The City of Edinburgh Council has granted planning permission to AEG Europe for a new 8,500-capacity arena in Edinburgh Park.
The decision marks a significant milestone in the development of Scotland’s newest state-of-the-art live entertainment venue, set to inject £520 million per year into the local economy and create over 1,300 jobs.
HOK is serving as lead design consultant and project architect for the new venue. The design will deliver a fully flexible arena, accommodating a diverse range of entertainment events, from sports and fully standing end-stage performances at maximum capacity to smaller productions in a theatre-style setting.
AEG Europe, the owner of London’s iconic The O2 Arena and Uber Arena in Berlin, is collaborating with award-winning developers and site owners Parabola on the project. The arena will span 18,500 square metres within the regeneration area of Edinburgh Park, located west of the Scottish capital.
“Delivering a venue that can host large-scale sport, music and entertainment events throughout the year will be transformative for Edinburgh as well as the wider regeneration in the west of the city,” said John Rhodes, London-based director of HOK’s Sports + Entertainment practice. “The city deserves to have its own modern multipurpose venue, which will attract a strong roster of performers, shows and musical talent, establishing Edinburgh as a major hub for live entertainment.”
The arena is expected to attract over 700,000 visitors annually, injecting an additional £83 million per year into the local economy. The venue will create more than 1,000 operational jobs in and around the arena.
Throughout the planning phase, AEG Europe’s Guest Experience and Sustainability experts have been integral in ensuring the venue design and future construction reflect unprecedented fan-first and sustainability measures. The team has further ambitions to ensure Edinburgh Park will be the U.K.’s most sustainable arena.
The privately funded Edinburgh Park Arena is set to begin construction in 2025, pending the appointment of an external contractor and finalisation of funding partners. The project is slated for completion in 2027, with the aim of hosting the first event that same year.