Utilita Arena Birmingham (Birmingham, England)
Utilita Arena Birmingham
Arena Birmingham (known as Utilita Arena Birmingham, and previously as The Barclaycard Arena and originally as the National Indoor Arena) is an indoor arena and sporting venue in central Birmingham, United Kingdom. It is owned by parent company the NEC Group. When it was opened in 1991, it was the largest indoor arena in the UK.
The arena is located alongside the Birmingham Canal Navigations Main Line's Old Turn Junction and opposite the National Sea Life Centre in Brindleyplace. The building straddles the main Birmingham to Wolverhampton Intercity railway line (originally the Stour Valley Line), but does not have a station of its own. There are three adjoining car parks with a total of 2,156 spaces. Close to the arena is The ICC which is also owned by the NEC Group.
It is currently the third-largest indoor arena in the United Kingdom by capacity. In 2019, the arena had ticket sales of 530,597, which was the 4th highest in the United Kingdom.
Notable events:
Gladiators was recorded at the arena from 1992 to 1999.
1993 IBF World Championships
1995 Netball World Championships
Eurovision Song Contest 1998
1999 World Judo Championships
The 2001 Robot Wars Live Tour.
2003 IAAF World Indoor Championships.
Great Britain Davis Cup tennis matches (vs. United States in 1999, vs. Sweden and Thailand in 2002, and vs. Japan in 2016)
BBL Cup and BBL Finals Weekend matches
2003 IBF World Championships
2007 European Athletics Indoor Championships.
The Premier League Darts every year since 2007
2010 European Men's Artistic Gymnastics Championships
2010 European Women's Artistic Gymnastics Championships
2010 Wheelchair Basketball World Championship
2011 Trampoline World Championships
Lee Evans performed here from 17 to 21 September 2014 to record his final stand-up show tour Monsters before his retirement.
Linkin Park performed here as part of the One More Light Tour on 6 July 2017. This was the band's last performance of the European leg, as the remaining show in Manchester were cancelled due to a bombing at the Manchester Arena, where the band was supposed to perform. It was also the final performance of lead singer Chester Bennington before his death on 20 July 2017.
2018 IAAF World Indoor Championships
2022 Commonwealth Games