Metro Radio Arena is a sports and entertainment arena

Arena

An arena is an enclosed area, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theater, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators. The key feature of an arena is that the event space is the...

 in the city of Newcastle upon Tyne

Newcastle upon Tyne

Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...

, North East England

North East England

North East England is one of the nine official regions of England. It covers Northumberland, County Durham, Tyne and Wear, and Teesside . The only cities in the region are Durham, Newcastle upon Tyne and Sunderland...

, United Kingdom. Owned and operated by the SMG Europe and sponsored by Metro Radio

Metro Radio

Metro Radio is an independent local radio station based in Newcastle upon Tyne and broadcasting to Tyne and Wear, County Durham and Northumberland. The station's output is principally contemporary pop and dance music...

, it hosts music, entertainment, sports & business events. Having also had various professional basketball and ice hockey

Ice hockey

Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...

 teams as tenants for much of its history, since 2009 it has had no ice hockey team after the departure of the Newcastle Vipers

Newcastle Vipers

The Newcastle Vipers were an ice hockey club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. Former members of the Elite Ice Hockey League, the club previously held membership in the British National League.- History :...

 to the Whitley Bay Ice Rink

Whitley Bay Ice Rink

The Whitley Bay Ice Rink is an ice rink in Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear, England and is the home of the Whitley Warriors ice hockey team. An additional team to played out of the ice rink,the Newcastle Vipers...

, and no basketball team since the departure of the Newcastle Eagles

Newcastle Eagles

Newcastle Eagles is a British Basketball League team from Newcastle upon Tyne. Since 2010 they have played all home games at the 3,000 capacity Sport Central arena at Northumbria University in the city...

 to Northumbria University

Northumbria University

Northumbria University is an academic institution located in Newcastle upon Tyne in the North East of England. It is a member of the University Alliance.- History :...

's Sport Central arena in 2010.
Two well known local musicians conceived and helped build the arena, Chas Chandler

Chas Chandler

Bryan James "Chas" Chandler was an English musician, record producer and manager of several successful music acts....

 and his business partner Nigel Stanger.