British Esports secures funding for UK’s first national Gaming and Esports Arena, set to open in 2026

Federation confirms Sunderland will host 15,000 sq. ft. performance venue for live esports, training, and education, following green light from major UK bank.

British Esports confirms it has secured multi-million pound funding to build a national Gaming and Esports Arena in Sunderland, with work due to begin in September 2025 and the venue scheduled to open in early 2026.

The 15,000 sq. ft. facility will sit adjacent to the federation’s existing National Esports Performance Campus (NEPC) and is designed to host major esports events, educational activities, and commercial functions. Funding has been approved by a UK high street bank.

British Esports is the national federation for esports in the United Kingdom. It launched the NEPC in 2023 as a multi-site hub for competitive training, live broadcast, bootcamps, and esports development programs.

Training, education, and broadcast facilities

The new arena includes a 200-seat auditorium, 17-meter LED display, broadcast and editing suites, team performance rooms, retail and hospitality zones, and a large external activation area for events. British Esports says the venue is built to be flexible enough to host live competition, music, community events, and commercial functions such as game launches.

It is also intended to support esports-specific education pathways. Students enrolled in qualifications such as the Esports BTEC or university-level esports courses will have access to the venue for live events, competition logistics, production, and content delivery. The federation confirms the space will be used by schools and colleges participating in its Student Champs tournaments, giving learners exposure to live broadcast environments and team-based production work.

The venue is positioned as a multi-use performance center, enabling practice under tournament conditions, including stage lighting, crowds, and broadcast setups. It is expected to support preparation for international esports events such as the Esports World Cup and the Olympic Esports Games.

Andy Payne, Chair of British Esports, says: “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. 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.”

Part of wider Sunderland regeneration

The arena will be located near the Stadium of Light and forms part of the Riverside Sunderland redevelopment, one of the UK’s largest regeneration projects.

The NEPC currently spans 30,000 sq. ft. and includes high-spec gaming rooms equipped with hardware from Alienware, NVIDIA, Intel, and Secretlab. It can accommodate up to 27 resident guests and is already used by international teams and federations. Past occupants include Team Falcons, winners of the Esports World Cup, and national teams in NBA 2K and Rocket League.

Council leaders welcome the announcement as a step forward for both the city and the wider region.

Michael Mordey, Leader of Sunderland City Council, says: “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.

“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.”

Payne adds: “We have designed our facility so that on any given day we could be a training and performance hub, running a global esports tournament, hosting a publisher game launch or hired out as a music venue. The flexibility of the arena will be what makes it a sustainable facility that drives value back to British Esports, so that we can do more work for our community.”