Want the best Coventry and Warwickshire news delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up here! Sign up here! Thank you for subscribing See our privacy notice Invalid Email

The Ricoh Arena has announced that it will become official sponsor of Coventry’s City of Culture 2021 bid.

Wasps and the Ricoh Arena have agreed a significant financial investment to back the bid through until the end of 2017 when the successful host city will be announced.

If the city is to be successful in winning the bid, it could bring an economic uplift of around £80million to £150million in the lead-up to and during the year.

As well as providing a huge financial boost to the bid, the Ricoh Arena will host dedicated events and promote the bid at popular concerts, like MTV Crashes Coventry in May.

David Burbidge, the chairman of Coventry City of Culture Trust, said the backing of Wasps and the Ricoh Arena is a key part of the campaign.

He said: “This is fantastic news for the UK City of Culture bid but also for the city.

“This is just the beginning of our fundraising efforts – we need as many businesses as possible to come on board to ensure we deliver the best possible bid for Coventry.

“We have been bowled over by the level of support shown by the people of Coventry with around 80 per cent backing our bid, so to have influential companies such as Wasps also lining up behind us is a massive boost.

“The Ricoh Arena is a national and international venue which draws a wide range of artists and performers and also attracts audiences from across the UK and beyond.”

Read more

Mr Burbidge hopes that the support of Wasps and the Ricoh Arena will highlight the credibility of Coventry’s bid to the nation.

He added: “Its support as our main Bid Sponsor is a massive boost and will help us reach that audience and underline what the city has to offer and why we think we should become UK City of Culture in 2021.

“We are looking forward to working with the team at the Ricoh Arena as we formulate our bid submission.”

Read more

David Armstrong, group chief executive of Wasps which owns the Ricoh Arena, said: “The City of Culture is a fantastic opportunity for Coventry to highlight what it has to offer and also its enormous potential, and so too for the Ricoh Arena.

“We are relative newcomers to Coventry and maybe have the advantage of seeing the city with fresh eyes and we have genuinely been impressed with the ambition and positivity of everyone we have encountered.

“We want Coventry to win with the Ricoh Arena at the heart of the bid and are glad we can help in that quest.”

What is the UK City of Culture?

The title is handed out every four years to a city for one year and was created to build on the success of Liverpool’s year as European Capital of Culture 2008. The inaugural holder of the award was Derry-Londonderry in 2013 and Hull will take the title for 2017.

What’s in it for Coventry?

The economic benefits are estimated at between £80million to £150million in the lead up to the year and during the 12 months of events itself. Hull predicts a £184m injection into its economy in the five years from 2017. When Derry won the title in 2013 the BBC took Radio One’s Big Weekend festival to the city while Hull will host the Turner Prize.

Why is the Ricoh Arena sponsorship important?

The bid needs to be funded so the financial part is vital. Hull reportedly spent £13.5million to secure the crown – with £3m from council funding. Coventry City Council agreed to commit £250,000 to fund initial bid work. Beyond financial support, the Ricoh Arena can also raise the city’s profile with the thousands of visitors from outside the region. To get such a high-profile backer at the this stage is also a massive boost to the credibility of the bid.

What happens next?

Coventry’s bid will be submitted to the Departure for Culture, Media and Sport in 2017, which is likely to shortlist up to four cities and a winner will be picked in late 2017.