New ‘world-leading’ operator for Sheffield Arena announced following investment

ASM Global has been announced as the new operator for Utilita Arena Sheffield, as of January 2025.

Last year, Sheffield City Council revealed that the city’s leisure and entertainment venues were set to receive £117m of investment including rebuilds of some of the city’s most popular leisure centres and improvements to Sheffield’s Arena and City Hall.

As part of these plans, in June 2023, a competitive procurement process was launched in a bid to attract the best in leisure and entertainment provision to run Sheffield’s venues. Operators were invited to bid on the running of Utilita Arena Sheffield.

Following a robust eight-month tender process, the Council has now selected ASM Global as the successful bidder and the new operator for the Arena. ASM Global’s programming team delivers “world-class content” to venues around the UK and Europe, ranging from major sporting events as well as tours from artists of international acclaim.

Councillor Richard Williams, Chair of the Communities, Parks and Leisure Committee at Sheffield City Council, commented: “I am really pleased to welcome ASM Global onboard as the new operators of Sheffield Arena, this is a major step forward in our ambitious plan for the city and entertainment facilities.

“ASM Global has an unrivalled reputation in the global venue industry and this new investment will certainly allow us to compete on a global scale.”

Utilita Arena Sheffield joins ASM Global’s network of more than 350 venues around the world, which collectively host 20,000 events and welcome 164 million guests every year. With a matchless network and best-in-class operations, the company will further enhance the arena’s competitive position in-market.

Councillor Tom Hunt, Leader of Sheffield City Council, added: “We are thrilled that ASM Global have chosen to work with us to bring the benefits of global scale to operate and invest in Sheffield’s Utilita Arena.

“Sheffield is a city on the up. Coming on the back of hosting the MOBO Awards and with the city’s rich musical and sporting history and our reputation for hosting major events, this new exciting partnership with ASM Global is another example of our ambition for Sheffield.”

Chris Bray, President of ASM Global Europe, said: “Sheffield is a city with a rich cultural heritage. It’s known and loved for producing some of the UK’s most exciting musical talent who’ve gone on to put Sheffield on the map on a global scale. We are hugely excited to have been appointed to operate the Utilita Arena, which joins ASM’s industry-leading UK portfolio.”

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