The Jewel of the Midlands: Resorts World Arena at 40
As Birmingham’s Resorts World Arena reaches a milestone, IQ talks to management, clients, and admirers about the building’s rich history
Feature By Gordon Masson | 3 February 2021
This month should have marked a huge party at Resorts World Arena as the iconic NEC Group venue chalked up its 40th birthday.
While those celebrations were inevitably muted, given that 2020 has been the quietest in the building’s long history, IQ could not let the occasion pass without paying tribute to this pioneering arena.
Prior to 1980, there had not been many gigs at the National Exhibition Centre, which was opened by the Queen in 1976 as the largest exhibition space in the UK. However, as the fledgling live music business began to grow, promoters were eager to find suitable venues for shows by 70s superstar acts and, more by accident than design, the NEC’s halls started to prove popular for touring acts.
At that…
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