2-879-161 - Historic England Archive/Heritage Images

National Indoor Arena, King Edwards Road, Birmingham, 04/10/1991. Athlete Linford Christie, the Lord Mayor of Birmingham and a third man posed beside a commemorative plaque at the official opening of the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham. I/N is recorded next to this image in Laing's negative register, signifying that it is an internegative. It appears to have been copied from the original in November 1991. The £50m Design and Construct contract for the National Indoor Arena (NIA) was awarded to the Laing Midlands Division by Birmingham City Council in January 1989. It was officially opened on 4th October 1991 by athlete Linford Christie. At the time of opening, it was the largest indoor arena in the UK and had capacity for approximately 12,000 spectators. The arena has been renamed multiple times throughout its history. Originally the National Indoor Arena (October 1991 to December 2014), it later became known as The Barclaycard Arena (December 2014 to August 2017), Arena Birmingham (September 2017 to April 2020), and Utilita Arena Birmingham (April 2020 to present).