Plans submitted for new ‘world class’ Edinburgh arena

The entertainment giant behind London’s O2 arena has launched a bid to build a new venue on the fringes of Edinburgh.

Plans for the 8,500-capacity ‘Carlton Arena’ at Edinburgh Park have been submitted to the city council by AEG.

The venue will sit on part of a vacant site previously earmarked for offices after the company purchased it from developer Parabola.

Work is expected to begin in 2025, with hopes the first acts could take to the stage by 2027.

AEG also owns venues across Europe and the United States, including the London Eventim Apollo and Los Angeles’ Crypto Arena.

Its president, Alex Hill, said the project would “cement Edinburgh’s reputation as a destination for culture”.

He said: “The much needed 8,500-capacity arena will bring world-class live music and entertainment to Edinburgh.

“We look forward to this development becoming an integral part of the local community and complementing one of the best cities in the world for the arts and live entertainment.”

Previous proposals for an 8,000-capacity arena at Straiton, south of Edinburgh, were tabled by Lothian Leisure Development and backed by Birmingham venue owners NEC in 2019, but failed to get off the ground.

The new Edinburgh Park site in the west of the city, sits just north of a stop on the tram line, and is adjacent to Parabola’s “cultural quarter” development, which so far contains a multi-storey car park and the 1 New Park Square complex.

It will also feature retail and food and drink space, the planning proposals said.

An exhibition of AEG’s plans will go on display at the 1 New Park Square building from 5 December until 9 January.

Parabola founder Peter Millican, said: “This investment will complement all that is on offer at Edinburgh Park and ensure that the arts and culture has an outstanding live performance facility.

“The new arena will put west Edinburgh on the map as a new cultural destination.”