New operator for Sheffield Arena announced

ASM Global has been announced as the operator for Utilita Arena Sheffield from January 2025 following an eight-month tender process.

ASM Global is one of the world’s leading producer of entertainment experiences, venue management and event strategy. The company’s programming team delivers world-class content to venues around the UK and Europe – ranging from major sporting events as well as tours from artists of international acclaim.

Councillor Richard Williams, chair of the communities, parks and leisure committee at Sheffield City Council, said the move was a major step forward in plans for the city and entertainment facilities.

Last year, Sheffield City Council revealed that the city’s leisure and entertainment venues were set to receive £117 million of investment including rebuilds of some of the city’s most popular leisure centres and improvements to the arena and to City Hall.

ASM Global has more than 350 venues around the world, which collectively host 20,000 events and welcome 164 million guests every year. It has committed to significant investment to re-vamp the arena.

Cllr Tom Hunt, Leader of Sheffield City Council, said: “We are thrilled that ASM Global have chosen to work with us to bring the benefits of global scale to operate and invest in Sheffield’s Utilita Arena.

“Sheffield is a city on the up. Coming on the back of hosting the MOBO Awards and with the city’s rich musical and sporting history and our reputation for hosting major events, this new exciting partnership with ASM Global is another example of our ambition for Sheffield.”

Chris Bray, president of ASM Global Europe, said: “Sheffield is a city with a rich cultural heritage. It’s known and loved for producing some of the UK’s most exciting musical talent who’ve gone on to put Sheffield on the map on a global scale. We are hugely excited to have been appointed to operate the Utilita Arena, which joins ASM’s industry-leading UK portfolio.

“Our goal is to ensure the venue is a must-play for world-class artists, and that the content is diverse, exciting and world-leading. We have exciting plans for reimagining the customer experience too and are looking forward to getting better acquainted with the city very soon.”

Tony Smith, managing director of the Sheffield Steelers ice hockey team based at the arena, said: “Going forward, investment is key, and we have many ideas on how existing facilities can be improved to benefit our fans and the many visitors to the arena. The future is going to be very bright and we look forward to working closely with our new operator.”