Venues & Events

Don Valley events generate £1.5m for Sheffield economy

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Category: Venues & Events

Created on Tuesday, 12 June 2012 11:43

Don Valley events generate £1.5m for Sheffield economy

A new study has shown that Don Valley Stadium generated £1.5million for Sheffield’s economy in the last 12 months.
Research has revealed that events held at the Sheffield International Venues (SIV) facility between May 2011 and 2012 have attracted more than 125,000 visitors from outside the city to the stadium.

Adidas and McDonalds film shoots, Rotherham United and Sheffield Eagles fixtures, the Royal College of Psychiatry and Oxford Psychiatry Course exams, National Bonsai exhibition, property auctions, and team building days are just some of the 200 commercial events hosted at the stadium in the last year.

It comes as Don Valley has staged the biggest Sheffield Half Marathon on record with nearly 6,000 runners starting and finishing the race at the stadium.

Pat Smith, general manager, Don Valley Stadium, said: “It has been another great year for Don Valley Stadium. Key to this success has been the adaptability and flexibility of the venue. From national exams to concerts and film shoots to team building, every day is busy with different activities.

“The stadium was built more than 20 years for athletics but is about so much more than that now. Athletics is just one part of a major annual events programme, which, as the research study shows, is bringing significant economic impact for Sheffield.”

The stadium is open 362 days a year and attracts 266,000 attendances annually. Grandstand activities include indoor athletics, gymnastics, indoor bowls, Rotherham Titans indoor training and cheerleading training.

Other sports events include Varsity rugby union matches, Brit Bowl American football championships, boxing events, the Festival of Athletics, the Lord Mayors 10k, the Varsity 10k road race, Sheffield Schools Athletics events and the Care Home Olympics.

Junior and Senior athletics clubs regularly training out of Don Valley Stadium include Hallamshire Harriers and City of Sheffield Athletics Club.

Schools sports days are held all year round at the stadium. Multi activity Super Camps are also staged at Don Valley throughout the school holidays.

As well as national exams, Don Valley’s educational events programme features Sheffield Hallam University exams, University of Sheffield Medical exams and the Church of Latter Day Saints church service every Sunday.

This summer Don Valley will host ‘Sheftival’ on August 4 and 5 to celebrate London 2012. It is being billed as the city’s biggest ever festival of sport and culture and is expected to attract more than 50,000 people to the city's Olympics party.

Pat added: “Don Valley Stadium is a world-class venue with superb facilities for such a range of different events. It is this versatility that continues to attract so many local, regional and national events to the stadium, which is proving extremely valuable to Sheffield.”