A Major player In the year ahead , Coventry ’ s sporting calendar includes an array of key events including the rescheduled Rugby League World Cup , and the Commonwealth Games that will see it host rugby sevens , judo and wrestling at the CBS Arena . It will also be the host city for the International Olympic Committee ’ s International Children ’ s Games .
Coventry recently hosted the Legends Festival at War Memorial Park , and will stage the Peace Festival later this year to commemorate the bombing of the city during World War II .
“ There ’ s a huge amount of activity still to come on top of lots of outdoor events we ’ ve done so far ; from our Midsummer Fire Gardens event through to outdoor street theatre and installations ,” says Hogan .
He suggests Coventry is going through a “ renaissance ” as an events destination : “ We ’ re going from being a ghost town to a culture city . We ’ re open for business and long may it continue .”
Along with the CBS Arena and War Memorial Park , other notable Coventry venues include the Warwick Arts Centre ( 1,450 ), Albany Theatre ( 620 ), Belgrade Theatre ( 1,150 ) and HMV Empire . The 1,400-capacity Empire is back in business with several high-profile gigs lined up for the rest of the year , including Ed Sheeran on 25 August .
Belgrade , the city ’ s largest arts venue , is playing a key role in City of Culture . Nicola Young , director of communications at the theatre , says 75 % of its income depends on earnings from ticket sales , catering , conferencing , set construction and costume creation , which it lost overnight after closing in March 2020 .
“ The Government ’ s Cultural Recovery Fund was fundamental in allowing the theatre to continue creating work ,” she says . “ We were also able to continue with our redevelopment project , transforming our building ready for
City of Culture , including our new Nineteen 58 bar .”
As for the city ’ s future , Young says , “ Coventry has a very different offering of live events than its surrounding cities . It ’ s a unique cultural experience , and with the title of UK City of Culture , we ’ re excited to see more people visiting us this year and discovering what they ’ ve been missing .”
International attraction Hosting City of Culture celebrations with Step 3 Covid-19 restrictions was a tough ask , but organisers of its opening event , Coventry Moves , managed to pull off a successful showcase spectacle on the city ’ s streets . The event , on 5 June , saw parades on 400 closed roads during a 12-hour period .
According to Coventry Live , the event , co-directed by Justine Themen and Nigel Jamieson , was watched in 88 countries , with the Coventry 2021 Facebook livestream reaching an estimated 164,931 people . Coventry
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