Edinburgh arena plans: New 8,500 capacity venue at Edinburgh Park Station would bring 150 + events a year to the Capital

Company behind plans for new arena in Edinburgh reveals more details

The company behind plans to deliver a new purpose-built large concerts and events arena in Edinburgh have spoken of their excitement at delivering a world-class venue in the Capital, and revealed that they plan to put on more than 150 shows a year if their plans are approved.

The second public consultation event for the proposed new 8,500 capacity Edinburgh arena took place yesterday, with more details and a replica model of the proposed arena on display.

AEG, which operates the O2 Arena in London and the Mercedes Benz Arena in Berlin, is behind the plans to build am eagerly anticipated concert arena right behind Edinburgh Park Train and Tram Station, giving the city something it is sorely lacking, and it has appointed a team of experts to advance the design and technical studies necessary to allow for assessment by the council’s planning department in due course.

The replica model of the proposed 8,500 capacity Edinburgh Arena next to Edinburgh Park Train and Tram station.

At yesterday’s second and final pre-application consultation event at 1 New Park Square in Edinburgh Park, members of the project team were on hand to explain the work done so far and the issues being considered.

Those at the event were able to read more about the proposals on a set of information boards providing further details, including explaining how the 8,500 capacity arena could be used to cater a host of different events, from music concerts to stand-up comedian shows and sports events, with mixed seating/ standing configuration flexibility.

AEG Europe’s executive vice-president for real estate and development, Alistair Wood, is excited about the plans, and he revealed how many shows AEG plans to bring to the Capital every year if the plans are approved.

He said: “We did a gap analysis of the UK to see where the big gaps were in terms of arenas, and Edinburgh was the best place. We are not planning to go head to head with the Hydro in Glasgow but perhaps see artists who play there also play here.

The second public consultation event for the Edinburgh Arena plans was held at 1 New Park Square, Edinburgh Park on Tuesday, January 9, 2024.

“So we are really excited. This should be a great thing for Edinburgh. This is a privately-funded venture which is quite unusual.

"We think this is a fantastic thing for Edinburgh, at a fantastic site, which is remarkable, right next to a tram stop and train station with great parking facilities also. Although the focus is to get people here on public transport.

"We plan to bring 150 plus events a year to Edinburgh. It’s quite an open and flexible venue so it would be great also for Fringe shows. We can drape areas to make it smaller if needed.

"We have been looking around Edinburgh for a long time and initially looked at a site further down in Edinburgh Park but this is perfect. We hope to put the plans in to the council in February and then we are hoping for a quick decision.

"It’s been a long time in the making, but it’s privately funded and in a great location with unbeatable transport links. Momentum is key for us, we don’t want the project to stall and these plans to be forgotten about, we want to get going and get the place open as quickly as possible.”

Addressing concerns about the venue not being big enough to compete with the 14,300 capacity Hydro in Glasgow or the 15,000 capacity P&J Live arena in Aberdeen, Mr Wood explained that building a larger venue would be pointless, adding that feedback to the plans so far has been broadly positive.

He said: “It’s the size of the market. If you look at the overall location of Edinburgh, it extends quite a long way north and south, but not west. So we had to be realistic. We are not going to get Beyonce playing in this arena.

"But we could attract the likes of The Kaiser Chiefs and other similar level music acts as well as comedians like Michael McIntyre, and this capacity is perfect for them. A lot of shows at the Hydro don’t play to a full venue, so we think this is the perfect size for Edinburgh and the perfect size for our first venue in Scotland.

"We have had a positive pre-application consultation with the public and planners. Generally the feedback has been very positive. People are delighted that we are planning to build an arena in Edinburgh, and we can’t wait to deliver it.

"There have been no real concerns so far, just questions about transport, but to have the train and tram stops, as well as pedestrian and cycle links, we couldn’t find a better site than this.”

The earmarked site is adjacent to a new “cultural quarter” which is taking shape in the area as part of a wider-development by Parabola which is expected to create 1,800 new homes and offices.