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14 for 2025: New venues coming on stream worldwide

A slate of new arenas and large-scale venues are due to come online in 2025, giving support to expanding touring markets around the world.

Africa
In a new year straw poll conducted by IQ, several agents nodded to Africa as the emerging market to watch in 2025.

“The influence that this market has on global recorded music and culture is already profound, so think of the impact it could have on live music!” said Jon Ollier, One Fiinix Live founder.

Lagos Arena – Nigeria
Scheduled opening date: Late 2025
Projected capacity: 12,000

The most populous nation in Africa is set to get its first purpose-built arena, Lagos Arena. Last February, ground was broken on the $100m venue, which is projected to host 200 events each year, including concerts, family entertainment, basketball games, UFC fights, boxing matches, WWE shows, and more.

The consortium delivering the project includes Live Nation, Oak View Group, Tayo Amusan (chairman of real estate company The Persianas Group), the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority, Yinka Folawiyo (chairman of the Yinka Folawiyo Group), Nigerian investment fund Adino Capital, and MBO Capital.

John Reid, president of Live Nation EMEA, said at the ground-breaking ceremony: “Nigeria and Africa more broadly present massive opportunities to touring artists when it comes to connecting with their global audiences.

“This brand-new, 12,000-capacity venue will open up Nigeria to international stars, and Nigerian artists will benefit hugely from having an arena to showcase their talents in front of a home audience.”

“The Dome fills a critical gap in South Africa’s live entertainment scene”

The Dome – South Africa
Scheduled opening date: January 2025
Projected capacity: 10,500

In November, Live Nation announced the launch of South Africa’s largest dedicated live entertainment space, The Dome, which is set to open in Johannesburg this month.

Live Nation’s first permanent venue in Africa, The Dome is adjacent to the FNB Stadium and will serve as a “hub for local and pan-African talent”. It will highlight genres such as Afrobeats, Amapiano, dance, pop, hip-hop, and R&B – with a solo headline show by Nigerian singer-songwriter Tems confirmed for 20 March.

“The Dome fills a critical gap in South Africa’s live entertainment scene, creating a unique space that will support pan-African talent,” says Justin Van Wyk, CEO at Live Nation South Africa, which will promote and produce the venue’s events. “The venue will provide new opportunities to connect emerging and established artists with a new demographic of South African fans.”

The company is partnering with Stadium Management South Africa and Gearhouse South Africa on the state-of-the-art venue in the suburb of Nasrec.

 


Asia
New venues are popping up all across the continent, with at least four expected to crop up in Japan this year alone. With the global rise of Asian pop driving demand and new basketball rules in Japan causing a rush for new venues, there’s no shortage of projects in this part of the world.

Kai Tak Sports Park – Hong Kong
Scheduled opening date: Early 2025
Projected capacity: 50,000 + 10,000

Originally due to come online last year, Kai Tak Sports Park – which features a 50,000-capacity stadium and 10,000-capacity indoor arena with retractable seating — is preparing to open its doors.

The venue, designed by Populous architecture firm, will be operated by ASM Global and predominantly host sporting events. Coldplay will bring its record-shattering Music of the Spheres world tour for four sold-out nights in April.

The venue will be one of the largest entertainment facilities in Japan

IG Arena – Nagoya, Japan
Scheduled opening date: July 2025
Projected capacity: 17,000

Situated near the beautiful Nagoya Castle in Aichi Prefecture, IG Arena is set to become one of the landmark arenas in Japan when it opens in July. The venue, strategically located between Tokyo and Osaka, will also boast a 30m height, making it one of the largest entertainment facilities in Japan.

It is projected to host 200 events a year, says CEO Edwin Omura, of AEG, which will operate the arena.

“The ‘hybrid oval bowl’ design which combines both an oval and horseshoe bowl will allow promoters to bring in multiple types of music, sports and family-type events,” he told IQ.

It will be the site of the 2026 Asian Games and Asian Para Games, which will be co-hosted by the Aichi Prefecture and the City of Nagoya.

Seoul Arena – South Korea
Scheduled opening date: October 2025
Projected capacity: 28,000

A further new arena is being built in South Korea, including state-of-the-art sound equipment, a seating capacity of around 19,000, and a maximum capacity of 28,000 for standing events. The arena will also feature a separate 7,000-capacity concert venue, as well as a cinema and commercial facilities. Seoul Arena is expected to attract some 1.8m visitors per year.

The arena is designed to depict “spreading its wings to the world”

Glion Kobe Arena – Japan
Scheduled opening: Spring 2025
Projected capacity: 10,000

The Kobe Arena is a waterside venue expected to be capable of hosting 10,000 people. The aim of the arena’s exterior design is to depict “excitement” and “spreading its wings to the world,” according to the arena website. It will be the home of the Kobe Storks and plans to host concerts, sporting events, e-sports, and exhibitions. As well as the arena and a new hotel, the venue plans to develop an open space around the arena.

The venue also includes a permanent LED screen on one side, which it claims is the largest in Asia, and it will have a restaurant with an open terrace and a VIP floor.

Tokyo A-Arena – Japan
Scheduled opening: 2025
Projected capacity: 10,000

Architects are planning a highly accessible venue with facilities for disabled people at the heart of the design, plus a high-speed Wi-Fi and 5G signal. With a VIP lounge, an enormous centre screen, Sky Lounge with views over the sea, and more.

Kagawa Prefectural Arena – Japan
Scheduled opening: February 2025
Projected capacity: 10,000

Designed by SANAA, the Kagawa Prefectural Arena will be the largest arena in the Chugoku and Shikoku region, and will also include a 1,000-capacity space.

 


Latin America
The region shows no signs of slowing, with demand for regional and international live music stretching across the vast and populous territory. Venue operators are responding by building new arenas or undertaking major updates to existing infrastructure.

The new venue boasts a façade inspired by the area’s “colourful landscape and local materials”

Arena Guadalajara – Mexico
Scheduled opening date: February 2025
Projected capacity: 20,000

Mexico’s newest venue boasts a façade inspired by Guadalajara’s “colourful landscape and local materials, such as the Huentitán Golden Quarry and the Tequilero Blue Agave”. It will be run by Mexican live entertainment firm Zignia Live, which as well as promoting international concerts, owns ticketing company Superboletos and operates the super-busy 17,599-capacity Arena Monterrey and 22,300-cap CDMX Arena in Mexico City.

Originally slated to open in September 2024, the arena looks to be launching with a February performance from singer Carlos Rivera. Katy Perry will also stop by later this year.

Bolivar Stadium – Bolivia
Scheduled opening date: 2025
Projected capacity: 20,000

Touring venues can be hard to come by in a country with no modern indoor arena. Yet, a new stadium in the administrative capital La Paz could be part of a solution.

The football-focussed venue, which broke ground in 2022, is also intended for wider use, including concerts. It is scheduled for completion this year, and according to architects L35, is intended to stand out in the local landscape while also blending in with its surroundings.

This new arena is being built as part of a huge development project

 


Europe
As is true with the rest of the world, Europe is due for a few new contenders to come onto the scene.

MSG Arena – Italy
Scheduled opening date: 2025
Projected capacity: 16,000

Work has started on the Milano Santa Giulia Arena (MSG Arena), which will be one of the largest in Italy and will be run by CTS Eventim. Initially, the arena (part of the Milano Santa Giulia urban development project) will be used for the 2026 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, after which, CTS will continue to operate it.

As well as the striking indoor arena, the design includes a piazza with more than 10,000m2 of space for festivals and open-air events.

The project, designed by Sir David Chipperfield and the international design firm Arup, is being positioned to “strengthen Milan’s standing as a global centre of culture, entertainment, and sporting excellence,” while raising “the bar for live entertainment venues.”

“We are completely changing the mentality”

Roig Arena – Spain
Scheduled opening date: 2025
Projected capacity: 18,600

The venue will be the home of Valencia Basket Club as well as hosting concerts and other entertainment. It is being funded by and named after Spanish entrepreneur Juan Roig, the billionaire owner of the Spanish Mercadona supermarket chain. Costing €280m, it will be the largest capacity arena in the country.

Víctor Sendra, MD of Roig Arena, tells IQ: “There is no venue like it in Spain. We are completely changing the mentality.”

It will boast a state-of-the-art design, including flexible facilities for crew to ensure load-in and load-out are as swift as possible. It will also have pioneering acoustic capabilities that are adaptable to different use cases.

Becketwell Live – UK
Scheduled opening date: Spring 2025
Capacity: 3,500

Located in the Midlands between Sheffield and Birmingham, Derby will welcome a 3,500-capacity venue this year, set to host concerts, family events, sports and conferencing. It is set to open in the spring, with tribute acts for Fleetwood Mac and ABBA on the upcoming lineup.

Becketwell Live will be managed by the ASM Global family, which also runs Manchester’s AO Arena, Leeds’ first direct arena, London’s OVO Arena Wembley, and more.


Middle East
Saudia Arabia is projected to go through a venue-building boom in the coming years. And with a population of 35 million, with a third of them aged 15-34, the market for live music has huge potential.

Jeddah Arena – Saudi Arabia
Scheduled opening date: December 2025
Projected capacity: 20,000

A state-of-the-art venue in Jeddah, set to be managed by ASM Global, will be one of the first to come on stream. It is being built as part of the Jeddah Airport City complex, which will include shops, homes, a financial district, an artisan district, and a green food yard.

“There are some very aggressive plans for new arenas in Saudi Arabia. The desire for people to see live events in Saudi Arabia is wonderful to see. When all the venues are completed, there could be potential for a touring circuit of the country itself,” says Iain Campbell, ASM Global’s EVP for the MENA region.

 


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ASM Global expands Middle East venue portfolio

ASM Global is expanding its Middle East portfolio with the addition of two new venues in Jeddah, Saudia Arabia.

The global entertainment giant has been appointed as the managing operator of the 20,000-seat Jeddah Arena and the International Convention Centre Jeddah (ICC Jeddah), both set to open in December 2025.

The two new venues will be located adjacent to Jeddah’s King Abdulaziz International Airport, as part of the Jeddah Airport City project.

ASM’s Middle East portfolio already includes the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai (cap. 17,000), the Oman Convention & Exhibition Centre and The Bahrain International Exhibition & Convention Centre.

“ASM Global is looking forward to being an integral part of the team to deliver this visionary project in Jeddah,” says ASM Global Asia Pacific chairman and chief executive, Harvey Lister.

“It was only fitting to appoint the global giants in the venue and entertainment industry to collaborate on this landmark project”

“We pride ourselves on joining forces with partners with whom we know we can make a difference to creating and delivering amazing experiences.”

SARH Real Estate and Development founder and chairman of SARH Real Estate Investments, Sultan Al-Harbi, added: “Upon analysing the significant importance of both the iconic arena and convention centre, it was only fitting to appoint the global giants in the venue and entertainment industry, ASM Global, to collaborate on this landmark project for Jeddah and Saudi Arabia.”

SARH Real Estate and Development recently announced the Airport City project, which will include three to five-star hotels, a shopping mall, ‘world-class’ parklands, a dedicated business centre and residential sector, as well as many other recreational amenities. The development is set to commence by the end of 2021.

Today’s news comes weeks after ASM was announced as the managing operator of The Bahrain International Exhibition & Convention Centre – the largest venue of its kind in the Middle East.


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