Emphasis once more on live music at re-opening Digbeth venue.
A Birmingham arena that has hosted some of the biggest inner city music festivals in the UK over the past six years has been taken over by new operators.
The Rainbow Arena in Digbeth, formerly a scaffolding yard, has been home to many major events including Annie Mac Presents (2013) MADE Festival (2014-2017), Chapter Festival (2014-2017) since launching to 7,000 international revellers with a memorable Circo Loco experience debut in 2012.
The Haunting (2012-2017) and Hacienda Classical (2016) were further highlights over the space featuring exceptional production and sound for audiences members from across the country.
Formerly part of The Rainbow Venues, the 12,000 sq ft outdoor space will be renamed The Digbeth Arena and will be operated by event promoter and venue development company and licensee The MJR Group.
MJR has announced a number of major live music shows under the Skyline Series banner for 2018, including headline shows by James Arthur Saturday 25th August, Texas and Imelda May on Saturday 1st September, The The on Friday 7th September and Garbage on Saturday 8th September with more announcements to follow soon.
Swingamajig Festival will be returning to the Arena on Sunday 6th May for MJR’s first weekend of operation along with The Britrock Must Be Destroyed event on Saturday 5th May featuring Reef, The Wildhearts, Terrorvision and Dodgy. For fans of electronica, the calendar is still being curated and will be announced soon but expect to see the usual high-level acts and DJ bookings that made the Arena famous and loved by many.
Benjamin Newby at The MJR Group said, “We are honoured and humbled to become part of the innovative and artistic hub that is Digbeth, Birmingham. We have already started developing great relationships with the business and creative community and look forward to what the future will bring. We recognise the dedicated and inspirational work Rainbow Venues have put into their venues and Digbeth as a whole.
” We will work hard to continue their passion while adding our own vision and operational standards to the Arena. As a resident of Birmingham, I personally could not be happier or excited that MJR are involved in this project that joins our group of venues across the country and become part of this exuberant city.”
The Rainbow Events (formerly The Rainbow Venues) recently signalled its intent to move away from venue operations and back towards live event promotion.
Speaking last week, Rainbow Venues founder Lee McDonald said, “Our business will return full circle to the position from where we originally started. Working with emerging and established artists, bands and labels to produce extraordinary and memorable experiences for music fans and clubbers across the country under The Rainbow Events. We have a strong relationship with The MJR Group and could not be happier that they are the company taking the Arena forward into the future.”