AEG Gets Green Light For Wembley

The completion of the 15-year deal with owner arena owner Quintain Estates and Development plc was provisionally approved in the middle of last month.

The deal was originally announced at the end of January but in March the Office Of Fair Trading referred the mat Arena, London’s other major venue.

Live Nation was said to have “agreed to halt its venue-management contract for Wembley Arena,” although sources have told Pollstar that Quintain gave LN 60 days notice that its contract was being terminated.

Throughout its 79-year history, the 12,500-seat Wembley Arena has played host to some of the world’s best known recording artists, including The Beatles and Rolling Stones, who shared the same bill.

It has also played host to the Olympics Games, serving as a venue for the London Games of 1948 and 2012.

“Wembley Arena holds a special place in the hearts of music and live entertainment fans,” said AEG Facilities vice president Rod O’Connor. “It enjoys fame on a global scale and we are delighted to welcome it into our portfolio of elite and iconic venues and to have the opportunity to support it with our experience in operating many of the world’s most successful live events venues.”

Purchased by Quintain in 2002 as part of a deal in which it bought 44 acres of former exhibition lands around the old Wembley Stadium, Wembley Arena sits at the heart of Quintain’s ongoing project to revitalize Wembley Park with the creation of new shops, homes and leisure facilities.