The Vision

One of the most exciting places in the UK to live, work, visit and study.

The Vision

An integral part of the ambitious city-wide regeneration, Copr Bay will be a vibrant new neighbourhood for culture and leisure, ideally located between Swansea’s city centre and its spectacular beach. Boasting a world-class live performance arena and conference centre, a new hotel, over an acre of new landscaped gardens, homes, offices and neighbourhood restaurants, Copr Bay will allow the city to realise its potential to become one of the most exciting places in the UK to live, work, visit and study.

Our Story In Numbers

230,000

visitors to the new arena per year

Over £460 million

tourist expenditure per year

600,000

people within 30 min drive time

+10.4%

expected population growth by 2036

33

new affordable homes

8 km

of sweeping coastline in Swansea Bay

30,000

university students study in Swansea

£17.1 million

additional GVA from Phase One per annum

4.7 million

visitors each year

960

parking spaces

£1 billion

investment across the city

15 minutes

from Mumbles, featuring on
The Sunday Times Best Places To Live

160

shows at the arena per year

750

delegate capacity at conference facilities

8,000 sq ft

of commercial / F&B units

Singer on a stage

ATG Arena

Due for completion in late-2021, Copr Bay will be anchored by a multifunctional arena and conference centre, operated by the global leader in live theatre, The Ambassador Theatre Group (ATG). The venue aims to stage 160 performances a year across comedy, theatre, live music and gaming, attracting over 230,000 visitors per year to the city and positioning Swansea as a desirable destination for both leisure and business.

We have been working with Swansea Council for a period of time now to create a world class venue for a variety of events and performances in South Wales. This incredible live performance space will be at the forefront of our new music and comedy strategy, as well as presenting new content like Gaming and E-sports. We are looking forward to entertaining audiences in the Arena with the best acts from the UK and globally.

Mark Cornell
Chief Executive Officer, Ambassador Theatre Group

Bridge Link

Connecting the city to the Marina and sandy beach, the pedestrian and cycle bridge is designed by ACME architects in collaboration with Marc Rees, a locally based artist whose work is recognised on an international scale.

Swansea’s new landmark bridge is further evidence of the attention to high-quality design and bold artistic touches that are central to Copr Bay’s environment.

CGI of the new pedestrian bridge at Copr Bay
A woman rides a bike
Friedrich Ludewig

Oystermouth Road has separated the city from the bay for too long, and the new bridge will finally reconnect the city centre with the Arena and Marina, and become a stepping-stone to the beach. The design of the bridge has taken inspiration from Swansea’s history as a world capital of metal production, and the perforation patterns developed with local artist Marc Rees reveal abstracted silhouettes of swans from close and afar. The Bridge colour and lighting are designed to move in synchronisation with the illuminating façade of the Arena to create a district that pulsates with life at day and night.

World-class design defines the buildings, parks and structures of the new Copr Bay district. At its heart is the new Arena, clad in a luminescent metal curtain that will bring performances alive and create a new Swansea landmark.

Friedrich Ludewig
Director at ACME, Masterplanners and Architects for Copr Bay

Copr Bay coastal park and Arena

Coastal Park

A stone’s throw from the city’s spectacular beach, 1.1 acres of landscaped gardens surround the new arena and provide an attractive, new space in the city for the community and visitors to dwell. Within the coastal park will sit The Pavilion café dining concept.

Shaping Swansea

In addition to Copr Bay Phase One, Swansea Council has identified seven further strategic sites across the city for major redevelopment. Each will support the Councils overall vision to transform the city into a vibrant working and leisure destination.

Timeline

See the milestones achieved so far and what’s coming up at Copr Bay

October 2018
Q4 2019
September 2020
September 2020
9th November 2020
10th November 2020
12 November 2020
March 2021
Mid - late 2021
Late 2021

Planning permission granted

Construction work

Work begins on site

Copr Bay bridge link

Bridge arrival to site

Construction work

Completion of Arena steelworks

Copr Bay logo

Name & brand announced

The lookout

The Lookout launched

Aerial view of the Arena topping out

Topping out of Arena

Bridge installation at Copr Bay

Bridge installation

A family relaxing at home

Scheme opening

Arena CGI

ATG Arena opens