Arena Birmingham
Arena Birmingham (known for sponsorship reasons as Utilita Arena Birmingham, previously as The Barclaycard Arena, originally as the National Indoor Arena and still commonly called The NIA) is an indoor arena and sporting venue in central Birmingham, United Kingdom. It is owned by parent company the NEC Group. When it was opened in 1991, it was the largest indoor arena in the UK.
Arena Birmingham in October 2017 | |
| Former names | National Indoor Arena (1991–2014) Barclaycard Arena (2014–2017) Arena Birmingham (2017–2020) |
|---|---|
| Address | King Edwards Road Birmingham B1 2AA England |
| Coordinates | 52°28′47″N 01°54′54″W |
| Owner | NEC Group |
| Capacity | 15,800 (arena) 6,825 (B1) |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 4 October 1991 |
| Renovated | 2013–14 |
| Tenants | |
| All England Open Badminton Championships Sainsbury's Indoor Grand Prix | |
| Website | |
| Venue website | |
Building details | |
| General information | |
| Renovation cost | £26 million |
| Renovating team | |
| Architect(s) | Broadway Malyan |
| Structural engineer | Rodgers Leaske |
| Services engineer | Hulley & Kirkwood |
| Other designers |
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| Main contractor | Royal BAM Group |
The arena is located alongside the Birmingham Canal Navigations Main Line's Old Turn Junction and opposite the National Sea Life Centre in Brindleyplace. The building straddles the main Birmingham to Wolverhampton Intercity railway line (originally the Stour Valley Line), but does not have a station of its own. There are three adjoining car parks with a total of 2,156 spaces. Close to the arena is The ICC which is also owned by the NEC Group.
It is currently the third-largest indoor arena in the United Kingdom by capacity. In 2019, the arena had ticket sales of 530,597, which was the 4th highest in the United Kingdom.