Marking two decades of success for arena – from sports and music to conferences and exhibitions, this venue has it all

Coventry Building Society Arena is celebrating 20 years since it opened its doors.

Two decades on, and with an estimated 22 million people coming through its doors in that time, the venue continues to bring major economic and social benefits to Coventry and the wider West Midlands, including supporting around 1,100 jobs annually.

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

After initial planning permission was received in 1999, it was a crucial vote at Coventry City Council in 2003 that unlocked the funding to complete the project. This was the catalyst for the regeneration of the north of Coventry, including the adjacent Arena Shopping Park and the Tesco Extra store.

The venue has continued to grow since it was built, with the addition of new event spaces, its indoor arena, a convention centre, sports bar, hospitality areas, lounges and more. This has been supported by its 121-bedroom DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel and its on-site casino.

With more than 20,000 sqm of flexible event space, the venue attracts business events from across the country and around the globe.

Coventry Building Society Arena has hosted a range of major international sport events throughout its history too, including the 2012 Olympics, the 2022 Commonwealth Games and the Davis Cup, with England’s Lionesses setting a record stadium attendance for a sport fixture of 32,128. Additionally, it has hosted iconic and historic moments for Coventry City Football Club, including the sold-out FA Cup Quarter Final in 2009 against Chelsea.

Live music has played its part too, with the venue attracting some of the industry’s biggest names. Since the indoor arena’s first concert, Bryan Adams, in 2005, 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 stage including The Rolling Stones, Coldplay, Oasis, Rihanna, P!nk and Robbie Williams.

Paul Michael, Managing Director, 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. This is a venue that brings people together and has brought events to Coventry that simply wouldn’t have been possible before.

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

To celebrate, a new timeline has been launched on the arena’s 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. It is also calling for people to share their own memories at https://www.coventrybuildingsocietyarena.co.uk/20-years-memories.