Motorpoint Arena Nottingham facts for kids
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| Full name | Motorpoint Arena Nottingham |
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| Former names | Nottingham Arena (2000–08) Trent FM Arena (2008–11) Capital FM Arena (2011–15) |
| Address | Bolero Square The Lace Market Nottingham NG1 1LA England |
| Location | National Ice Centre |
| Coordinates | 52°57′10″N 1°8′22″W / 52.95278°N 1.13944°W |
| Owner | Nottingham City Council |
| Operator | Nottingham Ice Centre Ltd |
| Capacity | 10,000 |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | August 1998 |
| Built | 1998–2000 |
| Opened | 1 April 2000 |
| Expanded | 2011 |
| Architect | FaulknerBrowns |
| Project manager | Gleeds |
| Structural engineer | Ove Arup |
| Services engineer | Ove Arup |
| Main contractors | John Laing Group |
The Motorpoint Arena is a large indoor building in Nottingham, England. It's connected to the National Ice Centre. It opened on April 1, 2000. Olympic gold medalist Jayne Torvill helped open it. This arena is the largest place for live shows in the East Midlands area.
Contents
History of the Arena
Building the Arena
The Motorpoint Arena is part of the National Ice Centre. This new center was built where the old Nottingham Ice Stadium used to be. The old stadium opened in 1939. By the 1990s, it was quite old.
In September 1995, people started talking about replacing the old ice stadium. Plans for a new ice rink were shown in October 1996. The British Olympic Association supported these plans.
What Was There Before?
To build the new ice center, some old buildings had to be taken down. These included an Art Deco warehouse. A pub called "The Old Cricket Players" was also removed. It was first planned to stay, but then it was taken down too.
The old Ice Stadium closed in March 2000. By May 2000, it was almost completely gone. Workers removed many loads of rubble every day.
Cool Discoveries
During the digging for the new building in July 1998, something amazing was found. Workers discovered a very old Saxon jug. It was about 1,100 years old! You can see it today at the Nottingham Castle Museum.
They also found a graveyard from the 1800s under the car park. The bodies were carefully moved from there.
Opening Day
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The National Ice Centre officially opened on April 1, 2000. Olympic gold medalist Jayne Torvill was there for the opening. The second part of the project was a family ice rink. It opened early on April 7, 2001.
The National Ice Centre was the first place in the UK with two Olympic-sized ice rinks. The whole project cost £43 million. The first concert at the arena was by the English band Simply Red. This happened on April 29, 2000.
Early Challenges
By 2002, the arena was not as busy as people hoped. Fewer people were attending events. Concert organizers sometimes chose other cities like Sheffield or Birmingham.
On July 31, 2002, HM The Queen visited the National Ice Centre and Arena.
Changes Over Time
In 2007, a radio station called Trent FM bought the right to name the arena. It became the Trent FM Arena Nottingham. Later, when Trent FM was sold, the name changed again. It became the Capital FM Arena Nottingham.
In 2011, the arena added a special curtain system. This system can make the arena smaller for more personal shows. It can reduce the space to hold 4,000 people. The arena's total capacity also grew from 9,000 to 10,000 people.
In the 2012–13 season, fewer people came to events. There was a 9% drop in attendance. The number of events also fell by 6%.
Events and Shows
The Motorpoint Arena has hosted many exciting events. It's a popular place for concerts, sports, and other big shows.
Record Holders
The band Little Mix holds the record for the biggest concert at the arena. They had an audience of 15,685 people! The band Westlife has performed there the most times. They had 22 shows between 2001 and 2019.
Famous Performers and Events
Since 2014, many famous artists have performed at the arena. These include Bruno Mars, Ed Sheeran, Katy Perry, Elton John, and Lady Gaga. The arena has also hosted popular tours like The X Factor Tour. The musical We Will Rock You has also been performed there.
Besides music, the arena holds other events. These include conferences, galas, and balls. Nottingham Trent University even holds its Graduation Ball there.
On November 17, 2012, the arena hosted a big boxing match. Nottingham boxers Carl Froch and Yusaf Mack fought. Froch won and kept his world title.
See also
In Spanish: Motorpoint Arena Nottingham para niños
