A SERIES of key cultural events during Coventry’s year as UK City of Culture are set to take place at Ricoh Arena from May 2021.
The multi-purpose venue – home to Wasps Rugby, Wasps Netball – has just signed an agreement supporting the Coventry City of Culture Trust as a regional partner.
The 32,609-seater stadium bowl normally runs more than 1,000 events a year and has hosted gigs by top artists including the Spice Girls, Bon Jovi, Rihanna, Bruce Springsteen, Coldplay, Robbie Williams and the Rolling Stones.
Martin Sutherland, chief executive of the Coventry City of Culture Trust, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with Wasps and Ricoh Arena – a venue that is well versed in attracting visitors from all over the UK – and further afield – to the city.
“The venue has supported us from the very beginning, when we were bidding to become UK City of Culture. Their ongoing support for our vision, means we can deliver our promise to present a programme with appeal for everyone in the city and region as we utilise their top-class facilities to host a variety of events.
“We look forward to working with Wasps and Ricoh Arena as we continue to develop a programme that will live long in people’s memories.”
Stephen Vaughan, Chief Executive at Wasps Group, added: “Ricoh Arena takes great pride in the number of events and visitors it attracts to the city of Coventry every year and the wider economic impact which that has on the region, and being UK City of Culture presents a fabulous opportunity for the city to build a legacy on so many levels.
“We will be promoting Coventry’s City of Culture status so that by the time May 2021 comes around, all of our supporters and visiting fans will know that Coventry is the UK City of Culture.
“This is Coventry’s time to shine and show just how great the city is as it continues to transform and reinvent itself, and everyone at Ricoh Arena and Wasps is looking forward to playing their part.”
