Edinburgh Park Arena plans for new 8,500 capacity entertainment venue formally submitted by AEG Europe

Developers believe the arena will bring £83m a year to Edinburgh

AEG Europe has today submitted a full planning application to The City of Edinburgh Council for a highly-anticipated 8,500-capacity arena.

The proposed large entertainment venue, spanning 18,500 square metres, would be situated behind the Edinburgh Park train and tram station, revitalising scrubland and supporting the regeneration of the local area with master developers Parabola at the site.

Edinburgh music fans have been crying out for the city to have a good-sized music arena for years, with big chart acts normally playing the Hydro in Glasgow or  P&J Live arena in Aberdeen when they visit Scotland, forcing locals to head west or north to see their heroes ,with most Capital venues around or below the 2,000 capacity mark.

A new graphic rendering of the Edinburgh Park Arena exterior, with the full planning application now submitted to The City of Edinburgh Council.

Based on external assessment, the Edinburgh Park Arena project will bring an estimated £520 million per annum in gross value added to the Edinburgh economy.

The applicants have also revealed that the building would employ a collective total of 1350 people once up and running. Furthermore, the investment is expected to inject a further £83.1 million annually back into the local economy through the 700,000+ visitors the arena is expected to attract each year.

Alex Hill, president and CEO of AEG Europe, which owns the O2 Arena in London, 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.”

The application follows in-person public consultation events at the turn of the year, where members of the project team and AEG Europe were on-site to hear first-hand from residents and update them on the intended plans.

This model of the proposed Edinburgh Park Arena was on display at the consultation event in January.

Alistair Wood, executive vice-president of Real Estate & Development for AEG Europe, said: “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.”

He added: “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.”

AEG Europe is hoping to receive planning permission by June 2024, with a view of appointing an external contractor to commence work thereafter. It previously told the Evening News during the consultation process that it plans to put on more than 150 shows a year if their planning application is approved.

Local music fans will be hopeful that the planning application for Edinburgh Park Arena is successful, following previous failed attempts to bring a large arena to the Capital over the years.