Wembley Arena/ˈwɛmbli/ (originally the Empire Pool, now known as OVO Arena Wembley for sponsorship reasons)[2] is an indoor arena next to Wembley Stadium in Wembley, London, England. The 12,500-seat facility is London's second-largest indoor arena after The O2 Arena, and the ninth-largest in the United Kingdom.
The Empire Pool (also known as Empire Pool and Sports Arena)[3] was built for the 1934 British Empire Games by Arthur Elvin. As its original name suggested, it was where the games' swimming events were held. The pool was last used for the 1948 Summer Olympics in London. The modern arena is now used as a venue for music, comedy, family entertainment and sport.
History
The building was designed by the engineer Sir Owen Williams, without the employment of an architect. Williams built a unique structure, with cantilevers meeting in the middle, thus avoiding the need for internal pillars. He also used high quality concrete, meaning that it has aged far better than many more recent concrete buildings.[4] The building had a reinforced concrete frame of three hinged arches spanning 240 feet (73 m), which was the largest concrete span of any similar structure in the world at that time.[5]: 220–22 [4][6]: 147
Work on the Empire Pool began in November 1933, and it was opened on 25 July 1934 by Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester. The swimming pool itself was 200 feet (61 m) long and 60 feet (18 m) wide with a removable deck for ice skating. As with the adjacent stadium, construction was supervised by R.J. Fowler, Wembley's chief building inspector.[5]: 138 The end of the building opened up and led to sunbathing terraces and lawns. The sides had 15 massive concrete buttresses and the tops of the ends were glazed with 20 narrow window lights of increasing height from the edges to the centre.
Ice hockey was introduced to the Empire Pool in October 1934.[6]: 148–49
In 1940 the Empire Pool was used to billet several hundred Gibraltarian evacuees who were removed from Gibraltar as the Fortress was extensively reinforced in expectation of heavy Axis attack and possible Invasion.
In October 1976, the Empire Pool was awarded Grade II Listed status, protecting it and recognising it as a building of special architectural interest, technological innovation and virtuosity.[7] On 1 February 1978, the Empire Pool was renamed Wembley Arena.[8]
The venue was renovated, along with Wembley Stadium, as part of the early-21st-century regeneration of the Wembley Park area. The arena was closed for fourteen months, starting in February 2005, for a refurbishment costing £35 million; events were moved to a neighbouring temporary 10,000-seat venue, the Wembley Arena Pavilion.[13][14] The new arena opened to the public on 2 April 2006, with a concert by Depeche Mode. The temporary pavilion was moved to Attard, Malta, opening as the permanent Malta Fairs & Conventions Centre in December 2006.[15]
In September 2013, it was announced that AEG Facilities had signed a 15-year contract to operate the arena.[16]
The building was renamed The SSE Arena on 1 June 2014 after energy company SSE plc bought the naming rights to the venue for 10 years.[17]
Returning acts
The Grateful Dead have released recordings of complete shows from 7–8 April 1972 as part of Europe '72: The Complete Recordings. The Grateful Dead also performed at Wembley Arena on 31 October 1990 as part of their fall 1990 European concert tour.[18]Bruce Hornsby accompanied the band for this concert.[19]
A notable attendance record was set in the early 1970s by David Cassidy in his first tour of Great Britain in 1973, when he sold out six performances in one weekend.[20] The experience and the associated mass hysteria was documented in a TV special called "David Cassidy: Weekend At Wembley".[21]
ABBA played six sold-out concerts, from 5 to 10 November 1979. The shows were filmed by Swedish television for a documentary which was released in 2004 on DVD as ABBA in Concert.[24] In September 2014 Universal Music released Live at Wembley Arena, featuring most of the concert of 10 November on CD, vinyl LP and digital format. After the tour, the members of the band talked about the warmth of the Wembley audience. "It was like coming home after a couple of nights," said guitarist Björn Ulvaeus.[25] A finale from these concerts, "The Way Old Friends Do", is the closing track on ABBA's seventh studio album, Super Trouper. Vocalist Agnetha Fältskog said it was the vibe from the audience that made the track work so much better as a live performance than as a studio track.[25]
George Dalaras performed a sold-out concert at Wembley Arena on 27 June 1992.[26] It is the biggest Greek concert ever held in United Kingdom. It was a personal initiative of George Dalaras in order to support Cyprus and to promote the Cyprus problem. Among others, Vanessa Redgrave and Georges Moustaki had taken part in the concert.[27]
Tina Turner is the female artist with the most shows, with 25 and with 5 at Wembley Stadium (three in 1996 and two in 2000)[28]Cliff Richard is the male artist with the most number of shows with 61,[29] whereas Status Quo hold the record for a rock band with 45 performances.[30] Irish band Westlife are the pop band with most shows with 28.[31]
On 3 August 2013, Nepathya became the first Nepalese band to perform at the Arena.[33]
On 19 December 2015, Nightwish became the first Finnish act to headline the Arena.[34]
On 2 April 2016, Babymetal became the first Japanese act to headline the Arena[35] and set the record for the Arena's highest ever merchandise sales.[36]
On 17 November 2018, London based DJ Andy C performed a DJ set lasting five hours, the first all night event to take place in the venue's history. The event had sold out in three days six months prior.[39]
On 10 March 2019, Chinese singer-songwriter Joker Xue headlined the arena as part of his Skyscraper World Tour.[40]
2020s
The 13th Global Siyum HaShas of Daf Yomi took place in January 2020, the largest of its kind in the UK.[41] The second series of BBC One's The Wall was filmed at the venue in 2020.[42][43]
From the late 1960s to the late 1970s, the Skol 6-Day cycle race was held here. An indoor velodrome of 166 metres was assembled from sections each September. This was Britain's first indoor velodrome. Top professional riders from the European 6-Day circuit came to London, including Eddy Merckx, Peter Post, Patrick Sercu and many others. British riders such as World pursuit champion Hugh Porter and British Champion Tony Gowland also competed.
The boxing World Championship bout between then champion Alan Minter and challenger Marvin Hagler, which the latter won, was held at Wembley Arena in 1980. The arena hosted the MF & DAZN: X Series 004 event for KSI vs FaZe Temperrr on 14 January 2023.[52]
The Horse of the Year Show was held there from 1959 to 2002. From 1979 to 1983, indoor speedway was held during the winter, with the riders racing on concrete on a 181-yard track[54] Two NBA basketball exhibition matches were played at the arena in1 October 1993, featuring the Atlanta Hawks and Orlando Magic. It hosted the final of the Premier League Darts in 2009 and 2011 as well as the 2010 playoff finals. It also hosted the Masters snooker tournament from 2007 until 2011.
With the reopening of Wembley Arena in 2006, a "Square of Fame" area has been created in front of the arena. Similar to the Hollywood Walk of Fame, notable Wembley Arena performers are invited to have bronze plaques imprinted with their names and handprints. The first star to have a plaque was Madonna, on 1 August 2006.[60] On 9 November 2006, Cliff Richard added his handprints to the Square. Rick Parfitt and Francis Rossi, of Status Quo, unveiled a plaque, with one of each of their handprints, on 16 December 2006. On 9 January 2007, Kylie Minogue included her handprints, on the final day of the London leg of her Showgirl Homecoming Tour.
Seven time World Snooker Champion Stephen Hendry added his handprints on 21 January 2007. International country superstar Dolly Parton unveiled her plaque, on the final night of her UK tour, on 25 March 2007. Canadian musician Bryan Adams unveiled his plaque, on 10 May 2007, just before his 25th appearance at the venue. Just three days later, singer Lionel Richie was presented with his plaque on 13 May 2007, after another sold-out performance at the arena. Irish boyband Westlife unveiled their plaque on 28 March 2008, after 27 sell-out shows, in the space of 10 years. They have sold 250,000 tickets. All four members, Shane Filan, Nicky Byrne, Kian Egan and Mark Feehily were presented with a cast of their hands, which can also be seen in the Square of Fame. Alice Cooper added his handprints in 2012 as the only solo artist to have headlined at the venue in the past five consecutive decades.[61]
The onsite parking facility is shared with Wembley Stadium, essentially being the open-air surface parking surrounding the eastern flank of Wembley Stadium and the multistorey car park. These are called Green Car Park and Red Car Park respectively. There is disabled parking available onsite, at the Green Car Park, at a reduced rate but on a first-come, first-served basis.
Political organization Not to be confused with the India League, an Indian Freedom Fighting organisation based in the UK. The Indian Independence League (also known as IIL) was a political organisation operated from the 1920s to the 1940s to organise those living outside British India into seeking the removal of British colonial rule over the region. Founded by Indian nationalists, its activities were conducted in various parts of Southeast Asia. It included Indian expatriates, and later, Indian…
Eparki New WestminsterEparchia Neo-Vestmonasteriensis UcrainorumНью Вестмінстера Українська Католицька Єпархіяcode: uk is deprecated (Ukrainian)Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of New Westminstercode: en is deprecated (Inggris)Katolik Timur Lambang Epark Kenneth NowakowskiLokasiNegara KanadaWilayah British Columbia, KanadaProvinsi gerejawiWinnipegKantor pusatNew Westminster, British Columbia, KanadaStatistikLuas944.735…
Fish meal product for human consumption Fish protein powder (FPP) describes a food grade powder product designated primarily for human consumption applications. It differs significantly from fish meal products which are designated for animal feed applications. Fish protein powders have various sanitary processing, purity and functional characteristics which establish them as human food ingredients.[1] Production plants registered for the USA market are located in Peru[2] and Fran…
Ministero per la ricostruzione delle terre liberate dal nemico Stato Italia TipoDicastero Istituito19 gennaio 1919(I)21 giugno 1945(II) daGoverno Orlando(I)Governo Parri(II) Operativo dal19 gennaio 1919 - 1º marzo 192321 giugno 1945 - 22 dicembre 1945 Soppresso1º marzo 1923(I)22 dicembre 1945(II) daGoverno Mussolini(I)Governo De Gasperi I(II) SedeVilla Manfrin detta Margherita Modifica dati su Wikidata · Manuale Il Ministero per la ricostruzione delle terre liberate dal nemico fu un…
American baseball player (born 1997) Baseball player Luken BakerBaker with the Palm Beach Cardinals in 2019St. Louis Cardinals – No. 26First basemanBorn: (1997-03-10) March 10, 1997 (age 27)Spring, Texas, U.S.Bats: RightThrows: RightMLB debutJune 4, 2023, for the St. Louis CardinalsMLB statistics (through 2023 season)Batting average.209Home runs2Runs batted in10 Teams St. Louis Cardinals (2023–present) Luken Grosvenor Baker (born March 10, 1997) is an American professiona…
هذه المقالة عن المجموعة العرقية الأتراك وليس عن من يحملون جنسية الجمهورية التركية أتراكTürkler (بالتركية) التعداد الكليالتعداد 70~83 مليون نسمةمناطق الوجود المميزةالبلد القائمة ... تركياألمانياسورياالعراقبلغارياالولايات المتحدةفرنساالمملكة المتحدةهولنداالنمساأسترالياب…
Assessment of a person's character or personality from their outer appearance For the pseudo-Aristotelian treatise, see Physiognomonics. For the 2013 Korean film, see Physiognomy (film). Lithographic drawing illustrative of the relation between the human physiognomy and that of the brute creation, by Charles Le Brun (1619–1690). Illustration in a 19th-century book about physiognomy Physiognomy (from the Greek φύσις, 'physis', meaning nature, and 'gnomon', meaning judge or interpreter) or …
First-level administrative divisions of Japan Prefecture都道府県TodōfukenCategoryFirst level administrative division of a unitary stateLocationJapanNumber47 PrefecturesPopulations605,000 (Tottori) – 14,135,000 (Tōkyō)Areas1,861.7 km2 (718.8 sq mi) (Kagawa) – 83,453.6 km2 (32,221.6 sq mi) (Hokkaido)GovernmentPrefecture Government, Central GovernmentSubdivisionscontiguous: municipalitiespartial: Subprefectureshistorical: districts Japan is divided into 47 p…
1962 studio album by Cal TjaderCal Tjader Plays the Contemporary Music of Mexico and BrazilStudio album by Cal TjaderReleased1962RecordedMarch 5–7, 1962GenreLatin JazzLength37:08LabelVerveProducerCreed TaylorCal Tjader chronology The Cal Tjader Quartet/Saturday Night/Sunday Night at the Blackhawk, San Francisco(1962) Cal Tjader Plays the Contemporary Music of Mexico and Brazil(1962) Time for Two(1962) Professional ratingsReview scoresSourceRatingAllmusic[1] Cal Tjader Plays the…
Town in the state of Florida, United States For other places called Lake Park, see Lake Park. Town in Florida, United StatesLake Park, FloridaTownTown of Lake ParkLocation of Lake Park in Palm Beach County, FloridaCoordinates: 26°48′1″N 80°3′51″W / 26.80028°N 80.06417°W / 26.80028; -80.06417Country United StatesState FloridaCounty Palm BeachIncorporated (Town of Kelsey City)1923[1][2]Incorporated (Town of Lake Park)1939[1][…
دوري السوبر الهندي 2017–18 تفاصيل الموسم دوري السوبر الهندي النسخة 4 البلد الهند المنظم اتحاد الهند لكرة القدم البطل نادي بنغالورو مباريات ملعوبة 90 عدد المشاركين 10 الدوري الهندي الممتاز 2016 دوري السوبر الهندي 2018–19 تعديل مصدري - تعديل دوري الس…
This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these template messages) This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.Find sources: Ring, slide and hook – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (October 2011) (Learn how and when to remov…
منزل دانشمعلومات عامةنوع المبنى منزل[1][2] ممتلكات ثقافية[1][2] المكان كاشمرالمنطقة الإدارية مقاطعة كاشمر[2] البلد إيرانالاستعمال متحف[2] (2020 – ) أبرز الأحداثالافتتاح الرسمي عقد 1930[1][2] الصفة التُّراثيَّةتصنيف تراثي المعالم الوطنية الإيراني…
PrefontaineJared Leto in una scena del filmTitolo originalePrefontaine Paese di produzioneStati Uniti d'America Anno1997 Durata107 min Generebiografico, drammatico, sportivo RegiaSteve James SceneggiaturaSteve James, Eugene Corr Interpreti e personaggi Jared Leto: Steve Prefontaine Ed O'Neill: Bill Dellinger R. Lee Ermey: Bill Bowerman Brian McGovern: Mac Wilkins Doppiatori italiani Stefano Crescentini: Steve Prefontaine Angelo Maggi: Bill Dellinger Franco Zucca: Bill Bowerman Neri Marco…
Kampanye Nugini BaratBagian dari Perang Dunia II, Perang PasifikPasukan infanteri Australia beristirahat di tepi sungai sebelum menyerang posisi Jepang di dekat Matapau, Papua Nugini pada Januari 1945.Tanggal22 April 1944 – 15 Agustus 1945LokasiTeritori Nugini dan Nugini BelandaHasil Kemenangan SekutuPihak terlibat Amerika Serikat Australia Belanda Britania Raya Kekaisaran JepangKekuatan ~ ~Korban 1.922+ terbunuh atau hilang8.000+ luka-luka 42.000+ tewas dan sekitar …