Derby Arena is a multi-use

indoor arena An arena is a large enclosed venue, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, Music, musical performances or Sport, sporting events. It comprises a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for specta ...

and

velodrome A velodrome is an arena for track cycling. Modern velodromes feature steeply banked oval tracks, consisting of two 180-degree circular bends connected by two straights. The straights transition to the circular turn through a moderate easement ...

Pride Park Pride Park is a business park on the southern outskirts of the city centre of Derby, England. It covers 80 hectares of contaminated former industrial land between the River Derwent and railway lines, and was developed between the 1990s and ear ...

Derby Derby ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area on the River Derwent, Derbyshire, River Derwent in Derbyshire, England. Derbyshire is named after Derby, which was its original co ...

, England. It was opened in 2015 and has hosted cycling, badminton, boxing and entertainment events.

Construction

Construction was expected to be completed in November 2014 with the opening of the venue originally scheduled for January 2015. In May 2012 its development seemed uncertain due to a change of local government. It was constructed by contractors Bowmer and Kirkland and was scheduled for completion in 2014. The Arena was finally opened three months late in March 2015 by

Sarah Storey Dame Sarah Joanne Storey (née Bailey; born 26 October 1977) is a British cyclist and swimmer, a multiple gold medallist in the Paralympic Games, and six times British (able-bodied) national track champion (2 × Pursuit, 1 × Points, 3 × Team ...

and

Margaret Beckett Margaret Mary Beckett, Baroness Beckett, (; born 15 January 1943), is a British politician. She was a member of Parliament (MP) for more than 45 years, first from 1974 to 1979 and then from 1983 to 2024. A member of the Labour Party, she was ...

. It is Britain's fifth 250-metre indoor track, which is raised to allow easy access to the 12 badminton court size infield area. There are also a café, fitness gym, group exercise studios and a spinning studio. Also proposed was an outdoor closed road circuit race track and a mountain bike skills area which would have been built on

The Sanctuary The Sanctuary was a stone and timber circle near the village of Avebury in the south-western English county of Wiltshire. Excavation has revealed the location of the 58 stone sockets and 62 post-holes. The ring was part of a tradition of stone ...

bird and wildlife reserve. A coalition of 16 local wildlife conservation groups expressed concern at the proposal, but it was approved in February 2014. An injunction brought against Derby City Council by Derbyshire Wildlife Trust led to a Judicial Review being granted which could have overturned the planning approval. On 15 March 2014 Derby City Council announced it was abandoning its plans to develop the site. In August 2014 a Derby-based company, Moda Bicycles, was appointed to provide 100 bicycles for hire at the Arena, which would be painted black-and-blue to match the Arena's branding. Accreditation to be permitted to use the track will require a four-stage training course, taking six hours to complete at a cost of £65, announced in a package of charges in August 2014.

Events

Cycling

The Arena hosted its first major track meeting in August 2015, when it hosted the opening round of the 2015-16 Revolution series, featuring a number of Olympic and World champions including

Bradley Wiggins Sir Bradley Marc Wiggins (born 28 April 1980) is a British former professional Road bicycle racing, road and track cycling, track racing cyclist, who competed professionally between 2001 and 2016. He began his cycling career on the track, but ...

Mark Cavendish Sir Mark Simon Cavendish (born 21 May 1985) is a Manx people, Manx retired professional cyclist. As a Track cycling, track cyclist he specialised in the Madison (cycling), madison, points race, and scratch race disciplines; as a road racer he ...

, Laura Trott,

Joanna Rowsell Shand Joanna Katie Rowsell MBE (born 5 December 1988) is a retired English cyclist on the Great Britain Cycling Team who competed on track and road. Her greatest successes were the gold medals won in the women's team pursuit at the 2012 London Oly ...

Jason Kenny Sir Jason Francis Kenny (born 23 March 1988) is a British former track cyclist, specialising in the individual and team sprints. Kenny is the winner of most Olympic gold medals (7) and medals (9) by a British athlete. Kenny's seven Olympic ...

and

Ed Clancy Edward Franklin Clancy (born 12 March 1985) is a British former professional Track cycling, track and road bicycle racer, who competed between 2004 and 2021. During his career, Clancy won four medals (three gold, one bronze) at the Summer Olym ...

Badminton

National Badminton League The National Badminton League (NBL) was a professional team badminton league in England. Organised by Badminton England, it was launched in October 2014 as the first ever national badminton league in the UK. Reaching seven franchise teams in it ...

franchise Team Derby played at the Arena during the league's first season in 2014–15, before relocating to the

University of Derby The University of Derby, formerly known as Derby College, is a public university in the city of Derby, England. It traces its history back to the establishment of the Derby Diocesan Institution for the training of schoolmistresses in 1851. It ...

Sports Centre.

Boxing

The venue hosted the 2024

England Boxing National Amateur Championships The England Boxing National Amateur Championships previously known as the ABA Championships is the premier boxing tournament hosted annually by England Boxing. The Championships are 'open' class: any boxer who is registered with a club registe ...

(formerly the ABA Championships), which is the premier amateur boxing tournament in England.

Entertainment

Derby City Council relocated their annual pantomime to the Arena from 2015 onwards, following the fire-related closure of the former Assembly Rooms venue. Other events to take place at the Arena include comedy shows by

Jimmy Carr James Anthony Patrick Carr (born 15 September 1972) is an Irish-British comedian, presenter, writer and actor. He is known for his rapid-fire deadpan delivery of One-line joke, one-liners. He began his comedy career in 1997, and he has regula ...

and

Russell Brand Russell Edward Brand (born 4 June 1975) is an English comedian, actor, podcaster and media personality. He established himself as a stand-up comedian and radio host before becoming a film actor. After beginning his career as a comedian and la ...

. The venue's first music concert took place in October 2016, with the

Happy Mondays Happy Mondays are an English rock band formed in Salford in 1980. The original line-up consisted of brothers Shaun Ryder (vocals) and Paul Ryder (bass), Gaz Whelan (drums), Paul Davis (keyboard), and Mark Day (guitar). Mark "Bez" Berry la ...

supported by

The Bluetones The Bluetones are an English indie rock band, formed in Hounslow, Greater London, in 1993. The band's members are Mark Morriss on vocals, Adam Devlin on guitar, Mark's brother Scott Morriss on bass guitar, and Eds Chesters on drums. A fift ...

and

Cast Cast may refer to: Music * Cast (band), an English alternative rock band * Cast (Mexican band), a progressive Mexican rock band * The Cast, a Scottish musical duo: Mairi Campbell and Dave Francis * ''Cast'', a 2012 album by Trespassers William ...

References

External links

* {{Derby Velodromes in England Sports venues in Derby Indoor arenas in England Badminton venues Sports venues completed in 2015