UK’s National Gaming and Esports Arena to Open in 2026

British Esports has been given approval for its flagship Gaming and Esports Arena, a 15,000-square-foot arena alongside the National Esports Performance Campus in Sunderland which is set to open in early 2026.

The first of its kind esports arena in Europe will become a training and education hub. It will be equipped with a 200-seat theatre, a 17m-wide LED screen, broadcast, content and editing studios, retail and hospitality, performance rooms and an outdoor activation space.

“This is our St George’s Park for esports, a national home with world-class performance spaces that will help train the next generation of esports talent and help grow the region to be a key leader in esports in the UK,” said Andy Payne OBE, the chair of British Esports. “The arena completes a multi-year vision to develop a campus that’s built to develop esports athletes, deliver first-class events, and support entrepreneurs and creators.

“This significant development marks another crucial step forward in British Esports’ mission to champion grassroots esports development and elite athlete performance across the nation and globally. It will help generate new jobs and drive economic prosperity for the North East, forming a key part of the expansive Riverside Sunderland initiative.”

The Gaming and Esports Arena will sit alongside the National Esports Performance Campus, which opened in 2023. Work begins on the arena in September. The arena will be a multi-use venue available for private bookings, events, games industry and esports community events, national competitions and more.

“We are thrilled to see work progressing on the development of British Esports’ Gaming and Esports Arena at Riverside Sunderland, which is held up as one of the most ambitious regeneration schemes in the UK right now,” said Michael Mordley, leader of Sunderland City Council. “It is a game-changing development which will cement Sunderland’s reputation as the home of esports in the UK, while providing a major boost to the regional economy, creating high skilled jobs for local people and attracting visitors from across the globe to our transforming city.”