Bp pulse LIVE
{{lowercase title}}
{{Short description|Multipurpose indoor arena in Solihull, England}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2023}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2018}}
{{Infobox venue
| name = bp pulse LIVE
| fullname = bp pulse LIVE
| former_names = Hall 7 {{small|(planning/construction)}}
Birmingham International Arena (1980–83)
NEC Arena (1983–2008)
LG Arena (2008–2014)
Genting Arena (2014–2018)
Resorts World Arena (2018–2024)
| logo_image = Bp pulse LIVE logo.jpg
| logo_caption =
| image = Genting Arena (cropped).jpg
| image_size = 250px
| image_alt =
| caption = Exterior of venue under old signage (c.2016)
| address = Perimeter Rd
Birmingham B40 1NT
England
| location = Marston Green
| coordinates = {{coord|52|27|12|N|1|43|10|W|type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
| genre =
| broke_ground = {{Start date|df=yes|1979|04|11}}
| built =
| opened = {{Start date|df=yes|1980|12|05}}
| renovated = 2008–2009
| expanded =
| closed =
| demolished =
| owner = National Exhibition Centre
| operator = NEC Group
| surface =
| scoreboard =
| production =
| cost = £28 million (renovation)
| architect = Edward Mills & Partners
| builder =
| project_manager =
| structural engineer = Ove Arup & Partners
| services engineer =
| general_contractor =
| main_contractors =
| seating_type =
| suites =
| record_attendance =
| dimensions =
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| tenants =
| embedded =
| website = {{URL|https://www.bppulselive.co.uk/|Venue Website}}
| publictransit =
}}
bp pulse LIVE is a multipurpose indoor arena located at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) in Solihull, England, just outside Birmingham. It has a capacity of 15,685 seats. The venue was built as the seventh hall of the NEC complex. After 18 months of construction, the arena opened as the Birmingham International Arena in November 1979 with a concert by Queen.{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-birmingham-26438290|title=NEC: From Eurovision to the G8|date=2014-03-05|access-date=2019-06-17|language=en-GB}}
In 2019, bp pulse LIVE had the 5th highest ticket sales of an arena venue in the United Kingdom.{{Cite web|url=https://www.pollstar.com/Chart/2019/12/Top200Arenas_797.pdf|title=2019 Worldwide Ticket Sales Top 200 Arena Venues|date=2019-12-16|website=Pollstar|access-date=2020-01-02}} The Ticket Factory was the official box office for the Resorts World Arena. They would eventually be acquired by American ticket outlet AXS from September 2024 when the arena was rebranded as bp pulse LIVE.{{cite web|url=http://www.gentingarena.co.uk/sponsors/|title=Sponsors|work=Genting Arena Birmingham}}
History
The venue was known as Birmingham International Arena until 1 September 1983,{{cite book|last1=Haryott |first1=R.B. |last2=Budd |first2=P.J. |last3=Feltham |first3=Ian |date=February 1983 |title=THE NATIONAL EXHIBITION CENTRE HALL 7, BIRMINGHAM INTERNATIONAL ARENA |publisher=Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers |volume=74 |issue=1|pages=25–46 }} then as NEC Arena from 5 September 1983 to 31 August 2008.
From 1 September 2008, the NEC Arena was officially renamed as the LG Arena, following a naming-rights sponsorship deal with global electronics company LG. The arena then underwent a £29 million overhaul of its facilities, paid for by loans from Birmingham City Council and regional development agency Advantage West Midlands.{{cite web |url=http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/local-news/birmingham-nec-arena-to-be-renamed-lg-65722 |title=Birmingham NEC Arena to be renamed LG Arena in £28m revamp |author= |date=4 July 2008 |work=Trinity Mirror |access-date=10 February 2017}}
File:Inside the Resorts World Arena (geograph 7193106).jpg
Work on the LG Arena was finished mid October 2009 and the arena hosted its first concert with Tom Jones.{{Cite web|url=http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/local-news/review-tom-jones-at-the-lg-arena-106199|title=Review: Tom Jones at the LG Arena, Birmingham|first=|last=|date=18 October 2009|website=Birmingham Live|access-date=28 July 2022}} Included in the installation were around 1,000 new seats, bringing the capacity to 16,000{{cite web|url=http://www.gentingarena.co.uk/venue-info/|title=Venue Information|work=Genting Arena Birmingham}} to compete with venues such as The O2 Arena in London and the Manchester Arena in Manchester. Also constructed were new hospitality areas and a forum containing new bars, restaurants and other customer facilities. Prior to its first concert, the arena hosted the 2009 Horse of the Year show.{{Cite web|url=https://www.britishshowjumping.co.uk/news/hoys-round-up-day-1--wednesday|title=HOYS ROUND UP DAY 1 – WEDNESDAY - The Official Website of British Showjumping|website=www.britishshowjumping.co.uk|date=8 October 2009|access-date=28 July 2022}}
In 2011, the venue became the tenth-busiest arena in the world{{cite web|url=http://www.manchesterconfidential.co.uk/Property/Manchester-Arena-Is-Second-Busiest-Arena-In-The-World |publisher=Manchester Confidential |title=Manchester Arena Is Second Busiest Arena in the World |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120607051347/http://www.manchesterconfidential.co.uk/Property/Manchester-Arena-Is-Second-Busiest-Arena-In-The-World |archive-date=7 June 2012}} and was ranked 13th-busiest in 2014.{{Cite news |title = Manchester Arena is third busiest in the world|url = http://www.pollstarpro.com/files/charts2014/2014YearEndWorldwideTicketSalesTop200ArenaVenues.pdf|date = 13 January 2015}}
It was announced in November 2014 that as part of a sponsorship deal with the casino group, the arena would be renamed the Genting Arena from 6 January 2015.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-birmingham-29920313 |title=Birmingham's LG to become Genting Arena |author= |date=5 November 2014 |work=BBC News |access-date=10 February 2017}}{{cite web |url=http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/lg-arena-renamed-genting-arena-8059404 |title=Birmingham LG Arena renamed Genting Arena in new sponsorship deal |last1=Brown |first1=Graeme |date=6 November 2014 |work=Trinity Mirror|access-date=10 February 2017}} On 25 September 2018, the NEC Group announced that the Genting Arena will be renamed Resorts World Arena as of 3 December of that year. Genting UK will continue to sponsor the hall. The reason for the new name was to more closely align the venue with Genting's Resorts World Birmingham that is opposite the arena, which opened in October 2015.{{cite web|url=https://www.iq-mag.net/2018/09/genting-arena-become-resorts-world-arena/#.W7OXsXtKi70|title=Genting Arena to become Resorts World Arena|date=25 September 2018|publisher=IQ Magazine|access-date=2 October 2018}}
On 11 June 2024, it was announced that the name would change to bp pulse LIVE at the start of September 2024, which eventually went live on 1st September 2024. The arena is currently under renovation until November so all the signage and branding with the new name on can be prepared for future events in that month.{{cite web | url=https://www.thestadiumbusiness.com/2024/06/11/resorts-world-arena-to-rebrand-as-bp-pulse-live/ | title=Resorts World Arena to rebrand as bp pulse LIVE | date=11 June 2024 }}
=Planned expansion=
On 9 March 2020, the NEC Group announced that they had submitted a planning application to Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council to expand the arena's capacity from 15,685 to 21,600, which would have made it the largest indoor arena in the United Kingdom. This development would involve the replacement of the existing roof, with an addition of an upper tier as well as other works including enhanced hospitality facilities as well as external, internal and major refurbishment works.{{Cite web|url=https://www.insidermedia.com/news/midlands/plans-to-expand-major-arena-submitted|title=Plans to expand major arena submitted|website=Insider Media Ltd|date=5 March 2020|access-date=9 March 2020}} Though unanimously approved by councillors, the plans were put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom.{{Cite web|first=Josh|last=Sandiford|url=https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/plans-massive-resorts-world-arena-22251109|title=Plans for massive Resorts World Arena expansion 'put on hold' due to Covid|website=BirminghamLive|date=25 November 2021|access-date=18 June 2022}}
Ticket sales
| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ !Year !Name !Ticket Sales !Gross Sales (USD) !Worldwide Rank !UK Rank |
| 2019
|Resorts World Arena |31,291,486 |43 |5 |
| 2018
| rowspan="4" |Genting Arena | |51 |6 |
| 2017
| |26 |6 |
| 2016
| |35 |6 |
| 2015
| |27 |6 |
NEC Group
Parent company The NEC Group also owns and operates Utilita Arena Birmingham (previously the National Indoor Arena and Barclaycard Arena) and ICC Birmingham, both in central Birmingham, and the National Exhibition Centre.{{Cite web |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-birmingham-45863974 |title=NEC Group sold 'for £800m' |work=BBC News |date=2018-10-15 |language=en-GB |access-date=2019-09-23}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category-inline|Genting Arena}}
- {{Official website|https://www.bppulselive.co.uk/}}
{{Indoor arenas UK}}
{{EAA members}}
{{2022 Commonwealth Games venues}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Indoor arenas in England
Category:Music venues in Birmingham, West Midlands
Category:Music venues completed in 1980
Category:1980 establishments in England
Category:Netball venues in England