Bristol Arena could open in 2027 as works progress

The developers of Bristol Arena say they are making good progress, but are yet to set a date for when building work will begin.

YTL Construction UK is still preparing the Brabazon Hangars, once home of Concorde, to make way for a 19,000-capacity ‘entertainment and cultural hub.'

It means YTL Arena Bristol will not be staging concerts until 2027 at the earliest, with construction due to take around two-and-a-half years to complete.

It comes as plans for an outdoor cinema, ice rink and sports courts were unveiled for the site in May.

Developers say they are still in the 'enabling works' phase of the project, following an update on its progress in March.

“We are also on the runway and surrounding area completing major infrastructure to support the arena,” a spokesperson told the BBC.

The initial phase has seen decontamination carried out by Omega Environmental Services, which will be followed by the demolition of non-essential structures.

In its latest update, Andrew Billingham, CEO of YTL Arena Bristol, said: "We're pleased with the progress and are pushing forward, albeit slower than originally planned.

"We have tackled challenges head-on making crucial decisions to expedite the opening while ensuring we deliver one of the premier arenas in Europe.

"Once main construction has started, we estimate it being a two-and-a-half-year build programme.”

Once open, it will be the only indoor arena in the South West, and the fourth largest venue in the UK.

The arena forms part of larger plans for Filton Airfield, including thousands of homes, shops, businesses and a railway station.

It was originally planned for the city centre near Temple Meads, but that idea was scrapped by Bristol mayor Marvin Rees because of the risk to the taxpayer.

Plans have also been submitted to Bristol City Council for an outdoor cinema which would be replaced in the winter by an ice rink.

There will also be badminton courts, a tennis court, multi-use games area for sports such as basketball and five-a-side football, and a pump track for cycling.

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