What's it like to see a show at the model for proposed new Swindon venue?
Aled Thomas
Thu 24 July 2025 at 11:00 am GMT-3
3 min read
Local Democracy Reporter Aled Thomas outside the Abba Arena (Image: Aled Thomas)
I went to see the Abba Voyage arena as it is referenced as the blueprint for what a new theatre in Swindon could look like.
Bosses at Swindon Borough Council who want to see a bigger replacement for the Wyvern Theatre built on the site of the current bus station are keen on the construction methods used at the east London venue – while it won’t last as long as a more traditional brick and mortar structure, it is much cheaper to put up.
I was lucky enough to attend the Abba Voyage concert recently courtesy of my wife, who graciously allowed me to buy tickets for the show for her birthday.
I went along with half an eye on what the building was like, and whether the experience of going to a show there is different to a more standard venue.
And I have to say it is, a little.
The auditorium is much bigger than what’s being proposed for Swindon – The Abba Arena holds 3,000 people both seated and standing on a dancefloor, while the council here say they’re looking at a capacity of 1200 seated or 2,000 standing.
It’s the front of house where the Arena seems to be significantly different from more traditional theatre and concert halls.
They tend to concentrate on the auditorium, with relatively little room given to a foyer, box office and cafes and bars. These spaces tend to be small, often rather haphazard in shape or access, and can be quite crowded.
They are, in effect, a place to wait, not always in much comfort, before you go into the performance space.
The Abba Arena isn’t like that. Tickets are checked before you get into the building, and once you’re in, it’s all much more permeable. Inside, the front of house area is much bigger and more open. It’s a large open space with merchandise stalls, catering outlets and even a DJ booth.
It’s something more akin to a concourse in a very smart new sports stadium, very spacious and light- and seems designed to be part of the evening’s entertainment – go with friends, get a pizza and a glass of something, have a bit of a dance before the show.
One of the reasons it’s cheaper to build a venue like this (and the reason why it is actually demountable and can be taken away and set up somewhere else) is that the frame is made of steel and wood.
Architect Stufish’s website says: “The arena building is a lightweight bolted steel structure clad with two independent layers of insulated panels. This allows an external envelope to perform well acoustically and thermally.
“An independent internal structure makes use of mass timber to create the seating rakes.
“There is also extensive use of mass timber to the open front-of-house concourse in the form of a reconfigurable modular hybrid steel-glulam canopy, as well as CLT modules housing food & beverage, retail, VIP lounge and cloakroom spaces.”
It’s a big if, but if a new venue is built in Swindon along the arena’s model – a report to cabinet quotes a price of about £15m, although council leaders have said they think it can be done for less- it certainly works as a traditional theatre or concert hall.
But the space at front of house, with the sense that it is also part of the experience, part of the show, might also allow the venue to be used in more innovative ways.
We’d just need to get Benny, Bjorn, Agnetha and Anni-Frid to come along to open it.
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/whats-see-show-model-proposed-140000879.html
