SUMMER | FEATURE
An age of change for arenas
With no less than eight new UK arenas potentially being opened in the next few years , and existing buildings evolving at pace , AAA examines what ’ s in store for the remarkably dynamic venue sector
Words : Christopher Barrett
The first , and biggest , new arena poised to impact the UK market is the 23,500-capacity Co-op Live in Manchester . The result of a £ 365 million joint venture between Oak View Group ( OVG ) and City Football Group , it is expected to host more than 120 shows per year and will be in direct competition with Manchester ’ s AO Arena ( cap . 21,000 ). BAM Construct UK is leading the construction of the building , which is due to open in December .
An important live music market that is home to a huge number of live event operators and suppliers , let alone fans , Bristol has long been an obvious choice for a new arena . The hole is to be filled by the YTL
Arena , which is currently being constructed at the historic Brabazon Hangars in the northern district of Filton . The 19,000-capacity building is set to be opened in late 2025 .
In 2020 Cardiff Council selected a Live Nation-led consortium , which includes OVG , to operate a new arena that would replace the Live Nationoperated , 7,500-capacity , Motorpoint Arena Cardiff . As with all projects of this nature , it hasn ’ t been immune to spiralling costs , and with the outlay to build the arena having risen by 50 % to £ 280 million , the venue ’ s opening has been delayed until 2026 .
There is no shortage of other arenas in the pipeline but whether they go beyond the design stage is yet to be seen . Among them is Edinburgh
Arena ( 8,000 ); London ’ s controversial MSG Sphere ( 21,500 ); an £ 80m , 10,000-capacity , arena in Sunderland ; and the yet to be confirmed £ 70m Dundee Arena with a proposed capacity of 10,000 .
Should all the venues be built , it will dramatically change the arena landscape in the UK and offer promoters new tour routing opportunities . In the meantime , the shockwaves from the current construction work is impacting existing operators .
In the case of ASM Global ’ s AO Arena , the building is currently the subject of a £ 50 million upgrade programme that will see the former Manchester Arena ’ s capacity extended to 24,000 , the concourse areas upgraded , new back-of-house facilities installed and the opening of new hospitality lounges including the recently announced The Mezz .
There is a major focus on offering enhanced premium experiences at other arenas , not least AEG Europe ’ s The O2 , where the bar has been set high with the recently announced plan to unveil a £ 7m members space featuring a retractable viewing platform . Due to open in the late autumn , The Residence
YTL Arena
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