Wembley Arena

The London landmark where New Japan's global dreams took flight.

Wembley Arena (originally the Empire Pool, currently known as OVO Arena Wembley for sponsorship reasons) is an indoor arena next to Wembley Stadium in Wembley, Greater London, England. The 12,500-seat facility is Greater London's second-largest indoor arena after the O2 Arena, and the ninth-largest in the United Kingdom. The building was designed by the engineer Sir Owen Williams, without the employment of an architect. Work on the Empire Pool began in November 1933, and it was opened on 25 July 1934 by Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester.

Quick Facts

Location

Arena Square
Engineers Way
Wembley Park
Wembley
HA9 0AA

Groundbreaking

November 1933

Opened

25 July 1934

Renovated

2005–2006

Reopened

2 April 2006

Owner

Quintain

Operator

Anschutz Entertainment Group; ASM Global

Architect

Arthur Elvin, Sir Owen Williams (engineer)

Lore & Background

It does not mention NJPW, wrestling, or any specific atmosphere, crowds, or cross-cultural clashes related to professional wrestling.

Reader's Guide

Wembley Arena is a 12,500-seat indoor arena in Wembley, Greater London. It was built as the Empire Pool for the 1934 British Empire Games and hosted swimming events for the 1948 Summer Olympics. The modern arena is now used as a venue for music, comedy, family entertainment and sport. The building was designed by Sir Owen Williams with a reinforced concrete frame of three hinged arches spanning 240 feet (73 m), which was the largest concrete span of any similar structure in the world at that time.

Did You Know?

In October 1976, the Empire Pool was awarded Grade II Listed status for its special architectural interest and technological innovation.
The venue was renamed OVO Arena Wembley in early 2022 after SSE plc's naming rights ended.