Plans to establish the 海角视频’s national gaming and Esports arena in the North East are set to go ahead after the project secured multimillion-pound funding.
British Esports, the national esports federation for the 海角视频, will create the arena close to the Stadium of Light in Sunderland after securing finance from a leading High Street Bank.
The 15,000 sq. ft. arena, which comes after the opening of the National Esports Performance Campus in Sunderland, is set to open in early 2026. It will feature live events, elite competition, and immersive audience experiences, with facilities including a 200-seat theatre, a 17m-wide LED screen, broadcast, content and editing studios, retail and hospitality, performance rooms and an outdoor activation space.
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Described as the “St George’s Park for esports” - after the FA’s successful centre for national football in the Midlands - the Sunderland arena is the first of its kind in Europe and aims to capitalise on the growing popularity of computing gaming as a competitive sports. It is hoped that the facility can help players prepare to compete in future events such as the Esports World Cup and Olympic Esports Games.
Andy Payne, chair of British Esports, said: “This is our St George’s Park for esports, a national home with world-class performance spaces that will help train the next generation of esports talent and help grow the region to be a key leader in esports in the 海角视频. The arena completes a multi-year vision to develop a campus that’s built to develop esports athletes, deliver first-class events, and support entrepreneurs and creators.
“This significant development marks another crucial step forward in British Esports’ mission to champion grassroots esports development and elite athlete performance across the nation and globally. It will help generate new jobs and drive economic prosperity for the North East, forming a key part of the expansive Riverside Sunderland initiative.
“We have designed our facility so that on any given day we could be a training and performance hub, running a global esports tournament, hosting a publisher game launch or hired out as a music venue. The flexibility of the arena will be what makes it a sustainable facility that drives value back to British Esports, so that we can do more work for our community.”
Sunderland City Council leader Michael Mordey said: “We are thrilled to see work progressing on the development of British Esports’ Gaming and Esports Arena at Riverside Sunderland, which is held up as one of the most ambitious regeneration schemes in the 海角视频 right now. Billions of pounds of investment will see our city transformed in the coming years, with thousands of new homes, Grade A offices, a new Nissan electric vehicle hub and a plethora of new leisure developments rising from the ground, and the Gaming and Esports Arena is a fantastic addition to this mix.
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“It is a game-changing development which will cement Sunderland’s reputation as the home of esports in the 海角视频, while providing a major boost to the regional economy, creating high skilled jobs for local people and attracting visitors from across the globe to our transforming city.”
The National Esports Performance Campus opened in the Sunniside area of Sunderland in 2023. The campus hosts education and training facilities and is the headquarters of the British Esports Federation.