AEG Europe has begun the search for a naming rights partner for its new Edinburgh Park Arena project.
AEG Global Partnerships, the group’s sponsorships division, is looking for a partner to back the 8,500-capacity venue, which is scheduled to open in 2027.
AEG, which operates The O2 in London and Berlin’s Uber Arena, says that the business that takes up the naming rights in Edinburgh will benefit from an activation strategy that will see its brand placed front-and-centre.
“Edinburgh residents are one of the most active listeners of music per capita in the UK – even more so than London – and those entertainment fans have been missing an arena for too long,” said AEG Global Partnerships executive vice-president Paul Samuels.
“Our team is behind some of the most iconic partnerships in the world, including The O2 in London, and we’re now looking for an ambitious business who can seize this rare, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity with both hands.”
The Edinburgh Park Arena received planning permission earlier this month and is expected to create more than 1,000 jobs and add an estimated £520m ($615m/€660m) to the city’s economy.
Once an external contractor has been appointed and finance raised, construction is proposed to begin in 2025 and will continue over the course of two years, with the aim of delivering the first event in 2027.
AEG states that, on average, a new naming rights partner benefits from a 30% increase in consideration after the first 12 months and a lift of 29% in favourability among fans attending events at the venue.
Along with naming rights partners, AEG Global Partnerships is seeking category partners who will be able to elevate the experiences of those visiting the venue.
“Being part of an evening that fans have looked forward to for months, years, or even a lifetime can help build amazing relationships with both prospective and existing customers, as well as ensuring your brand is a household name,” said AEG Europe vice-president of global partnerships Nathan Kosky.
Plans to deliver what would be the first major indoor arena in Edinburgh were first unveiled in November. Parabola, developers and site owners of Edinburgh Park, a new cultural quarter for the Scottish capital, agreed to sell the site for the new venue to AEG Europe.
With Edinburgh currently lacking a major arena, local residents are often forced to travel to either Glasgow (OVO Hydro) or Aberdeen (P&J Live) to catch concerts from big-name acts.
As part of the planning phase, AEG Europe said its guest experience and sustainability experts have been integral in ensuring the venue design and future construction reflects “unprecedented fan-first and sustainability measures”, with further ambitions of ensuring Edinburgh Park will be the UK’s most sustainable arena.
Edinburgh Park Arena will be privately funded. Once an external contractor has been appointed and finance raised, construction is proposed to begin in 2025 and will continue over the course of two years, with the aim of delivering the first event in 2027.
