AEG Facilities has had its application to run Wembley Arena approved by the Competition Commission.
The completion of the 15 year deal with owner Quintain Estates and Development plc sees AEG increase its offering of live entertainment and sport in London in top venues along with its five-year contract for outdoor concerts and events in Hyde Park.
Full press release continues: AEG Facilities will bring world class content back to Wembley Arena and improve the experience for fans, artists and partners.
Throughout its 79 year history, the 12,500 seat Wembley Arena has played host to some of the world’s best known recording artists including David Bowie, The Who, Stevie Wonder, Prince and even The Beatles and Rolling Stones, who shared the same bill. It has also played host to the Olympics Games, serving as a venue for the London Games of 1948 and 2012.
On the announcement, Rod O’Connor, Executive Vice President, AEG Facilities, Europe: “Wembley Arena holds a special place in the hearts of music and live entertainment fans. It enjoys fame on a global scale and we are delighted to welcome it into our portfolio of elite and iconic venues and to have the opportunity to support it with our experience in operating many of the world’s most successful live events venues.”
> Join AEG and venue leaders from around the world at The LEVEL Summit 2013 in London
“Quintain’s Wembley Park estate is currently undergoing a remarkable transformation and we are proud to be a part of a development that will not only benefit fans, but also the local community. This deal marks a new chapter in Wembley Arena’s illustrious history and we are committed to delivering the very best experience for fans, artists and partners,” O’Connor added.
Purchased by Quintain in 2002 as part of a deal in which it bought 44 acres of former exhibition lands around the old Wembley Stadium, Wembley Arena sits at the heart of Quintain’s ongoing project to revitalize Wembley Park with the creation of new shops, homes and leisure facilities. The agreement with AEG will attract many more live events and people to the area who will enjoy the world famous venue alongside other new attractions including the new 4* Hilton London Wembley Hotel, which opened last July, and the London Designer Outlet – the first of its kind within the M25 – which will open on October 24th.
James Saunders, Chief Operating Officer at Quintain, said: “This is fantastic news for Quintain and for London, the biggest market place in the world for live music. AEG is the world’s leading venue operator and we look forward to AEG bringing the world class content, world class customer experience and the operational expertise they have demonstrated at The O2 to the iconic and much loved Wembley Arena. The new partnership with AEG comes at an important time for Quintain, just 8 weeks before we open London’s newest retail destination next to Wembley Arena – London Designer Outlet. We can now offer visitors to the Arena a much more rounded experience with shopping, dining and even an stay overnight at the Hilton London Wembley. The two attractions combined should drive over 8m visitors a year to the Wembley Park area, creating jobs and many new exciting opportunities.”
AEG’s application to run Wembley Arena was passed to the Competition Commission in March and then provisionally cleared in July before receiving the final approval this month.
>Join AEG and venue leaders from around the world at The LEVEL Summit 2013 in London
About Wembley Arena
Wembley Arena is the UK’s most iconic entertainment venue. With a rich history that goes back to its days as the Empire Pool and Sports Arena, the building has played host to numerous events including the 1948 and 2012 Olympics. Now, almost 80 years since its opening in 1934, the venue boasts a £35 million refurbishment. The famous stage has been graced by the likes of Madonna, David Bowie, The Who, Dolly Parton, Stevie Wonder, Prince, and even The Beatles and Rolling Stones who shared the same bill.
Despite being synonymous with live music, Wembley Arena has cemented its status as a sporting venue. Adding to a glowing reputation for ice shows, the venue has hosted TNA Wrestling, Snooker Finals, Premier League Darts, Indoor Hockey Finals and the International Strongman Championships in recent years. Not to mention the scores of family and comedy shows the Arena has to offer.
Wembley Arena can be easily reached by three underground lines and an overland route as well as by bus. With fantastic travel links (only 20 minutes by tube from Bond Street station), this is truly the heart of London’s entertainment industry.
About AEG Facilities
AEG, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Anschutz Company, is the leading sports, entertainment and venue operator in the world. AEG Facilities, a stand-alone affiliate of AEG, owns, operates or consults with more than 100 of the industry’s preeminent venues worldwide, across five continents, providing complete venue management, as well as specialized programs in operations, guest services, ticketing, booking, sales and marketing. AEG Facilities also provides resources and access to other AEG-affiliated entities, including live event producer, AEG Live, AEG Global Partnerships, AEG Development, AEG 1Earth, AEG Encore and AEG Creative to support the success of AEG venues across the globe. The Los Angeles-based organization owns, operates or provides services to the world’s most elite venues, including STAPLES Center (Los Angeles, Calif.), StubHub Center (Carson, Calif.), Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE (Los Angeles, Calif.), Sprint Center (Kansas City, Mo.), KFC YUM! Center (Louisville, Ky.), Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre (Brisbane, Australia), Sydney International Convention Exhibition, and Entertainment District (Australia), the Qatar National Convention Centre (Doha, Qatar) Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (Malaysia), Cairns Convention Centre (Australia), Darwin Convention Centre (Australia), Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre (Oman), AmericanAirlines Arena (Miami, Fla.), Prudential Center (Newark, N.J.), Target Center (Minneapolis, Minn.), BBVA Compass Stadium (Houston, Texas), O.co Coliseum and Oracle Arena (Oakland, Calif.), CONSOL Energy Center (Pittsburgh, Penn.), Rabobank Arena (Bakersfield, Calif.), Mercedes-Benz Arena (Shanghai, China), MasterCard Center (Beijing, China), The O2 Arena (London, England), O2 World (Berlin, Germany), O2 World Hamburg (Hamburg, Germany), Ahoy Arena (Rotterdam, Netherlands), Itaipava Arena Pernambuco (Recife, Brazil), Allianz Parque (Sao Paulo, Brazil), Allphones Arena (Sydney, Australia), ULKER Sports Arena (Istanbul, Turkey), Ericsson Globe Arena (Stockholm, Sweden). For more information, please visit aegworldwide.com
About Quintain Estates and Development
Quintain is a UK-listed property company with major London developments at Wembley and Greenwich Peninsula. It is supported by robust income streams from a specialist Asset Management business. /ENDS
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