News / Bristol Arena
Bristol’s arena has a new sponsor and a new name
Bristol will follow in the footsteps of Dublin and Manchester to get an entertainment complex sponsored by Aviva.
The arena in Filton will be called the Aviva Arena when it opens in late-2028, joining the Aviva Stadium in Dublin and Manchester’s Aviva Studios.
One of the insurance company’s 12 UK locations is in Stoke Gifford, less than two miles from the Brabazon hangars in which the Aviva Arena is being built in the middle of the trio.
Aviva group CEO, dame Amanda Blanc, called Bristol “an important city for Aviva” and said she is “proud to back this new world-class arena which will have such a positive community impact”.
The announcement of the new naming rights is “a defining moment” for YTL Live, the owners of the future entertainment complex at the edge of the former Filton airfield currently being transformed into the new Brabazon neighbourhood.
Tom Grennan had been booked to perform a short set of six songs next to Concorde at Aerospace Bristol to celebrate the announcement of the news on Thursday morning.
The singer-songwriter is exactly the type of artist who the Aviva Arena will hope to book, with Grennan’s 2025 tour stopping off at cities with arenas including Nottingham, Newcastle and Leeds; but not Bristol, which is the largest city in the UK without an arena.
The Aviva Arena will have a 20,000-capacity for music, entertainment and sport according to operators YTL Live – image: YTL Live
YTL Live CEO, Andrew Billingham, said: “Aviva Arena will be one of the most exciting and sustainable live entertainment venues anywhere in the world, and we are incredibly proud to welcome Aviva as our naming partner.
“This long-term partnership brings together two organisations with shared values around innovation, sustainability and community impact.
“Aviva Arena will put Bristol firmly on the global touring map, delivering unforgettable experiences for fans and artists alike while creating lasting benefits for the city and the wider region.”
The future Aviva Arena as seen from the Spitfire Hangar in Brabazon – photo: Martin Booth
Blanc said: “Bristol is an important city for Aviva and we are proud to back this new world-class arena which will have such a positive community impact.
“Aviva Arena will further strengthen Bristol’s position as one of Europe’s great creative cities and become a landmark destination for the South West of England.
“Together with the Aviva Stadium in Dublin and Aviva Studios in Manchester, Aviva now supports three iconic venues which host the very best in sport, music and the arts, delivering lasting economic and social value.”
The Aviva Arena name was unveiled at an event at Aerospace Bristol – photo: Martin Booth
During his speech from the stage on Thursday, YTL UK Group CEO, Colin Skellett, said Brabazon, with 25,000 homes due to be built here, “is not in the middle of nowhere like other new towns”, while behind him was a map of a new “Circle Line” for Bristol.
He recommended that everyone visit Mokoko, now open in the Spitfire Hangar; and welcomed Waitrose coming soon despite saying that everything at Brabazon would be local.
Skellett added: “Securing Aviva as the naming partner for the arena marks a defining moment in our journey to create one of Europe’s most exciting live entertainment destinations.
“This partnership is a powerful vote of confidence in our vision for YTL Live and for the future of Bristol as a world-class cultural hub.”
Main image: YTL Live
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