New AEG music venue plugs a big concert gap and fits the bill - Steve Cardownie
Edinburgh’s entertainment scene has always been lacking a custom built, mid-sized, indoor arena - but that is soon to be rectified by AEG Europe.
Although we have some great venues that cater for a variety of artists whose needs vary enormously, an 8500 capacity arena has always been out with our grasp-until now.
Small clubs, The Usher Hall, Edinburgh Castle, Murrayfield Stadium and such like have all played an important role in attracting performers to the city and will continue to do so, but there is no doubt that Glasgow is currently the sole provider in Scotland of the larger indoor venue that attracts major names.
AEG Europe are no amateurs, operating 325 venues throughout the world they obviously did their homework before deciding to open another in Edinburgh- to the tune (forgive the pun) of £80 million. They have estimated that their new venture should add £520 million to the city’s economy and are predicting that 700,000 people a year will pass through the arena’s doors when they open for business in 2028.
Although my concert attendance no doubt pales into insignificance compared to some others, I have been to the venues I have mentioned, the Castle, The Usher Hall, Murrayfield and the like, but I have also had to make my way along the M8 to see some groups that could not perform in Edinburgh because we could not offer the kind of facility they required.
AEG’s Alistair Wood said that they knew for sure that Edinburgh is missing out on events that it could be hosting at the moment and that “from looking at ticket sales data, we felt that an 8500- capacity venue was the right number and is big enough to accommodate a very wide range of acts.”
Music to my ears!