Inside plans for a gargantuan new arena in east London, which will be the city’s biggest indoor music venue

Image: Jericho Estates

Ambitious plans have just been revealed for an enormous new entertainment venue in Stratford’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. With a capacity of up to 25,000 people, the proposed London Colosseum would overtake the O2 Arena and Manchester’s Co-op Live to be the largest indoor arena in UK. 

As well as hosting live music performances, the arena is being pitched as a home for major sports events like the the NBA’s planned European competition, international esports tournaments, UFC events and world championship boxing. It’s not clear whether these plans are directly linked to proposals for a new basketball arena, which are backed by the Mayor Sadiq Khan and the London Lions basketball team. 

The proposal also includes a ‘multifunctional tower’ that’ll house a hotel, residences and community facilities to ‘[extend] the life of the site beyond event-based programming and embedding it within the everyday rhythm of the city.’

Image: Jericho EstatesRender of the tower at London Colosseum

On top of that, the development would include a second with with two smaller 3,000-seat venues making up an sports and entertainment campus named London Colosseum Academy. That would include a basketball school, a boxing gym and an esports training centre.  

The project is being developed by Jericho Estates, Peacock Gym, Torch Sports and architects Chybik + Kristof. Ondrej Chybik of the latter said: ‘The London Colosseum’s bowl design allows the arena floor to effortlessly adapt to accommodate 18,000 and up to 25,000 spectators across diverse sporting and entertainment events.

‘By prioritising genuine multi-functionality, the arena and its surrounding public spaces are built to evolve, actively combating the inefficiency of traditional, single-use stadiums.’

Planning is still in the early stages, so that’s all we know so far. If London Colosseum becomes reality, it would would build upon Stratford’s growing cluster of major cultural venues. In the past year, it’s become home to Sadler’s Wells East, the V&A East Storehouse and V&A East Museum. Soon, it’ll also get a £15m new music venue from the team behind Brixton’s Phonox and Camden’s Jazz Café.

ICYMI: The people behind Printworks and Drumsheds have announced a brand-new riverside venue in southeast London. 

Plus: A brand-new 3,800-capacity music venue is opening in west London this year. 

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