Following recent speculation about plans for the East of England Showground in Peterborough, the East of England Arena and Events Centre (EEAEC) has announced that the “future of events in the City of Peterborough is categorically not under threat”, despite plans emerging to redevelop the current showground site for housing over the next decade.
The venue, which is operated as an independent, commercial, subsidiary of the East of England Agricultural Society, is a thriving, growing business, operating at a national level within the events market. It brings tens of thousands of visitors to the region, attending one of the 430-plus events held there every year – from national exhibitions and conferences to arena-scale musical and live entertainment acts. The revenue generated is gifted to the Agricultural Society, which owns the land and the venue, enabling it to further its charitable aims of promoting agriculture and rural life in the East of England.
Jason Lunn, EEAEC venue director, explained that the plans to redevelop the showground would move forward without immediate impact on current or future events at the venue, saying, “The Arena and it’s connecting halls, all the buildings and the entire outdoor complex will remain unchanged and fully operational until 2023, at which point it is likely that gradual, phased withdrawal of facilities will begin at the showground boundary.”
“We’re delighted,” Lunn continued, “that the East of England Agricultural Society and other stakeholders recognise the valuable contribution the East of England Arena and Event Centre makes to the local and regional economy, and how important it is to the fabric of the city and its people. We are committed to identifying a new site with the potential to create the additional capacity and infrastructure required to maintain our competitive lead and safeguard the future of the venue business and we are looking forward to bringing conferences, exhibitions, festivals and world-class entertainment to the city and the region into the 2030s and beyond.”
Lunn concluded, ‘’The future of arena-scale events in Peterborough is strongly supported by the City Council and the Agricultural Society, and is categorically not under threat’’.