Plan to boost two city venues with new investment

A new operator for two of Sheffield's most popular entertainment venues has promised investment to improve the experience for visitors to both sites.

ASM Global has taken over the running of Sheffield City Hall and the Utilita Arena from Sheffield City Trust.

The company plans to introduce self-service bars at the Arena, as well as increasing its 13,600 capacity, while improvements at the City Hall would "retain a heavy focus on upholding the cultural heritage" of the building.

Council leader Tom Hunt said: "We have big ambitions to develop Sheffield's events offer even further and our new partnership with ASM Global will ensure our city continues to have fantastic venues for the best events."

Improvements at both sites would be funded by the local authority and ASM Global and begin this month, according to Sheffield City Council.

Both venues would remain open throughout the works.

Other improvements planned for the Arena included adding more points of sale to improve speed of service, upgrades to the food and drink menu, and a revamp of the VIP areas.

The council said their vision was "to reimagine the venue as a world-class touring destination", with the backstage area also set to be "dramatically upgraded".

At City Hall, more tills will be installed and a new food and drink menu will be introduced.

Improved signs, screens and security will also be put in place later this year.

Chris Bray, president of ASM Global Europe, said the company planned to "future-proof both venues for years to come".

"Our ambition is to reimagine the venues, delivering world-class live entertainment in Sheffield," he said.

The Arena hosted the MOBO Awards last year, while acts including The Beatles and Elton John have performed at City Hall.

Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North or tell us a story you think we should be covering here.