Almost a quarter of million visits were made to Swansea Arena in its first year of operation. The venue, which cost just under £50m and is part of the largely council-funded £135m Copr Bay development, saw over 241,000 people attend events since it first opened in March 2022.
Multiple events can be held at the 3,500-capacity arena including headline music, comedy and theatre acts as well as conferences, exhibitions, banquets, graduations, and creative learning events. Between March 2022 and March 2023, more than 183,000 tickets were sold for ticketed events there.
The new figures show a 78.9% occupancy on ticketed shows for the 2022/2023 financial year, which exceeded a projection of 65% for the arena’s first year of operation.
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Since opening, Swansea Arena has welcomed established comedians such as John Bishop, Michael McIntyre, Jimmy Carr and Russell Howard as well as popular bands including Royal Blood and Bullet for My Valentine.
The Hollywood Vampires, which include Johnny Depp and Alice Cooper, were the most recent stars to perform at the venue earlier this month.
The Proclaimers, Sarah Millican and Busted are among stars due to perform at the arena in the coming months. The arena is run by Ambassador Theatre Group (ATG), which rents the arena from Swansea Council as part of a 30-year lease.
Cllr Robert Francis-Davies, Swansea Council's Cabinet Member for Investment, Regeneration and Tourism, said: "The arena has been an outstanding success since it first opened.
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"As well as attracting so many stars from the worlds of music, comedy and theatre, it's also provided a state-of-the-art new space for conferences, exhibitions, banquets and other events.
"Complementing our other cultural venues like the Grand Theatre and the Brangwyn Hall, this means there's more choice than ever when it comes to shows and concerts for local people and visitors to enjoy in Swansea.
"The arena, as well as the new coastal park and bridge, are part of an ongoing regeneration story worth over £1bn that's transforming Swansea, creating jobs, boosting our economy and giving local people more opportunities."
Lisa Mart, Ambassador Theatre Group's Swansea Arena manager, said: "Opening a new entertainment venue is a massive feat - creating a team and operation from scratch, building a brand and audience, and encouraging promoters and corporate professionals to bring their events to somewhere beyond the usual established tour stops and conference spaces takes time.
"We are therefore over the moon that our hard work so far has resulted in such an encouraging first year of operation in challenging conditions, with repeat business already booked in.
"We are so grateful to the local community who have continued to buy tickets and are proving to the wider industry that Swansea absolutely is worthy of a tour date, and to our local partners who have been so supportive and welcoming. Year two is already showing quick growth - so we can't wait to get to peak programme over the next few years."
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