reputation and what makes Bristol unique .”
Harkman says it is a progressive and very liberal city that attracts people because of the creativity that exists : “ It ’ s got a particular voice , there ’ s a historical , urban grassroots element to it . There doesn ’ t seem to be any dominating creative or cultural organisations .
“ There ’ s an ecology where anything goes and anybody can do anything and anything can happen .”
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