Arena Birmingham
Arena Birmingham (known for sponsorship reasons as Utilita Arena Birmingham, previously as The Barclaycard Arena, originally as the National Indoor Arena and still commonly called The NIA) 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.[2]
This article is about the indoor arena in Birmingham, England. For other arenas with the same or similar names, see Birmingham Arena.Former names
National Indoor Arena (1991–2014)
Barclaycard Arena (2014–2017)
Arena Birmingham (2017–2020)
King Edwards Road
Birmingham B1 2AA England
15,800 (arena)[1]
6,825 (B1)
4 October 1991
2013–14
£26 million
Rodgers Leaske
Hulley & Kirkwood
- Novus
- Inox Equip Ltd
- Time Sec
- Architainment Lighting, Ltd
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.[3]
The arena has been used for several major events in the past, including counting no less than eight constituencies in the hall for the 1992 general election.[19]
NEC Group[edit]
Parent company The NEC Group also owns and operates the ICC Birmingham in central Birmingham, and the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) and Resorts World Arena (previously The NEC Arena, LG Arena and Genting Arena), based on The NEC site in nearby Solihull.[26]