Inside plans for a gargantuan new arena in east London

A proposed entertainment venue in Stratford’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park would hold up to 25,000 people and aim to become the largest indoor arena in the UK. The London Colosseum would host live music and major sports events, including international basketball competitions, esports tournaments, UFC events, and world championship boxing. The plan also includes a multifunctional tower with a hotel, residences, and community facilities intended to keep the site active beyond event programming. A second development would add two smaller 3,000-seat venues as part of a sports and entertainment campus called London Colosseum Academy, including a basketball school, a boxing gym, and an esports training centre. Planning remains early, with Stratford already expanding its cultural venue cluster.

"With a capacity of up to 25,000 people, the proposed London Colosseum would overtake the O2 Arena and Manchester's Co-op Live to be the largest indoor arena in UK. As well as hosting live music performances, the arena is being pitched as a home for major sports events like the the NBA's planned European competition, international esports tournaments, UFC events and world championship boxing."

"The proposal also includes a 'multifunctional tower' that'll house a hotel, residences and community facilities to '[extend] the life of the site beyond event-based programming and embedding it within the everyday rhythm of the city.' On top of that, the development would include a second with with two smaller 3,000-seat venues making up an sports and entertainment campus named London Colosseum Academy."

"That would include a basketball school, a boxing gym and an esports training centre. Planning is still in the early stages, so that's all we know so far. If London Colosseum becomes reality, it would would build upon Stratford's growing cluster of major cultural venues."

"In the past year, it's become home to Sadler's Wells East, the V&A East Storehouse and V&A East Museum. Soon, it'll also get a £15m new music venue from the team behind Brixton's Phonox and Camden's Jazz Café."

Read at Time Out London