New images have been revealed of the UK’s newest major arena

Massive Attack, Portishead and Bananarama. The Cortinas, The Blue Aeroplanes and Idles. If you were wondering what all these bands have in common, they were all formed in the same British city: Bristol. 

For a city so steeped in music history, though, Bristol falls short when it comes to a large-scale gig arena. Currently, the city’s largest live venue has a maximum capacity of just over 2,000, meaning it’s missing out on major music tours and shows from big-name artists. 

But not for long. Ground has been broken on a massive new 20,000-capacity venue in the north of the city, which, once open, will be the third largest arena in the country. The only bigger indoor arena venues in the UK will be London’s O2 and Manchester’s Co-op Live.

Once the home of Concorde (yep, we’re talking supersonic airliner), the city’s Brabazon Hangars are being transformed to make way for the new music space, which is set to be built in time for a late 2028 opening. Its developers have just released new visuals offering a sneak peek into what the venue will look like when it opens.

Named the Aviva Arena, it’ll be part of a complex named YTL Live that’ll also feature a conference and exhibition space. Alongside its 20k arena bowl, the plans for the venue also include bars, lounges and restaurants. 

Developers reckon that once open, the venue will welcome 1.4 million people each year for more than 120 major live music, sports and entertainment events. 

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