Bruce Springsteen To Open Leeds First Direct Arena

The First Direct Arena, a 13,500 capacity entertainment venue on Claypit Lane, is opening its doors for the first time tonight. It is different from traditional bowl venues in that it has a theatre-style orientation, with all the seats facing the performance area. It is the first major venue of its kind in Leeds since the close of the Queen’s Hall in 1989.

The building, designed to look like a honeycomb using lights that change colour to reflect the mood of the event, was constructed, on-budget and on time, at a cost of £60m by BAM. Leeds City Council worked in partnership with operators SMG Europe on the project, who predict that this new arena will not only be their flagship venue in Europe, but will be regarded as one of the top 10 venues in the world within two or three years.

Coun Keith Wakefield, Leader of Leeds City Council, said, “To welcome Bruce Springsteen to Leeds for our arena’s opening night is incredibly exciting and we intend to do the city proud.”

The arena has already been booked up with series of acts and events, including Elton John, Status Quo, Russell Howard, Lee Evans, Cirque du Soleil and BBC Sports Personality of the Year.

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