Newport Centre was a leisure centre in Newport, South Wales. Located in Newport city centre on the west bank of the River Usk adjacent to the Kingsway Shopping Centre, it included a pool and sports facilities as well as suites. Events including concerts, international business conferences and art exhibitions were held there. The centre opened in 1985 and closed in 2023, when it was demolished; Newport City Council plans to replace it with a new leisure centre nearby, without concert facilities.
 Main entrance, 2008 | |
 | |
| Location | Newport, South Wales |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 51°35′08.47″N 2°59′28.69″W / 51.5856861°N 2.9913028°W |
| Owner | Newport City Council |
| Type | Concert hall |
| Capacity | 2,000 |
| Opened | 1985 |
| Closed | 2023 |
| Website | |
| Newport Centre | |
Facilities
edit
The centre had a leisure pool with flume and wave machine, and a multi-purpose sports hall with facilities for badminton, netball, tennis, basketball and volleyball. There was a fitness centre and health suite with a sauna, Jacuzzi and sun bed. Function rooms and an exhibition space were available for hire. There was a cafeteria and parking for 1,200 vehicles.
Events
editNewport Centre opened in 1985 and hosted performers including Elton John, David Bowie,[1] Run DMC, Elvis Costello, Alice Cooper, Manic Street Preachers, Robert Palmer, Ronnie James Dio, Kasabian and Marilyn Manson (in 1997 and 2017).[2]
The centre hosted the Welsh Open snooker tournament from 1992 until 1998 and also from 2005 until 2014.[citation needed]
Closure and demolition
editIn February 2021, with the facility (particularly the pool area) requiring expensive repairs to reopen, Newport City Council decided to demolish it.[3][4] The pool closed in August 2021 and the rest of the centre in March 2023, when demolition began.[5][1] The site is to be used by Coleg Gwent and a new leisure centre without concert facilities is to be built on a riverfront brownfield site approximately 100 metres away.[4][5][1]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c Nicholas Thomas (18 July 2024). "Nesting gull added £460k to building demolition bill". BBC News. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
- ^ Joshua Knapman (29 December 2017). "Gig venue's 'black book' reveals piece of Newport's music history". Wales Online. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
- ^ Elis Sandford (6 August 2021). "Newport city centre swimming pool permanently closed". South Wales Argus. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
- ^ a b "Green light for new leisure centre and city centre campus". Newport City Council. 22 February 2021. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
- ^ a b Ryan O'Neill (15 May 2021). "The huge plans for demolishing Newport Centre and what's going to replace it". Wales Online. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
External links
edit
Media related to Newport Centre at Wikimedia Commons- Official website
