Phil O’Neill: Stoke-on-Trent Arena? Should we? Can we?

On his last day in post as Employer Partnership Development Manager at University of Staffordshire, Phil O’Neill writes about why he believes the city needs a bigger music venue.

“Stoke-on-Trent City Council recently announced it was reviving plans to explore the potential of a mid-sized arena in Stoke-on-Trent – something which has been on and off the table for years.

I use LinkedIn fairly regularly. What are two of the three posts which have generated the most engagement this year, I hear you ask? Gigs within Stoke-on-Trent, and the debate on if the city should have an arena.

My simple reason for starting these debates is… I like gigs, I like events. As a city, we are limited by the size of the bands we can attract because our biggest venue holds under 1,500 people. Often, when we do attract bigger artists, they sell out on the same day. But we’re limited in how many artists we can attract, as, if an artist can draw bigger crowds, they’re more likely to tour in cities where they can sell more tickets. It sparks fierce debate, so let’s delve deeper…

What I want to explore is the arena’s potential – starting with the size of the city and other comparable cities, and their biggest venues.

Stoke-on-Trent is one of only two cities in the UK with a population of over 250,000 without an indoor venue with a capacity of at least 1,900. The table below shows similarly sized cities, their populations, and their largest event spaces’ capacities:

I feel obliged to mention here what a brilliant venue Victoria Hall is. I’ve attended loads of gigs and events there – and it’s ace. However, its capacity is significantly lower than the biggest venues in similar-sized cities, so promoters are more likely to book their events in cities where they can sell more tickets.

Away from music, a perfect example of this is darts. In recent years, the Professional Darts Corporation has held Premier League events in Brighton (4,000 capacity), the World Masters in Milton Keynes (5,000/3,000), and the Grand Slam of Darts in Wolverhampton (1,900). Yet, Stoke-on-Trent is home to former world champions Phil Taylor and Adrian Lewis, as well as a host of other top players. Many sporting events are promoted around a local hero returning to their hometown, yet Stoke-on-Trent has never hosted a major PDC event with two of the world’s greatest players from the city. Surely that would change with a bigger venue?

During my research, I noticed many of other cities’ venues are truly multipurpose:

• Derby Arena was built to host high-level cycling events – as well as concerts and events.
• Coventry Skydome Arena hosts ice hockey and ice skating – as well as concerts and events.
• Leicester’s Mattioli Arena hosts basketball teams – as well as concerts and events.

How could Stoke-on-Trent diversify a venue’s use to maximize its potential? One option is eSports. eSports are drawing huge crowds and viewers, and University of Staffordshire has one of the biggest eSports and gaming provisions in the UK. This could be a great partnership opportunity.

Stoke-on-Trent has significant issues with deprivation, so there will always be an argument that a new venue isn’t a priority. But music, sports, and events can give people so much. They can create enjoyment, provide aspiration, and deliver opportunities. A new venue could also stimulate the local economy, creating jobs and attracting investment. 

I think a bigger venue is needed. What do you think?”