A review of 2015 and a look forward to a successful 2016 for Sheffield Arena

2015 was the Arena’s 24th year in showbiz and yet again another memorable season featuring the world’s biggest artiste’s, shows and sporting battles.
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Highlights from 2015 saw sell-out gigs from the likes of Olly Murs, Florence & The Machine, Queen & Adam Lambert, The Script, Mumford & Son’s, S Club 7 and of course the mighty Take That who played 3 sell out shows back in June.


Sheffield legend Richard Hawley played to a packed Steel Hall back in November and fellow Sheffield rockers, Def Leppard are set to play to a sell-out home crowd on Saturday 19th December.

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One Direction played their final 3 live shows right here in Sheffield before going on their ‘hiatus’ from the world of music back in October. Fans flocked from all over the world for these momentus shows.


2015 also saw Clarkson, Hammond & May bring their high octane arena tour to the venue, featuring a mix of beautiful cars, breath-taking stunts as well as all the irreverent humour that fans know and love from the trio.


The TV smash Strictly Come Dancing brought its Live Tour back to the Arena as did Disney On Ice, which is the only touring show to have played the venue every year since the building opened in May 1991, that’s over 280 performances seen by almost 1.4 million customers.


Comedy acts came in the shape of 2 nights of laughs curtesy of the hilarious Michael McIntyre and a 6 show run of TV favorites Mrs Brown’s Boys.

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Hulkamanics and super fans of wrestling were given the chance to meet Hulk Hogan and gain an insight into his personal life and career during an UK exclusive evening with the man himself.


André Rieu will be the last concert of 2015. The King of Waltz will make his Sheffield Arena debut with his Johann Strauss Orchestra for one night only on Monday 21st December.


The Steelers turn the Arena into the House Of Steel every week throughout the ice hockey season and are still one of the most successful ice hockey teams in the country both on and off the ice.


So, into 2016 and the venue’s first event, as it has been for the past 20 years, is the Indoor Bike Trials with Sheffield hosting the only UK leg of this World series. Closely followed in February by Arenacross, where the Arena is transformed into an indoor motorbike dirt track with over 4000 tons of dirt laid on the Arena floor.

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Next year will be another bumper year and events already on sale include Strictly Come Dancing Live Thunder, Ellie Goulding, The X Factor Live Tour, 5 seconds of Summer, The Vamps, Bryan Adams, Lionel Richie & Andrea Bocelli. Little Mixare all set for 2 dates in April and US sensation Justin Bieber is expected to sell out his October date here in Sheffield within minutes of going on sale.


Busted are set to make a comeback with the original line up in May. Matt, James and Charlie are returning to the road with a full UK arena tour, and they are working on brand new Busted music for the first time since 2004.


Not to be missed, Dynamo will bring his Seeing Is Believing Live tour to the Arena in February playing in the intimate Steel Hall setting over 5 nights, wowing audiences with his mind blowing show.


With family shows from the World’s most famous basketball team the Harlem Globetrotters, ice hockey from The Steelers, wrestling from WWE, plus the brand new 5 Star Wrestling event which will see Rey Mysterio take on AJ Styles in a truly historic dream match that has never been possible before now.

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Critically acclaimed “Comedy Superstar” Russell Howard returns to the live stage for the first time in three years with his biggest global tour to date – Round The World, which will be performed ‘in the round’, only the second time a comedy show has toured a center stage show.


Arena General Manager Rob O’Shea says; “2015 has been another successful year for the venue. A personal highlight has been the success of the venue’s reduced capacity Steel Hall culminating in November’s home-town Richard Hawley gig. 2016 will be our 25th anniversary and we already have some of the world’s biggest touring artistes lined up to perform. It will also be a new era for the venue as Sheffield International Venues (SIV) take over the management of the venue in April 2016 and the search for a new naming rights sponsor will be at the top of everyones to do list next year”.