Birmingham NIA (National Indoor Arena)

The National Indoor Arena is one of the most sought after, and therefore busiest, large scale indoor sporting and entertainment venues in Europe. Since opening in 1991, over 4 million visitors have enjoyed over 30 different sports and an extensive variety of entertainment and music.

Located in Birmingham City centre, close to The ICC, The NIA brings world class sport to the heart of the nation. From club and regional, to national and international, it provides a perfect home for indoor sport at every level. With a passion for performance, and a will to succeed matching the world-class competitors it regularly welcomes.

And it’s not just about sport. Concerts, entertainment and business conferences and exhibitions are also staged at The NIA. Take the glamour of The Eurovision Song Contest, the spectacular Disney on Ice, the childrens’ favourite Tweenies Live! and the operatic passion of Carmen and Madam Butterfly as examples of the arena’s versatility. Not to mention concerts by Paul McCartney, Oasis, Coldplay, Russell Watson and Destiny’s Child.

The NIA Academy makes use of the arena’s built-in flexibility, creating a more intimate theatre-style auditorium for up to 4,500. It was the setting for the world premiere of Sir Cliff Richard's production of Heathcliff and has also staged numerous concerts and comedy shows. The flexible format of The NIA Academy allows the audience seating area to be adapted to accommodate concerts, intimate ballet as well as comedy and theatre spectacle.