Congratulations to Leedss First Direct Arena, the following ar clips from an article in Thursdays YEP It might not feel like it but it’s been one year since the First Direct Arena staged its inaugural concert and in so doing ushered in a new era for the city by bringing some of the biggest names in showbiz to Leeds. Concerts for big names such as Sir Elton John and Prince can generate up to £1m and since January the arena has sold more than 240,000 tickets and raked in more than £10m in sales. It is also estimated to have made something like £25m for the wider economy – that’s things like hotel rooms, restaurant and cafe bookings, taxi rides and shopping. In terms of the big names, Leeds has welcomed Sir Elton John, Prince, Dolly Parton, Pearl Jam, the Kaiser Chiefs, not to mention the WI, the world of American wrestling and – what turned out to be one of the most surprising nights – world darts. He said: “When we had Bruce Springsteen and Elton John, there were some people who said we would never top it but then we had Prince. The names just keep coming. When we had Pearl Jam last week, it was one of the best nights I can remember – I didn’t know any of their songs but the atmosphere was electric and they played for something like three and a half hours.” “We’ve brought some of the biggest names in showbiz to the city,” said Tony. “Elton John, Prince, it was a full house for the Stereophonics, Rudimental have played twice and the Kaisers are booked to return on St Valentine’s Day. When Pearl Jam played, according to booking, there were no rooms left in Leeds – we like to call it our Bethlehem moment – it’s the first time it’s happened in Leeds. “The opening of the Arena coinciding with the opening of Trinity Leeds has provided a real boost to the visitor economy and collectively they have brought millions of people to the city.
Posted on: Sat, 26 Jul 2014 08:45:53 +0000
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