A new operator has been announced to oversee the Utilita Sheffield Arena from next year.
ASM Global – the Los Angeles-based firm which manages OVO Wembley Arena, AO Manchester Arena, and Leeds First Direct Arena – is due to take over from Sheffield City Trust in January 2025.
Councillor Richard Williams, Chair of Sheffield City Council’s Communities, Parks and Leisure Committee, said: “This is a major step forward in our ambitious plan for the city and entertainment facilities.
“ASM Global have an unrivalled reputation in the global venue industry and this new investment will certainly allow us to compete on a global scale.”
Leader of Sheffield City Council, Councillor Tom Hunt, said he was “thrilled” that ASM Global had accepted the opportunity and that it was “another example of our ambition for Sheffield”.
The 13,600-capacity arena has been operated by Sheffield City Trust since 1991, when it was used for the Student Games.
In 2022, financial shortfalls resulted in the council issuing a £7m bailout to the trust and to ask for it to hand back all seven of its Sheffield leisure venues, including the arena, at the end of 2024.
This led to the council launching a procurement process to find a new operator last year, in a move that was said to avoid “a potential insolvency situation” or force the council to have to introduce short-term measures between September and December 2024.
The new operators have reportedly pledged “significant investment” to re-vamp the arena, which was previously refurbished more than a decade ago.
Chris Bray, European President of ASM Global, said: “Our goal is to ensure the venue is a must-play for world-class artists, and that the content is diverse, exciting and world-leading.
“We have exciting plans for re-imagining the customer experience too and are looking forward to getting better acquainted with the city very soon.”
The venue recently hosted the MOBO Awards, stand-up comedian Peter Kay, and filming for BBC One’s revival of Gladiators.
It was also one of seven arenas shortlisted to host the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest, before it was later handed to Liverpool.
