Olympia has agreed a naming partner deal with British Airways on the new music venue and theatre at the historic events and exhibitions centre in West London.
The British Airways ARC live music and events venue, which has a capacity of 3,800, will be operated by AEG Presents UK and the British Airways Theatre will have a capacity of 1,575 and be operated by Trafalgar Entertainment and Broadway’s largest theatre owner The Shubert Organisation. The two performance venues will form the heart of the reimagined Olympia.
British Airways is the first founding partner of Olympia and will integrate the destination as part of its loyalty programme, offering exclusive benefits to its members in venues across the site.
Calum Laming, chief customer officer at British Airways, said: “We proudly celebrate British originality in everything we do and we are thrilled to be investing in the future of London’s arts and culture scene. Being a founding partner of Olympia allows us to celebrate the best of both British and globally recognised talent across music and theatre. This iconic new destination, visible from our aircraft as customers arrive at Heathrow, offers a unique opportunity to connect our customers with our home city’s vibrant culture. We’re excited to be part of Olympia’s transformation and be able to offer our customers even more exclusive benefits that go beyond travel.”
Michael Volkert, CEO of Olympia Estates, added: “This new partnership with British Airways is testament to Olympia’s heritage and to its future. For the last 140 years, Olympia has played a massive part in Britain’s cultural life, from welcoming one of the very first cinema screenings in the country to hosting performances from the likes of Jimi Hendrix and Pink Floyd. Now, as we inch ever closer to opening the doors of our fantastic new venues, we are delighted to be partnering with another iconic British brand to bring Londoners and visitors from all over the world the best music, premium theatre and hospitality the capital has to offer.”
The founding partnership and naming rights agreements were brokered by AEG Europe’s Global Partnerships division.
