Mayor announces timeline for arena

CONSTRUCTION of a long-promised arena on the Gateshead Quayside will start in early 2028, the North East mayor says.

- DANIEL HOLLAND Local Democracy Reporter [e-mail]

The proposed site of the Gateshead Quays arena, next to the River Tyne

Kim McGuinness announced £24 million of new funding on Monday evening to help revive the vision for a modern concert venue in the heart of Tyneside, after years of setbacks and delays.

Plans for a state-of-the-art arena and an international grade conference centre on the Quayside have been in the works for the best part of a decade, with a prime plot of land between the Glasshouse music hall and Baltic art gallery earmarked for the development.

But the project has been plagued with problems and stalled as its estimated costs spiralled.

The mayor's cash injection, due to be signed off by the North East Combined Authority (NECA) next week, will be used to deliver critical infrastructure works to "de-risk" the scheme and make it a more attractive proposition for a new investoroperator to run a 12,500-15,000 seat venue capable of attracting the world's biggest acts.

It will also be targeted at creating an open-air performance square next to the Glasshouse and an urban park connecting the riverside to the Baltic Quarter.