Swansea people are being invited to take part in the testing of their arena at two events taking place later this month.
Tickets are now on sale for the events, which will enable the testing of all aspects of the venue ahead of the arena opening in March. This will include evacuations as part of safety testing.
Featuring a variety of Swansea-based artists, the test events are being held on Friday February 25 and Saturday February 26.
The Friday February 25 test event – which will take place from the early evening – will feature Trampolene, The Now, Inscape and The Vega Bodegas. Then on Saturday February 26, the test event, which will run from mid-afternoon through to the late evening, will feature Prosperina, Pearler, Fallen Temples, Cities, Lost Tuesday Society, The Orange Circus and King Goon.
Swansea Arena forms part of the £135m Copr Bay phase one district being developed by Swansea Council and advised by development managers RivingtonHark. The arena is being leased to leading theatre and venue operator Ambassador Theatre Group, who run close to 60 venues across the UK and overseas.
Cllr Rob Stewart, Swansea Council Leader, said: “Test events for new venues of this kind are standard practice so everything can be assessed, fine-tuned and improved ahead of the arena officially opening in March. They’re a key part of the process that leads to the arena being able to operate at full capacity.
“These events will give Swansea people the chance to take part in the testing of their arena, while enjoying some of the best local musical talent.
“This is yet another step forward for the arena, as part of the Copr Bay phase one development led by the council that’s made incredible progress throughout the pandemic.
“Worth £17.1m a year to Swansea’s economy once open and operational, the Copr Bay district will also create hundreds of high-quality jobs, boost city centre footfall and attract further investment to our city.”
The Copr Bay phase one district also includes the new 1.1-acre coastal park, the new bridge over Oystermouth Road, new car parking, new apartments and new spaces for leisure and hospitality businesses. Buckingham Group Contracting is leading on its construction.
The arena element of the district is being part-funded by the £1.3bn Swansea Bay City Deal – an investment in nine major projects and programmes across the Swansea Bay City Region.
Head to www.swansea-arena.co.uk for test event ticket information, as well as ticket information on all other events to have been confirmed for the arena so far.
Test event tickets will cost £5, and will include a complementary drinks voucher.
