B R ITI S H AIRWA YS AR C EM EA
LONDON / UK
London’ s f i r s t p u r p o s e - b u i l t p er for m a n c e v e n u e o f i t s s i ze f or 10 y ea r s o p e n s w i t h s t a t e - o f -th e -art p r oduction c a p a b i l i t i e s r e a d y to h ost a r tis ts of a n y g e n r e a n d s t a t ure .
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Forming part of the £1.3bn regeneration of West London’s Olympia entertainment district, British Airways ARC opened in June featuring integrated production capabilities courtesy of a turnkey AV solution delivered by Solotech. Owned and operated by AEG Presents, The 3,800-capacity venue is located above the existing West Exhibition Hall at Olympia. Within the complex, Olympia’s Grand Hall had previously hosted acts such as Jimi Hendrix, Rod Stewart, and The Cure, and British Airways ARC aims to carry that heritage forward while meeting the high expectations of a modern audience. “It’s a big commitment to open a new venue, especially in London, but it’s a positive step, and so far it has been a huge success,” said Lucy Noble, Senior Vice President of UK Venues, AEG Presents, after the opening week which saw performances from Self Esteem and McFly. “We sensed that there is a gap in the market for mid-sized venues. There isn’t much in between arenas and the smaller venues of 2,000 capacity and less, and this venue offers a stepping stone for those artists on an upward trajectory. “At 3,800 it is also large enough that we can look at booking the arena-level artists who are interested in performing more intimate shows, or holding a residency. So hopefully we can