Motorpoint Arena Sheffield
| Motorpoint Arena Sheffield | |
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| Former names | Sheffield Arena (1991–2002) Hallam FM Arena (2002–2007) Sheffield Arena (2007–2010) |
| Location | Motorpoint Arena Sheffield Broughton Lane Sheffield S9 2DF England |
| Coordinates | 53°23′59.54″N 1°25′7.54″W / 53.3998722°N 1.4187611°WCoordinates: 53°23′59.54″N 1°25′7.54″W / 53.3998722°N 1.4187611°W |
| Opened | 30 May 1991 |
| Owner | Sheffield City Trust |
| Operator | Live Nation |
| Construction cost | £34 Million |
| Capacity | 13,500 |
| Website | motorpointarena.co.uk |
Motorpoint Arena Sheffield (originally Sheffield Arena and formerly Hallam FM Arena) is an arena in Sheffield, England. It is situated near Rotherham, Sheffield City Centre, Attercliffe, Meadowhall and the Centertainment and is the premier concert venue for Yorkshire.
The arena opened as Sheffield Arena and was renamed Hallam FM Arena, but returned to its original name as of 1 November 2007.[1] On 9 August 2010, Sheffield Arena was officially renamed Motorpoint Arena Sheffield, after the Derby based car sales company invested £1 million to rename the venue.[2] It is used for big name concerts and sporting events.
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Opening and Labour's Sheffield rally [edit]
Constructed at a cost of £34 million, it was opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 30 May 1991.[3]
The first concert took place that evening, Paul Simon playing as part of his "Born at the Right Time" tour. The Arena then took on the role of Gymnastics Hall for the 1991 World Student Games which were held in the city and which prompted the investment in, and development of, both the arena and nearby Don Valley Stadium.
The arena was the location for the Labour Party's 1992 Sheffield Rally. Attended by over 10,000 party members and the entire shadow cabinet. Held just before that year's general election, which Labour was widely expected to win, the event is often seen as a factor in the party's defeat.[4] While the event was seen as a success to those within the hall, many commentators, and Labour politicians, viewing it as triumphalist in nature.[4] It has though been asserted that the event had negligible impact on the outcome,[5] with a fall in the party's support having already occurred.[6]
Attendance for all events at the venue has totalled around 7 million since its opening. It has a maximum capacity of 13,500.[3]
Events [edit]
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This section does not cite any references or sources. (February 2010) |
Music [edit]
The arena has played host over the years to the biggest music artists in the world including The Beach Boys, Kelly Clarkson, a-ha, Avril Lavigne, Def Leppard, Iron Maiden, Alice Cooper, Rihanna, Leona Lewis, Beyoncé, Christina Aguilera, Queen + Paul Rodgers, Elton John, Meat Loaf, Peter Andre, Bryan Adams, Depeche Mode, Katy Perry, Joss Stone, Whitney Houston, Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, Janet Jackson, Will Smith, Tina Turner, Cher, Bon Jovi, P!nk, Rod Stewart, David Bowie, Drake, Sting, Prince and Kylie Minogue. Britney Spears performed at the arena on 5 November 2011 as part of her Femme Fatale Tour. Also some of the worlds biggest bands/groups have played the arena including Kasabian, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Westlife, Take That, Scissor Sisters, Oasis, Status Quo, Girls Aloud, Arctic Monkeys, Kiss, Bee Gees, Muse, Green Day, Paramore, Jay-Z and Kanye West performed during their Watch the Throne Tour, blink-182, JLS, The Wanted, Black Grape and Pulp.
The Saturdays made their arena debut here on 15 December 2011 and Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds made theirs on 19 February 2012. Jessie J will make her arena debut on 3 March 2013 and Nicki Minaj will make her arena debut on 3 November 2012, part of her first ever headlining arena tour.
On 8 December 2012, Pulp will make their long-awaited return to Sheffield after eleven years. This will be the first gig they have played at the Motorpoint Arena Sheffield, with them previously playing The Leadmill, another venue in Sheffield, seven times in their career. Girls Aloud also returned to performing on their Ten: The Hits Tour 2013 after having a 3 year hiatus from the music industry as a group.
Other Events [edit]
The arena also hosts annual events including Disney On Ice which is held every year over November/December. TV shows such as The X Factor, Britains Got Talent Strictly Come Dancing, Dancing On Ice visit the arena every year as part of their tours.
The arena is a regular venue for some of the worlds best known Comedians such as Russell Brand, Lee Evans, Ricky Tomlinson, John Bishop, Ricky Gervais and Peter Kay who in 2011 played the arena for 5 nights running with all shows selling out within hours of going on sale.
The arena has hosted major special high profile events, including The International Indian Film Academy Awards, which took place on Saturday, 9 June 2007 and was broadcast live around the world. This included a season hosted by the city of Sheffield and nearby Leeds. Also, in 2009, the arena hosted the annual BBC 1xtra concert and the 2009 BBC Sports Personality of the Year. The Sheffield arena is used regular for sporting events and is the home to the city's Elite Ice Hockey League team, the Sheffield Steelers.
The arena has hosted major boxing events such as when Joe Calzaghe first won his WBO world title here on 11 October 1997 against former world champion Chris Eubank. On the same bill Sheffield born Naseem Hamed defended his WBO title against Jose Badillo. On 26 November 2005 Ricky Hatton extended his unbeaten record to 40–0, defending his IBF and Ring Magazine Junior Welterweight world titles and winning the WBA belt by 9th round knockout against Carlos Maussa. Sheffield fighter Clinton Woods also defended his IBF light-heavyweight title against Mexican Julio Cesar Gonzalez on two occasions, winning on points both times. The Great Britain men's national basketball team played a test match against Portugal in that arena in preparation for the 2012 Olympics.
WWE visit the arena up to twice a year and have also used the arena for broadcasting their weekly TV shows RAW and Smackdown as well as the Rebellion 2000 live Pay Per View event.
Premier League darts also appear at the arena every April.
Sheffield Steelers [edit]
The arena's resident sport team is the Sheffield Steelers ice hockey team who play in the Elite Ice Hockey League.
Management [edit]
The arena is owned by Sheffield City Trust, an independent charity, and managed under contract by the US media giant Live Nation UK.
- Security: In House
- Catering: In House
- Stewarding: Showsec
- Merchandising: Pantheon Franchise Ltd
- Medical: In House (Red Cross trained staff)
Transport [edit]
Car [edit]
The arena has carparking available for around 2000 cars and the arena is located near the M1 motorway.
Tram [edit]
The arena is connected to the Sheffield Supertram with a stop next to the arena. The main stop is 'arena don valley stadium'. Across the road at the Valley Centertainment entertainment complex there is also another tram stop.
Future competition with First Direct Arena [edit]
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For nearly two decades Sheffield Arena has been the only major concert and sporting venue in the Yorkshire region, this however will now change as the city of Leeds will construct its own arena of comparable size which will directly compete with Sheffield Arena. The arena's construction has caused controversy because it is funded partly by the government through Yorkshire Forward, a regional development agency, whereas the Sheffield Arena attracted all funding independently with no help from the government. The owners of Sheffield Arena as well as Clive Betts, the MP for Sheffield Attercliffe, have expressed opposition over Yorkshire Forward's funding of the First Direct Arena which they see will cause considerable economic damage to Sheffield Arena, East Sheffield and Sheffield/South Yorkshire itself, Yorkshire Forward have dismissed these claims and state that the arena will bring economic growth not only to Leeds and West Yorkshire but to the entire region. Even if the construction of the First Direct Arena does not lead to a significant reduction in concerts at Sheffield, the arena may suffer from a fewer customers as residents of Leeds will no longer have to travel to Sheffield to attend concerts. Sheffield is accusing Yorkshire Forward of favouring Leeds when the agency is supposed to represent Yorkshire as a whole and not invest in one city to the detriment of another. In response to outrage from Sheffield, the government has put plans to fund the arena on hold while they conduct an economic risk assessment.[7][8]
Despite objections, funding was secured for the First Direct Arena and planning approval granted, with site preparation/initial construction commencing on 18 February 2011.[9] Construction is due to be completed by 2013.
References [edit]
- ^ Motorpoint Arena. "Welcome to the Sheffield Arena". Hallamfmarena.co.uk. Retrieved 7 May 2011.
- ^ £1m new name drives Motorpoint Arena Sheffield [dead link]
- ^ a b Motorpoint Arena. "About the Sheffield Arena". Sheffieldarena.co.uk. Retrieved 7 May 2011.
- ^ a b "Key Issues in the 1992 Campaign", BBC News, Politics '97
- ^ Westlake, Martin (2001)Kinnock: The Biographypp.560-564
- ^ Jim Parish "It was tax what lost it for Labour", New Statesman, 1 January 1999
- ^ "Sheffield anger at funding pledge for Leeds arena". The Star. Retrieved 7 May 2011.
- ^ Published on Tue 23 10 Dec:26:50 GMT 2008. "Leeds Arena plan on hold after outcry". The Star. Retrieved 7 May 2011.
- ^ "Leeds Arena construction work starts". BBC News. 18 February 2011. Retrieved 18 February 2011.
External links [edit]
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