From Fringe shows to concerts, Edinburghers love a good event. A brand new events arena, Edinburgh Park Arena, could be gracing the Scottish Capital, and could attract over 150 events a year.
The new arena would be located just behind Edinburgh Park tram station, and has been proposed by AEG, a company behind the O2 Arena in London, as well as the Mercedes Benz Arena in Berlin. The Edinburgh Park Arena is set to have a capacity of 8,500, and could be perfect for biggish concerts and Fringe shows.
January 9 saw a second public consultation event happening regarding the plans behind the development, including a showcase of a replica model. This was a pre-application event and is still awaiting an assessment from the council before an official application can be put in. The application for planning permission has now officially been submitted on February 21. If the application is successful, work on the site should start around June of this year.
Alex Hill, President and CEO of AEG Europe said: “We are thrilled to be progressing with our plans for a spectacular new arena for Edinburgh. The city has long been renowned as a destination for global culture and one of the world’s best for the arts and live entertainment.”
“We’re excited to build on this reputation and bring world-class live music and entertainment to Edinburgh, as well as investing in the wider Edinburgh Park community through the creation of 1000+ employment opportunities.”
“We’re delighted by the feedback and valuable insights we’ve received during the extensive consultation and public exhibition process. It’s been fantastic to see such strong support for our plans, and therefore we are hopeful for a swift and clear decision following our planning application. If we were able to secure planning permission, our focus would then immediately turn to identifying a building contractor and naming rights partner to bring this exciting project to life on site.”