The Super Theatre Leeds Arena
A traditional arena design
Sightline from far right of Leeds Arena
Sightline from mid centre of the Leeds Arena
Sightline from mid centre right of Leeds Arena
Every seat will be best seat in the house
The design will enable a wide range of events
The Leeds Arena will have the United Kingdom’s first purpose built "fan-shape" Arena design and will have a contemporary and innovative layout where all seats face the performance area.
Despite the fact that 90-95% of arena shows are now end stage entertainment – such as music, comedy and family shows – most Arenas are designed with sporting events in mind. As a result, at entertainment events nearly all seats are facing a sports pitch and not the stage. This compromises experience for many spectators at most arena events. The Leeds Arena design avoids this problem and will be the "next generation" in arena design.
The fan-shape design will:
- give spectators clear views of centre stage from every single seat.
- ensure that every seat will be the best seat in house.
- see the longest distance from the stage being 68 metres as opposed to 95-110 metres at a standard Arena.
- provide an unrivalled intimacy and experience for visitors at the Leeds Arena as everybody is close to the action
- provide one of the best acoustic experiences of any Arena in the United Kingdom.
Although fan-shaped arenas are named "super-theatres" by experts, the Leeds Arena is not a theatre. The design simply combines the best elements of a theatre design with the best elements of a standard arena design to create something special, modern and unique.
The design is also fully flexible: the Leeds Arena will be able to host events that standard arenas can but, unlike traditional arenas, the design will guarantee an amazing experience for all spectators. Indeed, flat floor seating and 15 rows of retractable seating can be removed to create a huge floor area holding thousands of spectators. Just a few of the many events the Leeds Arena will be able to accommodate include:
- World class music concerts in various configurations
- Comedy events
- Family shows, such as "Walking with Dinosaurs"
- Ice dance shows and family dance shows
- Basketball
- Tennis
- Boxing/ Wrestling/ UFC
- Shows ranging from 1500 capacity to 13,500 capacity
With all of this on offer, when the Leeds Arena opens in early 2013, it will be one of the most exciting venues to visit in Europe.