McLaren confirmed to build £280m Cardiff arena and hotel

McLaren Construction has been chosen to build a long-planned indoor arena and hotel in Cardiff.

The 16,500-capacity arena, part of the city’s Atlantic Wharf regeneration programme, will be developed by a consortium of entertainment firm Live Nation and Robertson Property.

The scheme also includes a 182-room hotel and a public plaza.

Data intelligence provider Glenigan values the job at £280m (see boxout for full list of subcontractors).

Cardiff Council is the client. According to the council, the arena will anchor wider plans to redevelop the 30-acre site in Cardiff Bay.

Financial close on the project follows more than a decade of planning, with the scheme previously subject to delays.

The venue is scheduled to open in 2028.

Architects HOK and Populous designed the scheme, which is expected to attract more than one million visitors each year and create 1,000 jobs when operational.

Construction will prioritise sustainability and social value targets, with the development aiming to boost the visitor economy and act as a catalyst for wider regeneration in one of Wales’s most deprived communities.

The procurement route and contract type have not been disclosed.

Live Nation senior vice-president for arena and venue development Graham Walters said the project will meet consumer demand for entertainment in the region. Robertson Group chief executive Elliot Robertson called the arena a “catalyst for growth”.

Source: Robertson Property announcement/McLaren