Cardiff Indoor Arena: World-class venue set to attract jobs and visitors

A new "world-class" 15,000-capacity venue in Cardiff will inject more than £100m a year into the south Wales economy, say backers of the project.

Cardiff council hope the £150m Indoor Arena in Cardiff Bay would attract a million visitors every year after it opens to visitors at the end of 2024.

The council appointed a consortium of firms on Thursday to deliver "the missing piece of city infrastructure".

The plan will be discussed by Cardiff's cabinet before formal council approval.

Up to 2,000 jobs could be created during the construction phase of the project in the Atlantic Bay area of Cardiff Bay, with a further 1,000 jobs when the venue is up-and-running, said the council, calling it their "masterplan".

Cardiff Council said the proposal took a "step forward" on Thursday when Live Nation and Oak View Group were appointed as operators of the venue while Robertson will develop the site.

But councillors will now decide if the full business case for the project can be signed off.

The city's Principality Stadium can hold up to 74,000 people for major sporting and musical events.

But Cardiff's planners want a venue that can host smaller events - but more than the current 7,000-capacity Motorpoint Arena, which could be demolished as part of plans to create a "canal quarter" in the city centre.

In a statement, Cardiff council said new venue's development, which will be built on the current Red Dragon Centre site, is "the missing piece of city infrastructure needed to cement Cardiff's international reputation as a major events city".

The new arena would face Lloyd George Avenue and the Oval Basin outside the Senedd and Millennium Centre.

But work would be completed in stages - starting with a multi-storey car park on the Red Dragon Centre's overflow car park.

The new leisure complex would then be built on the main car park, with the existing one knocked down.

"Through the Atlantic Wharf masterplan, significant improvements will be made to the public realm and to transport links, and there is no doubt that the regeneration of this site will kick-start the next phase of regeneration in Cardiff Bay," said Cardiff councillor Russell Goodway.

"The city's business community have backed the project for many years, particularly the hospitality sector.

"The new indoor arena will be a top tier UK visitor attraction and the financial benefits that it will bring to Butetown and the wider area will be significant.

After the project was delayed by the Covid pandemic, the developer has begun consultations with local businesses and residents before submitting a planning application.

Wider changes will include changes to the current road layouts. Local residents have raised early concerns regarding the closure of Schooner Way for example, which the Council has taken on board and will seek to mitigate.

"We are committed to delivering a world-class arena that will offer maximum benefit to the local community and the wider region to create one of Wales' key cultural locations and destination venues," said Graham Walters of Live Nation.