Bristol’s long-awaited 19,000 seat arena ‘to open in 2028’

A 19,000 seat arena in Bristol, which has been hampered by years of delays, is set to open in 2028.

YTL Arena, initially announced in 2018, is planned to be the centre of the Brabazon development in Filton, which will also include 6,500 homes.

Developer, Malaysian-owned YTL, initially said the arena could be open by 2022.

But Colin Skellett, the chief executive of YTL UK, has now told the BBC that the project is “ready to go”. When asked how confident the firm was about this date, he said: “It’s the best guarantee I can give you.”

The Brabazon arena has been promoted as a more affordable alternative to a previously council-backed site next to Bristol Temple Meads railway station.

That was first proposed in 2003 but building work never started.