10 Things You Didn't Know About The First Direct Arena, Leeds

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It's no secret that the First Direct Arena has brought a lot of excitement to Leeds. As well as transforming an area of the city centre that needed it, the arena has also brought a whole host of exciting talent to Yorkshire.

From Miley Cyrus to the WWE, some of the biggest names in the music and entertainment world have visited Leeds for the first time since it opened in July 2013. Not only that, the arena has spawned a range of exciting new bars and restaurants as part of the new and vibrant Arena Quarter development.

Here are some facts that you may not know about the First Direct Arena, Leeds:

  1. The arena was named the winner of “Best New Venue' in the Stadium Business Awards beating venues in Sochi, Brazil, France and Stockholm.
  2. It's been recognised as one of the country's top five iconic buildings alongside the Gherkin, Sage, Etihad Stadium and Birmingham Library.
  3. It's moved from zero to a top 5 arena venue in the UK in 12 months.
  4. Hosted the BBC Sports Personality Of The Year and Tour de France Team Presentation Opening Ceremony, which were broadcast to an audience of millions across the world.
  5. Concerts for household names including as Elton John and Prince have pulled in around £1 million in sales alone.
  6. Since January 2014 the First Direct Arena has sold more than 240,000 tickets and raked in more than £10 million in sales.
  7. It's estimated that the venue has a £25 million annual economic impact.
  8. The venue is managed by SMG Europe who are the UK's largest arena operator on a 25 year lease have delivered on their promise to put Leeds on the global map.
  9. Bruce Springsteen, Rod Stewart and Pearl Jam have all personally endorsed the venue.
  10. Billboard listed the First Direct Arena as the world's number one venue to watch in 2013 before it had even opened.

Parking for First Direct Arena, Leeds

Here at CitiPark, we're one of the official car parking providers for the First Direct Arena. Our Merrion Centre car park is located directly opposite the venue. We recently launched prebooking for all arena events so you can easily reserve your space. Learn more about it here.

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