Wales’ biggest concert arena has changed back to its original name almost 30 years after it first opened. The Motorpoint Arena in the centre of Cardiff will from now on be known as Cardiff International Arena (CIA) for the first time in more than a decade.
The 7,500-capacity events venue opened in 1993 with a special concert by Welsh icon Dame Shirley Bassey. Since then the arena has hosted some of the biggest acts in the world including Beyonce, Oasis, Pink, The Beach Boys, Dolly Parton, Meat Loaf, Rihanna, and hundreds more. To get the latest What's On newsletters from WalesOnline click here.
It has also hosted all the biggest names in UK stand-up including Michael McIntyre, Lee Evans, Peter Kay, and several shows on the comeback tour of Wales’ own Rhod Gilbert. The arena has also been host to several major sporting events including world title boxing bouts involving Joe Calzaghe, the Welsh Open Snooker Championship, and PDC darts events.
Read more: Liam Gallagher rocks Cardiff with gig telling crowd he 'loves the Welsh'
On March 1, 2011, the CIA was officially renamed Motorpoint Arena Cardiff after the car sales company struck a sponsorship deal with the venue’s owners. After 11 and a half years the venue announced on Thursday that it was now reverting to its original name, confirming the news on social media by saying: “Locally loved, globally renowned. The Cardiff International Arena is officially back and ready for you to raise the roof.”
The long-term future of the CIA is somewhat unknown after Cardiff Council approved plans for a brand new state-of-the-art 17,000-capacity arena in Cardiff Bay as part of a wider redevelopment of the Atlantic Wharf area. Councillors granted permission for the arena back in March as well as giving the go-ahead for other developments including flats, hotels, museums, and offices.
Graham Walters, chief operating officer of Live Nation UK, which owns the CIA, said of the new plans in Cardiff Bay: “We are delighted with this decision, one of the most significant and landmark developments in the region for some years, and we look forward to delivering our vision for a new arena with our partners and Cardiff council. A world-class arena, with a global reputation for culture, will transform Atlantic Wharf for local, national, and international visitors to Cardiff as well as facilitate job creation and economic growth in the region.”
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