P&J Live

P&J Live (also known as The Event Complex Aberdeen) is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the suburb of Bucksburn, in Aberdeen in Scotland. Opened in August 2019, it offers a capacity for all types of shows and events from 5,000 to 15,000. Replacing the former Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre (AECC), the 10,000-seat arena is used for concerts and other events. It is the largest indoor arena in Scotland, and the fifth largest arena in the United Kingdom.

P&J Live
The Event Complex Aberdeen (TECA)
LocationBucksburn, Aberdeen, Scotland
Coordinates57°11′7″N 2°11′35″W
OwnerAberdeen City Council
OperatorASM Global
Capacity12,500–15,000 (with standing)
10,264 (all seated)
Construction
Broke ground5 July 2016
Opened10 August 2019
Construction cost£333 million
ArchitectKeppie[1]
Project managerTurner & Townsend[1]
Structural engineerBlyth & Blyth[1]
Main contractorsRobertson
Website
www.pandjlive.com

History

In September 2012, talks got underway to replace the 27-year-old AECC Arena with a new £20 million facility on the same site amid claims that the arena was missing out on big acts due its comparatively small 4,750-seat capacity.[2]

On 18 October 2013, the city council announced plans to spend £200 million on a rebuild of the AECC, but also raised the possibility of relocating the venue to a new site.[3] Then on 31 October, it was announced that the go ahead had been given to the relocation, with Henry Boot as the preferred development partner. Artists impressions were released for a new centre and arena to be built at The Rowett Institute currently owned by the University of Aberdeen in the city's Bucksburn area near Aberdeen Airport and close to the Aberdeen International Business Park.

The council says the project would be completed by 2019, accommodating 10,000 people seated and 12,500 standing. Other facilities include office and leisure space, plus an adjoining 4-star Hilton Aberdeen TECA[4] hotel with options for two more.[5][6] An artist's impression the new AECC was released on 1 November 2013, together with an estimate of the final bill at around £185 million.[7]

In September 2014, public consultations took place[8] prior to the final planning application being submitted in May 2015 for the Bucksburn[9] site and redevelopment of the current AECC site at Bridge of Don.[10] Construction began in July 2016, after a ground-breaking ceremony on 5 July.[11]

The planned spending total of the new project is £333 million. In July 2018, it was announced that the new venue would be named The Event Complex Aberdeen (TECA).[12] The official name was changed to P&J Live in May 2019, following a sponsorship deal with the venue’s operator SMG Europe and DC Thomson (owners of The Press and Journal and Evening Express).[8]

Constructed by the Robertson Group, the main arena includes an exclusive 50 person capacity show deck, 16 private hospitality suites and a VIP lounge. The new building also contains seven conference spaces, three 2,000 sqm exhibition halls (each with a seated capacity of 1,700), eleven meeting rooms, 150-seat restaurant and a coffee shop. The development also comprises two on site hotels. The open day was held on 10 August 2019.[13]

Events

The first event at the new arena was Offshore Europe from 3–6 September 2019. On 17 September 2019, it was announced that P&J Live would host the 2019 edition of BBC Sports Personality of the Year on 15 December.[14] On 23 November 2019, Scottish singer Gerry Cinnamon performed a sold-out concert at the venue to a crowd of 15,000 people, making it the largest indoor concert ever held in Scotland.[15]

Entertainment events

Events at P&J Live
Date Event Tour
2019
3 September Offshore Europe SPE Offshore Europe 2019
4 September
5 September
6 September
20 September Russell Howard Respite
5 October Alice Cooper Ol’ Black Eyes Is Back
31 October Disney on Ice N/A
1 November
2 November
3 November
7 November Catfish and the Bottlemen The Balance Tour
10 November WWE Live
14 November Liam Gallagher
21 November Jack Whitehall Stood Up
23 November Gerry Cinnamon Gerry Cinamon Live 2019
27 November Michael Bublé An Evening with Michael Bublé
28 November
7 December Rod Stewart Red Blood Roses Tour
15 December BBC Sports Personality of the Year
2020
21 January Strictly Come Dancing Live! Live Tour
22 January
6 February Unibet Premier League Darts 2020 Premier League Darts
11 February Subsea Expo Subsea Expo 2020
12 February
13 February
23 February Michael Ball and Alfie Boe Back Together Tour
29 February The 1975 Notes on a Conditional Form Tour
2 March Whitney Houston Whitney Houston Hologram Tour
6 March AJ Pritchard AJ Live 2020
10 March Stereophonics Kind Tour
13 March The Script Sunset and Full Moons 2020
15 March Lewis Capaldi Lewis Capaldi UK Arena Tour
19 March Cirque du Soleil Crystal
20 March
21 March
22 March
11 April BrewDog AGM2020
6 May RuPaul’s Drag Race Werq the World
8 May Bryan Adams
13 August Simple Minds 40 Year Of Hits Tour!
31 October Deacon Blue City Of Love
20 November Elton John Farewell Yellow Brick Road
21 November

See also

References

  1. "The Event Complex Aberdeen | Robertson". www.robertson.co.uk. Retrieved 26 August 2019.
  2. "AECC in talks over new £20m arena to bring top stars to the city | Arts & Culture | Aberdeen | STV". Archived from the original on 18 April 2013.
  3. "Plans for new £200m conference venue to replace Aberdeen's AECC". STV News.
  4. "Hilton Aberdeen TECA". Hilton.
  5. AECC.co.uk (31 October 2013). "New £200 million Venue for AECC Aberdeen Given Go-Ahead by City Council".
  6. "AECC to be moved to a new site as part of redevelopment of venue". STV News.
  7. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 14 October 2014. Retrieved 11 November 2013.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  8. "Aberdeen's state-of-the-art event complex is opening this Summer!". P&J Live.
  9. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 27 October 2015. Retrieved 7 September 2015.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  10. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 27 October 2015. Retrieved 7 September 2015.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  11. "Construction Work Begins On Aberdeen's New Exhibition & Conference Centre - Henry Boot Developments". Henry Boot Developments. 2016-07-05. Retrieved 2017-12-04.
  12. "New entertainment venue name revealed". BBC. 9 July 2018. Retrieved 23 July 2018 via www.bbc.co.uk.
  13. Reporter. "REVEALED: Aberdeen's new £333 million event complex will officially be named P&J LIVE". Retrieved 15 June 2019.
  14. "Aberdeen to host BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2019". www.bbc.co.uk. BBC Media Centre. 17 September 2019. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
  15. Leckie, Samantha (1 August 2019). "Gerry Cinnamon's Aberdeen show set to be Scotland's biggest indoor arena gig as P&J Live tickets sell out". Retrieved 22 September 2020.
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