New 3,800-capacity arena to open in London in 2026

A new 3,800-capacity arena named the British Airways ARC has been announced to open in London in 2026. 

Announced today (20th November), the new purpose-built music, comedy, and live entertainment venue will be located above the existing west exhibition hall at Olympia in Kensington, as part of a £1.3 billion renovation.

British Airways is the venue’s naming rights partner, with AXS as the venue’s ticketing partner. 

The space is being launched by AEG Presents UK, which also owns London's O2 Arena, Eventim Apollo in Hammersmith, Watford Colosseum, and festivals including Coachella, All Points East, Electric Forest, and BST Summer Time.

The venue will feature a 1,575-seat theatre, 30 bars, restaurants and eateries, two hotels and 550,000 sq ft of office space.

The site already has 138 years of music history, with Jimi Hendrix, Primal Scream, The Cure, Bloc Party, Pink Floyd, and The Chemical Brothers having already performed there. 

In a press release, Andrew Spencer, COO at AEG Presents Europe, said: “Olympia is a place that has an incredible musical history which we want to honour whilst creating a venue that is thoroughly modern with world-class facilities for artists and fans alike.”

Calum Laming, British Airways’ CCO, said: “We’re incredibly proud to champion British Originality in everything we do, so we’re thrilled to be building on our further support for the arts and culture scene on our doorstep here in our hometown, London. 

“Together with AEG Presents UK, not only are we creating unique experiences for audiences, we’re also helping shine a spotlight on the next generation of talent. As the flag carrier for the UK, it’s important to us that we represent modern Britain at home and all around the world, and we’re so excited to be a part of Olympia to showcase the very best homegrown and international entertainment."

The venue’s booking diary is open for the 2026 launch. 

Fans interested in finding out more about the venue, including the first acts set to perform, can sign up via email at britishairwaysarc.co.uk. 

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