Premier League club Aston Villa has joined forces with Oak View Group, the global venue development, advisory and investment company, to deliver events at The Warehouse, a new live entertainment space opening next to Villa Park in December.
OVG will lead programming for The Warehouse, which will have a capacity of 3,500. The space has been designed for music, and will be capable of hosting comedy shows and sporting events such as boxing.
OVG will also provide operational support within The Warehouse, with a primary focus on securing the best music acts, as well as helping secure a naming-rights sponsor for the venue. The Warehouse, which formerly served as a club training warehouse, will also open for Villa fans before and after matches.
According to Villa, the development marks the first time a dedicated “state-of-the-art mid-sized music and live entertainment venue” has been created by a Premier League club next to its main ground.
Plans for The Warehouse, which will form part of a wider fan experience zone, were first announced in December last year.
Chris Heck, president of business operations at Villa, said: “The Warehouse marks another exciting chapter in Aston Villa’s proud history. This new venue will provide Birmingham with a first-class space for live entertainment and significantly enhance the matchday experience for our fans. We’re thrilled to be working with Oak View Group, whose credentials in building and managing world-class venues are second to none.”
Rebecca Kane Burton, executive vice-president of venue management at OVG, added: “We are thrilled to be partnering with such an historic and forward-thinking football club. Aston Villa shares our vision for what a modern entertainment destination should be – fan-first, community-oriented, and commercially ambitious. The Warehouse will be a jewel in Birmingham’s cultural crown, and a benchmark for future collaborations between sport and live entertainment.”
OVG operates Manchester’s 23,500-capacity Co-op Live arena, which opened last year, as well as various venues in the US. The company also has a multi-year deal with Birmingham City, Villa’s cross-city rival, to support the club’s stadium vision under owners Knighthead Capital Management.
Villa’s deal with OVG has been signed after the club last month announced plans to expand the capacity of Villa Park to more than 50,000. The ground currently holds 42,640 spectators, but the redevelopment will increase the number of seats available in the North Stand to more than 12,000.
The club also recently announced a deal with premium experiences company Legends to support the ongoing transformation of Villa Park. Legends will support the sales and strategic vision of hospitality offerings at Villa Park, after the club redeveloped 17 premium spaces ahead of the 2024-25 season.
In February, TheStadiumBusiness.com spoke to Laura Worsey, Villa’s head of hospitality and catering, about the club’s plans to create a more dynamic, inclusive, and premium experience for its fans while preserving the iconic heritage of Villa Park.
Villa Park will be a host venue during UEFA Euro 2028.
