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2018 was the Arena's 27th year in showbiz and yet again it was another memorable season both on & off the stage!

 

Behind the scenes the Arena has seen a significant investment in the venue's digital media infrastructure enhancing the customer experience whether they are a hockey fan, a gig goer or a business delegate. The Arena now has free public access Wi-Fi capable of coping with 13,600 fans online at the same time. The new SIVLive App allows customers to order & pre-pay merchandise along with food & drink that can also be collected from fast-track dedicated pick-up. The venue's concourse areas have also been upgraded with the installation of high spec digital signage that will give us the ability to live stream events taking place in the hall to the concourse audience.

 

2018 also saw the Sheffield Steelers & SIV enter into a 5 year partnership, the longest deal in the 27 year history of Steelers playing out of the Arena and was the first full year of the naming rights partnership with Doncaster Sheffield Airport.

 

Kate Stow, DSA marketing and corporate affairs director, said:  'We are extremely proud of our association with FlyDSA Arena and together we have had a lot to celebrate in our first year of holding the naming rights.  At DSA we've seen the announcement of several new destinations - Krakow, Budapest, Belfast and a new long-haul destination to Cancun in Mexico '“ whilst at the Arena many exciting high profile shows have gone on sale.

 

'We've won a number of awards for our easy, fast and friendly service including the accolade of the UK's Best Airport as voted by consumer magazine Which?.  A record number of passengers have chosen to fly through DSA in 2018 too and we are forecasting to grow to 1.45 million passengers in 2019.   We now have 55 destinations on offer, many of which are low-cost, establishing DSA as a convenient choice for passengers travelling from Yorkshire and the rest of the North.

 

'We are proud to be associated with an organisation that so closely reflects our own aspirations; repeat visits, a growing customer base, a great customer experience and recognition for our exceptional customer service. Needless to say we are looking forward to an exciting year ahead in 2019.'

 

On the stage highlights from this year saw sell out shows from Sheffield's finest bands including the Arctic Monkeys who played to packed out out crowds with 4 shows back in September. synth-pop trio The Human League and rock legends Def Leppard brought the house down in December!

 

Other sell-out gigs came from the likes of Sam Smith who opened his first ever world tour right here in Sheffield, Katy Perry, The Vamps and the hilarious Michael McIntyre who made his 10th visit to the venue.

 

Lots of sporting action at the venue in 2018 that was kicked off, as is now tradition, with the first event of 2018, World's No.1 Indoor Motorcycle Trial that featured the world's best riders competing in Sheffield for The Martin Lampkin Trial. Other sporting events saw Kell Brook headline & win two Championship Boxing cards and  Premier League darts playing infront of over 6,000 fans for the 12th consecutive year in April. Eight of the country's strongest men did battle at the Arena in the inagural Britian's Strongest Man competition and there was the return of the Arenacross that sees the biggest transformation of the venue with hundreds of tons of soil layed on the venue ice to create indoor dirt racing track that produced some seat grabbing entertainment from the worlds craziest indoor Motocross racers and Freestyle MX stars.  

 

The Arena also hosted a number of family shows in 2018 including WWE Live along with the Arena's most regular touring show Disney On Ice where Mickey Mouse & Walt Disney had a 90 year celebration in the venue!  WALKING WITH DINOSAURS - The Arena Spectacular, made it's final tour of Arena's with the greatest creatures ever to walk the earth returning for one last time. This was followed by a week long performance of Cirque du Soleil's brand new Tour OVO featuring a cast of 50 performing artists from 17 countries. Fast Live Productions brought the ground breaking Fast & Furious Live Arena Tour, which brought us all the action and excitement from one of the most popular and enduring film series to life. The inspirational Professor Noel Fitzpatrick, The Supervet, hosted his first ever live stage show and Torvill & Dean's Dancing On Ice Live Tour returned to TV screens & a Live Arena tour.

 

Professor Brian Cox took us on a breathtaking journey to edge of our current understanding about the origin and evolution of the Universe and landed a Guinness World Record for the best-selling science tour with another live show which will see him return to the Arena in 2019!

 

So, into 2019 and returning to the venue are the following sporting events, The World's Number 1 Motorcycle Trial, the first event of 2019, Britain's Strongest Man competition for it's second year and 13th consective year of Premier League Darts and Arenacross, with the Indoor Motorcycle dirt bike racing & Freestyle Motorcross, will be taking place over 2 nights and include the final of this years competition in Sheffield.  

 

The yearly local schools choir event Young Voices grows from strength to strength and will be performing an amazing 6 nights at the Arena.

 

Concerts that are already confirmed include The 1975, X Factor Live Tour, Bryan Adams, George Ezra, 4 nights of Take That on their 30th Anniversary Tour, Mumford & Sons, Olly Murs, 2 nights of Westlife on their 20th Anniversary Tour, 2 Little Mix shows and the first ever appearance at the venue of one of worlds biggest artistes Ariana Grande.

 

Family shows, Strictly Come Dancing Live Tour, The Blue Planet II Live In Concert, Harlem Globetrotters, WWE Live Tour, Sheffield Film & Comic Con, Yorkshire Cosplay Con and a week long run of Marvel Live featuring Marvel's greatest Super Heroes doing battle in cutting-edge special effects, aerial stunts and video projection in this incredible adventure.

 

A first for the Arena in 2019 will sees the venue hosting The Wool Monty a two day celebration of all things yarn that will see the Arena transformed into an oasis for UK yarn lovers plus Elite Promotions are bringing four shows to the Arena next year - The Drifters who will be performing all their classic hits from the last six decades and 3 tribute acts Elvis, Tina Turner & George Michael.

 

Comedy action already confirmed includes Bill Bailey, Russell Howard and 4 Mrs Brown's Boys D'Musical shows.

 

Reviewing the year Head of SIVLive Dominic Stokes said"This year the aim was very simple. We have set out to put the FlyDSA Arena front and centre in our customers, clients, partners, event promoters and organisers minds. This venue's history and heritage in delivering major sensational  spectacles for Sheffield must be celebrated. And we continue to do so day after day. Over the past couple of years we have hosted nearly 75% of the biggest acts and productions that have toured the UK at the venue. Our relationship with the UKs most successful ice hockey club goes from strength to strength and together we will deliver success on and off the ice together. Next year the phenomenal line-up of top-flight events just keep on coming and I have set the ambition of getting a million people through our doors.

 

The partnership with DSA has grown and developed over the past year and is the perfect synergy. We are a major inward tourism attraction in this region for domestic and international business and leisure clients and who better to facilitate and ensure our customers can get to and from the region than an airport like DSA".