Destined to be famous...

In 1924, the British Empire Exhibition opened here, with exhibition buildings dedicated to the countries and the professions of the Empire. Billed as a Family Day Out, the Empire Exhibition featured lakes and parks alongside buildings dedicated to Arts, Industries and Engineering. The new Wembley Stadium stood across the road from the Palaces of India, Canada and Australia. Although hugely successful as a visitor attraction, the exhibition was not profitable and the land was soon divided among different owners. Some of the buildings fell into disrepair, whilst others found new uses once the exhibition itself had closed.

In 1934, the new Empire Pool was constructed at Wembley in the space of just six months. This large public swimming facility boasted two pools and a wave machine and was used for hosting many public events: from the 1934 Empire Games (now the Commonwealth Games), to Boxing, Ice Hockey, the 1948 Olympics and music events.

The site of Wembley Arena has a fascinating history - Once rolling parkland, the Wembley complex has been the site of historic events for almost a century.

Over time, these music events were to develop into the lifeblood of the Empire Pool, especially when the era of Rock n Roll took hold. With a temporary cover across the swimming pool and a stage at one end, the venue became famous for hosting the big names of the day, including Petula Clark, Shirley Bassey, The Beatles and The Rolling Stones.

The Empire Pool officially became known as Wembley Arena in 1978, ‘the most famous indoor concert hall in the world’, with a 12,000-seat capacity.

Wembley Arena reopened under the management of World Class promoters, LiveNation, in April 2006, following a spectacular £35m refurbishment. The refurbishment included re-orientating the entire Arena by 180 degrees to face the new National Stadium, forging a dynamic link between the two iconic buildings; the creation of a new public square (Arena Square); seating capacity was increased and actions taken to ensure that the world class acoustics now demanded by A class performers, could be delivered.

Over the years, anyone who is anyone has played Wembley Arena: Madonna, Bruce Springsteen, Barbra Streisand, Kylie Minogue, Sir Cliff Richard, Queen, The Who, Led Zeppelin, Status Quo, George Michael, Lionel Richie, Whitney Houston, The Rolling Stones, Eagles, Westlife, Billy Joel, Diana Ross, Cher, David Bowie - the list is endless.

74 years since opening, the venue remains synonymous with live music, welcoming scores of sell out shows and one off UK tour dates from major recording artists each year. Wembley Arena continues to play host to the greatest global recording artists, most popular sporting personalities and most enchanting children's shows and is looking forward to celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2009!