Coventry Building Society Arena celebrates 20 years

Coventry Building Society Arena is celebrating 20 years since it first opened its doors – with the venue continuing to bring major economic and social benefits to Coventry and the wider West Midlands.

The £113 million venue, then known as Ricoh Arena, hosted its first public event on Saturday 20 August 2005 with the Sky Blues beating Queens Park Rangers 3-0.

The stadium first received planning permission in 1999, with the plans later revised to create the venue that exists today, but it was a crucial vote at Coventry City Council in 2003 that unlocked the funding to complete the project.

It was the catalyst for the regeneration of the north of Coventry, including the adjacent Arena Shopping Park and the Tesco Extra store.

Two decades later the stadium is continuing to deliver on its founding ambition of being a multi-purpose venue that brings major events to the city, employs local people, supports the community and supports economic growth in Coventry.

Coventry Building Society Arena has welcomed more than four million visitors and over 2,150 events since 2021 alone – with an estimated 22 million people coming through its doors over the last 20 years, including seven million in its first five years.

It has created tens of thousands of jobs for people in Coventry and now supports around 1,100 jobs annually, across full-time, part-time and casual roles.

The venue has continued to grow and develop since it was built, with the addition of new event spaces, a convention centre, sports bar, hospitality areas, lounges and more.

This has been supported by its thriving 121-bedroom DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel and its onsite casino, which originally opened as Isle of Capri and was acquired by Grosvenor Casinos in 2009.

The venue has established itself as the region’s premier destination for conferences, exhibitions and meetings, with more than 20,000 sqm of flexible event space and attracting business events from across the country and around the globe.

The Indoor Arena and Exhibition Halls were an addition to the venue after the failed 2006 England World Cup bid, with the revised plans creating a true multi-purpose venue.

This area of the business continues to go from strength to strength and has enjoyed a record sales year over the last 12 months. Its longest running exhibition, the National Painting Decorating Show, was first held in 2005, and since 2021 the venue has hosted more than 330 conferences, 105 confex and 1,130 meetings.

Coventry Building Society Arena has hosted a range of major international sport events throughout its history too, from the 2012 Olympics, 2022 Commonwealth Games and the Davis Cup, to international rugby, world-class darts and snooker and England’s Lionesses setting a record stadium attendance for a sport fixture of 32,128.

It has also played host to iconic and historic moments for Coventry City Football Club including the sold-out FA Cup Quarter Final in 2009 against Chelsea, the run to the Checkatrade Trophy final, a huge play-off semi-final against Middlesborough and many more famous occasions.

The venue has also attracted some of the biggest names in music to perform live in the West Midlands. Its first concert saw the Indoor Arena welcome Bryan Adams in 2005, who returned in 2024, and since then the venue has grown to be one of the country’s premier live music stadium venues.

Bon Jovi was the first act to play in the stadium bowl, which can host 40,000 fans for live music, with other names to grace the Arena’s stage including The Rolling Stones, Coldplay, Oasis, Rihanna, The Killers, P!nk, Take That, Bruce Springsteen, Rammstein, The Specials, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Robbie Williams, Muse, Spice Girls and many more.

The venue has also successfully hosted a diverse range of other events in its rich history, from the UK’s biggest gaming festival Insomnia and monster truck event Monster Jam, to live comedy and more recently the world’s largest inflatable course, The Monster.

It has launched a new timeline on its website to shine a spotlight on the iconic moments, unforgettable experiences and incredible events hosted at the venue, view it at www.coventrybuildingsocietyarena.co.uk/timeline.

Paul Michael, Managing Director at Coventry Building Arena, said: “This is a major milestone for Coventry Building Society Arena and it has provided the perfect opportunity to reflect on the impact this venue has had over the last 20 years.

“This is a venue that brings people together and has brought events to Coventry that simply wouldn’t have been possible before.

“Whether it has been hosting leading business events, huge crowds for Sky Blues matches, international sport or world-famous musicians, there have been countless memories made here, and the venue has become a cornerstone for the visitor economy in Coventry and the wider West Midlands.

“As we celebrate this anniversary, we are continuing to build on the success of our proud history, be that investing in our facilities, attracting new events, supporting the development of our staff or contributing to the community in Coventry.

“The last 20 years have been incredible and we’re even more excited about what the next 20 will bring.”

Coventry Building Society Arena is calling out for people to share their memories of the Arena over the last 20 years.

Visit www.coventrybuildingsocietyarena.co.uk/20-years-memories to find out more.