Braehead Arena team have stars in their eyes after gaining Visit Scotland award

THE team running Braehead Arena are seeing stars – and they couldn’t be happier!

The ice and dry sports, entertainment and exhibition venue has just been judged to be a 4-Star Visitor Attraction by Visit Scotland. And they can now display the sought-after Scottish Tourist Board plaque.

The Arena is also home to professional Elite League ice hockey team, the Glasgow Clan and other ice hockey teams.

Managed and operated by the Sportscape Group, the 5200 capacity Arena attracts almost 200,000 visitors every year and is based inside Braehead Shopping Centre, near Glasgow with more than 5000 free car parking spaces.

Since it opened in 1999, the Arena has hosted some of the biggest names in the entertainment world, including Bob Dylan, Beyonce, Calvin Harris, Tiesto, Kelly Clarkson, Megadeth, Liam Gallagher and the X Factor tour show to name just a few.

It has also been the venue for sporting events including World Championship boxing, Davis Cup tennis, Masters indoor football, WWE Wrestling and the world-famous Harlem Globetrotters.

Exhibitions and conventions are also regularly held at the Arena.

The 4-Star award from Visit Scotland shows that the Scottish Tourist Board has deemed the Arena to be an ‘excellent’ visitor attraction.

Managing director of Braehead Arena, Gareth Chalmers said: “As you can imagine we’re very proud to have been given this accolade and it’s testament not just to the facilities at the Arena, but also to the staff who do their utmost to make sure any events held there go smoothly and are successful.

“We’ve got big plans ahead for the Arena and we aim to make it the best sports, entertainment, exhibition and convention venue in the country.”