Large arena in Edinburgh

[stuart-farquhar]

Anybody know if there is the slightest prospect of Edinburgh having one constructed?

[Edina Street]

We already have the BT Murrayfield Stadium, Easter Road Stadium, Tynecastle Park, Royal Highland Centre, Meadowbank Sports Centre, World Of Football.

[stuart-farquhar]

We already have the BT Murrayfield Stadium, Easter Road Stadium, Tynecastle Park, Royal Highland Centre, Meadowbank Sports Centre, World Of Football.


People also ask
What is considered an arena?

An arena is a large enclosed platform, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators, and may be covered by a roof.

I was of course thinking of the indoor variety. Edinburgh lacks this type of facility.

[Stairway 2 7]

We already have the BT Murrayfield Stadium, Easter Road Stadium, Tynecastle Park, Royal Highland Centre, Meadowbank Sports Centre, World Of Football.

None hold the hundreds of events that an indoor arena can hold.

The SNP Council said it was their priority if they one the council election alas they never so...

[Edina Street]

People also ask
What is considered an arena?

An arena is a large enclosed platform, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators, and may be covered by a roof.

I was of course thinking of the indoor variety. Edinburgh lacks this type of facility.

Ok, you've twisted my arm.

Where do you envisage this arena being built?

[Stairway 2 7]

Ok, you've twisted my arm.

Where do you envisage this arena being built?

The team behind the MEN arena wanted it down the docks. They were happy to put funding but they only work with arenas inside the city. The council said they wanted it near the airport on land they owned, so they went their separate ways

The hydro was offered to Edinburgh first also the council procrastinated and the SECC swooped in. Although they already had an arena they saw the benefits of a modern one and are now reaping hundreds of millions of pounds to the city each year

[Mon Dieu4]

I said on another similar thread recently that the owners of the Birmingham NEC wanted to build an 8000 seater at Straiton, that was just before COVID so not sure if it's still in the works or not

[Frazerbob]

We must be the only European capital city without an indoor sports/events/gig arena. Lesser U.K. cities like Leeds, Liverpool, Belfast put us to shame. Further afield, most cities in Poland, the Baltic, Scandinavia etc have fascilities that we can only dream of.

[ErinGoBraghHFC]

We must be the only European capital city without an indoor sports/events/gig arena. Lesser U.K. cities like Leeds, Liverpool, Belfast put us to shame. Further afield, most cities in Poland, the Baltic, Scandinavia etc have fascilities that we can only dream of.

Problem is where do you build it and how do you get the locals to no whinge about it? Every time a new building is built in Edinburgh someone complains that it’s an eyesore and it doesn’t fit in with the rest of the architecture.


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[Smartie]

We must be the only European capital city without an indoor sports/events/gig arena. Lesser U.K. cities like Leeds, Liverpool, Belfast put us to shame. Further afield, most cities in Poland, the Baltic, Scandinavia etc have fascilities that we can only dream of.

You’d have thought that with the likes of the festival that we’d find enough use for one too. There are cities where one might end up being a bit of a white elephant but we’ve never exactly been an outpost that struggles to attract events.

I suspect it’s probably a casualty of land / property costing what it does and being at a premium here. It’s harder to make a business case for utilising a footprint of land that size for that purpose than it is to use it for more f’ing student flats or bijou 2 bedroom apartments.

And there’s enough people wanting to live here, keeping the prices high without such an arena that we’re not all desperate for the entertainment it would bring. A short moan and a trip to Glasgow it is.

[danhibees1875]

You’d have thought that with the likes of the festival that we’d find enough use for one too. There are cities where one might end up being a bit of a white elephant but we’ve never exactly been an outpost that struggles to attract events.

I suspect it’s probably a casualty of land / property costing what it does and being at a premium here. It’s harder to make a business case for utilising a footprint of land that size for that purpose than it is to use it for more f’ing student flats or bijou 2 bedroom apartments.

And there’s enough people wanting to live here, keeping the prices high without such an arena that we’re not all desperate for the entertainment it would bring. A short moan and a trip to Glasgow it is.

Not quite what's needed but there's the summer sessions in the gardens and castle concerts that are temporary, outdoor, venues in the summer.

I think as you and others have said it's a matter of space and commercials not adding up. I'm not sure if it just feels this way but Edinburgh seems like quite a small and compact city- with that comes a lack of good space for a permanent indoor venue.

[silverhibee]

Problem is where do you build it and how do you get the locals to no whinge about it? Every time a new building is built in Edinburgh someone complains that it’s an eyesore and it doesn’t fit in with the rest of the architecture.


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Take your pick, there seems to be plenty land going in and around Edinburgh to build houses, out by the airport would be the obvious choice for transport.

It’s a bloody scandal that the Capital doesn’t have an indoor arena.

[Stairway 2 7]

Land in Manchester is about as expensive and they are looking at building 3, London looking at building two more including one in Central London. Dundee, Newcastle, Cardiff, Swansea and Bristol all planning to build 10k+ arenas, all have housing issues but these things are gold mines for cities.

There is miles of space down Granton and leith where the MEN company wanted to build or Hermiston Gate area, both linked to tram.

If Dundee and gateshead can sustain and Cardiff wanting two, Edinburgh can with ease

[Frazerbob]

Problem is where do you build it and how do you get the locals to no whinge about it? Every time a new building is built in Edinburgh someone complains that it’s an eyesore and it doesn’t fit in with the rest of the architecture.


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Easy, Leith Docks. Loads of space, next to no inconvenience to locals and would actually give the trams a reason to venture that far. Direct link from the airport to the venue. Could do exactly what Dublin did with the Point/O2 in their docklands area.

[Pretty Boy]

Easy, Leith Docks. Loads of space, next to no inconvenience to locals and would actually give the trams a reason to venture that far. Direct link from the airport to the venue. Could do exactly what Dublin did with the Point/O2 in their docklands area.

I think the argument against building an arena in that area back in the day was the road links aren't suitable and there was inadequate access routes and parking.

I suppose in that regard somewhere like Straiton would be better as there is direct access to the Bypass (albeit I'm not sure that is a particularly great access road to anywhere) and there would be space to build a substantial car parking site. The flip side is public transport provision to an out of town site isn't as good and surely encouraging people onto public transport should be at the forefront of anyone's mind when building these things.

[Stairway 2 7]

I think the argument against building an arena in that area back in the day was the road links aren't suitable and there was inadequate access routes and parking.

I suppose in that regard somewhere like Straiton would be better as there is direct access to the Bypass (albeit I'm not sure that is a particularly great access road to anywhere) and there would be space to build a substantial car parking site. The flip side is public transport provision to an out of town site isn't as good and surely encouraging people onto public transport should be at the forefront of anyone's mind when building these things.
Think most cities are putting them bang in the city without parking nowadays, move away from cars towards public transport. Manchester, Bristol, Cardiff, Liverpool ect have pretty much no public parking. Would be good to have something down Grantons massive development bar houses.

[Frazerbob]

I think the argument against building an arena in that area back in the day was the road links aren't suitable and there was inadequate access routes and parking.

I suppose in that regard somewhere like Straiton would be better as there is direct access to the Bypass (albeit I'm not sure that is a particularly great access road to anywhere) and there would be space to build a substantial car parking site. The flip side is public transport provision to an out of town site isn't as good and surely encouraging people onto public transport should be at the forefront of anyone's mind when building these things.

Outskirts don't work. Look at Birmingham. Get these facilities in the city centre where possible and, as you say, improve public transport. There needs to be a will from the our clowncil though....there isn't.

[The Modfather]

Land in Manchester is about as expensive and they are looking at building 3, London looking at building two more including one in Central London. Dundee, Newcastle, Cardiff, Swansea and Bristol all planning to build 10k+ arenas, all have housing issues but these things are gold mines for cities.

There is miles of space down Granton and leith where the MEN company wanted to build or Hermiston Gate area, both linked to tram.

If Dundee and gateshead can sustain and Cardiff wanting two, Edinburgh can with ease

From a purely selfish perspective they should build it at Hermiston Gait! In all seriousness, Leith is probably the best choice. People would spend money in the bars and restaurants in town and also Leith before/after. There’s not the same benefit to be had to local businesses out at Hermiston Gait or the airport.

[Willis1875]

Haven’t been down that way for a while but is there anything on the site of the old Genting casino on Ocean Drive?Would be a great spot especially with the teams being extended that way

[Stairway 2 7]

I'd put it just past asda leith huge bit of unbuilt land right beside tram and bus route, premier Inn, holiday Inn and a Malmaison already there.

Will be a similar thread on here next year though as council useless

[stuart-farquhar]

The largely empty car parks beside Victoria Quay in Leith. It's a huge expanse of land. Build two!

[Smartie]

The largely empty car parks beside Victoria Quay in Leith. It's a huge expanse of land. Build two!

Have they not all been built on now?

[stuart-farquhar]

Have they not all been built on now?

No. It's normally very empty. Plus there's some other unused land adjacent. Old football or other sorts pitch
.

[Hibrandenburg]

The largely empty car parks beside Victoria Quay in Leith. It's a huge expanse of land. Build two!

Where would visitors to events park?

[Stairway 2 7]

Where would visitors to events park?

Most new arenas like Manchester, Liverpool, Cardiff, Bristol ect don't have much parking at all. Public transport should be decent in Leith once the trams are finished

[Scouse Hibee]

Most new arenas like Manchester, Liverpool, Cardiff, Bristol ect don't have much parking at all. Public transport should be decent in Leith once the trams are finished

Just 1450 spaces at the Liverpool area .

[Smartie]

No. It's normally very empty. Plus there's some other unused land adjacent. Old football or other sorts pitch
.

The car parks attached to Ocean Terminal are often empty (as is Ocean Terminal itself) but a great deal of the land that used to be wasteland has had flats built on it now.

Knocking down Ocean Terminal and replacing it with an arena might not be the worst idea tbf.

I live down that way though and a set of temporary traffic lights at Ocean Terminal as they finish off the trams there has caused quite a lot of congestion. I can only imagine that it would be a disaster if large numbers of people wanted to get to the area by car, which they inevitably would. This area would only be viable for something like that with really pretty creative park and ride (park and sail?) thinking.

[Stairway 2 7]

The car parks attached to Ocean Terminal are often empty (as is Ocean Terminal itself) but a great deal of the land that used to be wasteland has had flats built on it now.

Knocking down Ocean Terminal and replacing it with an arena might not be the worst idea tbf.

I live down that way though and a set of temporary traffic lights at Ocean Terminal as they finish off the trams there has caused quite a lot of congestion. I can only imagine that it would be a disaster if large numbers of people wanted to get to the area by car, which they inevitably would. This area would only be viable for something like that with really pretty creative park and ride (park and sail?) thinking.

Liverpool and Bristols as I said have pretty much no public car parks built with it and near the water, I'd doubt Evertons stadium too. Public transport is all that's needed. The area behind asda is bigger than the footprint of ocean terminal and derelict. Its probably earmarked for hundreds of unaffordable paper thin houses though

[overdrive]

Liverpool and Bristols as I said have pretty much no public car parks built with it and near the water, I'd doubt Evertons stadium too. Public transport is all that's needed. The area behind asda is bigger than the footprint of ocean terminal and derelict. Its probably earmarked for hundreds of unaffordable paper thin houses though

One of the Manchester ones is above a train station... you could even have a car park underneath it (probably not great for security but an option).