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Final seat bolted in at new city venue

BBC A floor view of Becketwell Arena in DerbyBBC
All seats have now been added at the 3,500-capacity venue

A new entertainment venue in Derby has moved a step closer to completion after its final seat was installed.

The special "golden seat" was the last to be placed inside the city's 3,500-capacity Becketwell Arena on Friday.

All construction work for the £46m project has now been completed and interior work, including acoustic testing, is now under way ahead of its scheduled opening in spring 2025.

Derby City Council leader Nadine Peatfield described the final seat being added as "another milestone".

"I'm really looking forward to opening night, it’s a game changer for Derby", she told the BBC.

Councillor Nadine Peatfield, Paul Morris, Robert Kirkland and Marcus Sheehan placing the final seat at Becketwell Arena in Derby
City council boss Nadine Peatfield helped to fix the final seat in place
A view from the very back of Becketwell Arena in Derby
This image shows what the view will be like for people on the back row

The venue will be owned by Derby City Council and run by ASM Global, a venue management and events producer.

The council said it was planning to hand over the venue to ASM Global in seven weeks.

ASM Global said in October it was aiming to recruit 130 people in a mixture of full and part-time roles, as well as permanent and temporary positions.

The stairwell at the main entrance of Becketwell Arena in Derby
The stairwell at the main entrance of the arena
The entrance to Becketwell Arena in Derby
Work on indoor areas, including the lobby, is still being finished

The venue's main auditorium has flat floor seating, a lower tier of retractable bleacher seating and an upper tier of fixed seating with a ring of VIP seating on the central and side balconies.

Ms Peatfield said the venue is due to host over 200 cultural and commercial events and attract an additional 250,000 visitors to the city each year.

A view from the VIP section on the second floor of Becketwell Arena in Derby
A view from the VIP section on the second floor

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