New Bristol venue sets sights on big touring acts
A new 5,000-capacity venue has opened in Bristol, in the southwest of England, with hopes of attracting big touring acts.
The Prospect Building in the suburb of St Phillips officially opened its doors on 28 September with an all-day event featuring LSDXOXO, Blawan, Peverelist and Overmono, in partnership with Team Love.
Formerly known as an events space called Propyard, the 25,000 sq. ft. warehouse has been taken over by A Man About A Dog (AMAAD), the London-based electronic promoter behind LWE, Junction 2, ION and Cogo Events.
AMAAD has pledged to work with local Bristol promoters such as Team Love, The Blast and Dance Corp, to bring a broader range of music events and festivals to the space.
“Bristol has missed out on bigger touring acts in the past”
Initially, the venue will exclusively host electronic artists before expanding into live shows next year, according to the promoter. Renowned DJs such as Bonobo, Andy C, Joy Orbison, Floating Points, HAAI and Dax J are on the venue’s winter listings, while local acts will have the chance to play in the intimate Room 2 space.
“Bristol has missed out on bigger touring acts in the past,” Will Harold, director of AMAAD, told BBC. “This space is more versatile [than the former Propyard] and can host emerging artists as well as bigger acts.”
The opening of the new venue comes as the developers of the long-delayed Bristol Arena are yet to set a date for when building work will begin. A recent update revealed that the 19,000-cap YTL Arena Bristol, planned for Filton Airfield, will not open for concerts until 2027 at the earliest.
In addition to DJs and live music, Prospect will act as a “cultural hub” hosting family days, food festivals, vintage clothes sales and circus performances.
“Venues are closing, it’s a challenge,” adds Harold. “We are trying a new way to approach it by doing different things in one place.”
Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.
Final plans for Bristol Arena revealed
Final plans have been submitted for the long-awaited YTL Arena Bristol, in the southwest of England.
After a series of delays, the 19,000-capacity arena is set to be built at Fliton Airfield and could open by late 2026.
New artist impressions show the airfield’s Brabazon Hangars transformed into the UK’s fourth-largest indoor arena and flanked by new conference and exhibition halls.
An estimated 300,000 people are expected to attend events at YTL Arena Bristol each year, boosting the local economy by £60 million annually.
“The arena finds itself in an ideal position to evolve into a cultural hub”
The arena site is set to include restaurants and bars, an outdoor cinema, basketball and football courts, a pump track for cycling, a Christmas ice rink and huge public squares.
YTL, the Malaysian developer behind the arena, is also building a new neighbourhood on the airfield with thousands of homes, a park, community facilities, leisure and employment, with a new train station due to open there in mid-2026.
“The arena finds itself in an ideal position to evolve into a cultural hub,” said architects McGregor Coxall.
The venue has experienced a number of delays related to Covid and the construction industry, with site preparation finally beginning in March.
Decontamination work is underway and will be followed by the demolition of non-essential structures ahead of the main construction programme, which is said to take around two-and-a-half years once builders move in.
A rival arena, operated by Live Nation and Oak View Group (OVG), is set to open in Cardiff, Wales, in spring 2025.
Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.
Preparation work begins on long-awaited Bristol arena
Site preparation has finally begun on the long-awaited YTL Arena Bristol, in the southwest of England.
The 19,000-capacity arena, which was delayed due to Covid- and construction industry-related delays, could now open by late 2026.
The project will see the Brabazon Hangars – once a vital part of England’s aviation past – transformed into the UK’s fourth-largest indoor arena.
The initial phase of the YTL Arena began with the decontamination of the site carried out by Omega Environmental Services. That will be followed by the demolition of non-essential structures and then, the main construction programme.
YTL Construction UK, a new company that will be part of the international YTL Group, will be responsible for the construction of the venue.
The company previously operated in Malaysia, China, Japan, Singapore, and Australia across a range of sectors including energy, water, rail and property development.
“Once main construction has started, we estimate it being a two-and-a-half-year build programme”
“We’re pleased with the progress and are pushing forward, albeit slower than originally planned,” says Andrew Billingham, CEO of YTL Arena Bristol.
“Handing over the Hangars to Omega represents a pivotal milestone. We have tackled challenges head-on making crucial decisions to expedite the opening while ensuring we deliver one of the premier arenas in Europe. Once main construction has started, we estimate it being a two-and-a-half-year build programme.”
“It is well documented that construction companies are facing difficulties, and with the international experience the YTL Group has in construction and project management, it is a logical step for us to control the whole process through to operation.”
The arena will be 100% electric, making it one of the first venues in the UK to operate without the use of fossil fuels.
YTL Arena will be operated predominantly as a music venue, with approximately 70–75% of programming being concerts.
A rival arena, operated by Live Nation and Oak View Group (OVG), is set to open in Cardiff, Wales, in spring 2025.
Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.
YTL Bristol Arena announces two senior hires
YTL Arena Bristol, a new 17,000-capacity arena in the southwest of England, has announced two senior appointments.
Une Marija Jurkstaite joins the YTL team as head of experience, tasked with growing the arena’s fan database and ensuring each event sells to its targeted full capacity. She will drive the digital user experience across ticketing, food and drink ordering, travel and loyalty programmes.
Jurkstaite joins YTL from her previous role as chief business officer for Žalgiris Arena (cap. 20,000) in Lithuania where she developed a track record for driving fan growth and creating a ‘sell-out’ culture at the venue.
“I am very happy to be joining this world-class new venue,” says Jurkstaite. “I look forward to bringing my passion for customer experiences to ensure every touchpoint across the YTL Arena Bristol customer journey is exceptional.”
Matt Blackhouse will bring his 16+ years of experience in the live events industry to his role as senior events project manager at YTL Arena Bristol.
“We are thrilled to be expanding our operational team, welcoming two talented hires from the industry”
Blackhouse will look after the back of house facilities for all touring artists, promoters and event organisers as YTL Arena Bristol starts its countdown to construction and opening.
His previous roles include events coordinator St David’s Hall and senior events manager at Motorpoint Arena Cardiff.
Blackhouse has managed shows for artists including Elton John, Mariah Carey, Kylie Minogue, The 1975 and many more.
“I am really excited to be joining the team that will deliver the South West’s first-ever purpose-built arena,” says Blackhouse. “I grew up in the region and know how much demand there will be from huge events wanting to come to Bristol, and I can’t wait to get started in helping make this a must-play venue for acts.”
Andrew Billingham, CEO of YTL Arena Bristol, added: “We are thrilled to be expanding our operational team, welcoming two talented hires from the industry. Une and Matt bring a wealth of experience in delivering thousands of live events and will help us enormously. Whilst finalising design and construction elements, we are also looking ahead to doors opening and building our operating team to deliver one of the best arena fan and artist experiences in the UK and across Europe.”
A rival arena, operated by Live Nation and Oak View Group (OVG), is set to open in Cardiff, Wales, in 2025.
Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.