First Direct Bank Arena

At first direct bank arena in Leeds, premium options for a single show come two ways: a package that includes the ticket for the show, or an upgrade added to a ticket already held. Of the packages, only the Suite Experience is a private suite, for 16 guests with a dedicated host and a private bar. Wine, Dine & Showtime starts with a champagne welcome in the Black & White Lounge, which is also the members' lounge of the annual Premier Club. Champagne and any other alcohol are served to over-18s only, and staff may ask for ID.

Which suites and lounges can you book at first direct bank arena for one show?

For a single show, first direct bank arena's main premium list has seven packages: The Mixer, the Suite Experience, Legends Lounge, The Deck, Wine, Dine & Showtime, The Gallery and Club 200. Each includes the ticket for the event itself. Wine, Dine & Showtime is the only one billed as a dinner, while The Deck and Club 200 are standing areas.

• The Mixer: a boutique lounge with seat-side service, gourmet small plates and drinks, in seats the venue bills as "the best seats in the house". The minimum booking is two people, and the venue aims it at couples and small groups.
• Suite Experience: a private suite for 16 guests with a dedicated host, a private bar, VIP arena access and a welcome drink, with premium food and drinks to pre-order. The venue pitches it at client entertaining, staff rewards and celebrations.
• Legends Lounge: all-inclusive drinks, premium finger food and an arena lounge bar, with seats for the show. The venue describes it as the relaxed, casual option.
• The Deck: a standing platform with stage views, a private bar, dancefloor space and concealed seating, which the venue suggests for groups, celebrations and corporate events.
• Wine, Dine & Showtime: dedicated VIP entry, a champagne welcome in the Black & White Lounge and a three-course meal, then premium-level seats for the show. On some nights it is two courses rather than three, so the menu depends on the show.
• The Gallery: semi-private seating in the North and South Gallery, the venue's step up from a general admission ticket for social groups.
• Club 200: a standing-only area with its own entrance door past the general queues, a welcome drink, a souvenir wristband and its own standing bar.

For certain events the venue also offers a Shared Suite Experience: places in a suite shared with other guests, with a welcome drink, for a group that does not need all 16 places.

Alcohol is served to over-18s only, and ID may be asked for.

Which package suits which group?

Group size settles most of the choice between first direct bank arena's packages. A client party of up to 16 fits the Suite Experience, the only package with a private room. A pair or small table suits The Mixer, which takes bookings from two people, or Wine, Dine & Showtime when dinner matters most. Bigger social groups can pick The Deck or The Gallery, and Club 200 works for a group happy to stand.

Can you upgrade a ticket you already hold at first direct bank arena?

Yes. The venue says every show at first direct bank arena has its own upgrade option for people who already hold a ticket, with early entry and a welcome drink as standard, and some upgrades add a two or three-course meal. Among them are the Wine, Dine & Showtime Upgrade, the Black & White Lounge Upgrade and the Club 200 Upgrade. Some upgrades are sold on the night itself.

• Wine, Dine & Showtime Upgrade: a dedicated Black & White Lounge entrance, a welcome drink, a two or three-course meal and a private bar until the main act starts.
• Black & White Lounge Upgrade: a dedicated lounge entrance that bypasses the queues, and a welcome drink of the guest's choice.
• Club 200 Upgrade: the Club 200 entrance, a welcome drink at the Club 200 bar and a souvenir wristband.

On the two lounge upgrades the welcome drink is a choice of draught beer, house wine, a spirit with a mixer or a soft drink. Alcohol is served to over-18s only, and staff may ask for ID.

What is not included in the packages at first direct bank arena?

Four limits apply across the packages and upgrades at first direct bank arena. Not every Mixer package is all-inclusive, so what The Mixer serves depends on the show. The Suite Experience includes a welcome drink, and food and further drinks are a pre-order option. The private bar on the Wine, Dine & Showtime Upgrade closes when the main act starts. Club 200 is a standing-only area.

Alcohol at any of these bars is for over-18s only, and ID may be requested.

Can you book a suite at first direct bank arena for a whole year?

Yes. Besides its single-show packages, first direct bank arena sells three annual memberships: the Annual Suite Membership, the Premier Club and the All Stars Club. The suite membership and the Premier Club each give access to more than 90 events, while the All Stars Club gives members 20 "Stars" to spend across the year's concerts, comedy, sport and family shows.

• Annual Suite Membership: a private suite for 16 guests, premium seats, a dedicated host, fast-track VIP entry and fine dining options.
• Premier Club: priority access, Level One seats that members can change through a dedicated portal, and entry to the members-only Black & White Lounge for drinks and fine dining.
• All Stars Club: 20 Stars to redeem over 12 months, with VIP access and premium hospitality at each event.

As with the single-show packages, alcohol is served to over-18s only, and ID may be requested.

Who can use the Black & White Lounge at first direct bank arena?

The Black & White Lounge at first direct bank arena is the members' lounge of the annual Premier Club. Guests without a membership reach it through the venue's single-show products: Wine, Dine & Showtime, which begins there with a champagne welcome; the Wine, Dine & Showtime Upgrade, which has its own lounge entrance; and the Black & White Lounge Upgrade. For some shows the venue also offers a Black & White Lounge Experience.

The champagne is served to over-18s only, and staff may ask for ID.

How is the seating laid out at first direct bank arena?

In what the venue calls a "super theatre" layout, first direct bank arena holds 13,781 and every seat faces the stage, which the venue says cuts viewing distances. Lifts run down to the floor seats (block A onwards), up to level 2 for blocks 101 to 109 and 210 to 220, and up to level 4 for blocks 321 to 333. Some shows also sell standing tickets for the arena floor.

The venue publishes its seat widths by area:

• Floor blocks A to P: 42cm seats with no armrests
• Blocks 101 to 333: 46cm seats with fixed armrests
• The accessible platform: 44cm seats with no armrests

The upper tier, from block 321, can mean steep steps: the front of block 321 sits 19 metres above ground level and the back of it 29 metres. For a guest who finds stairs hard, the floor or the level 2 blocks are the easier choice.

How accessible is first direct bank arena, including its premium spaces?

The accessible entrance at first direct bank arena sits to the right of the main doors, closest to the lift, and an Accessible Host meets guests there. Wheelchair spaces are on a step-free platform across blocks 101 to 104 and 106 to 109, with room for companions. The venue holds a Silver Attitude is Everything accreditation. It does not say which suites or lounges are step-free, so ask its accessibility team.

• Lifts to the floor, level 2 and level 4, escalators to levels 2 to 4, and wheelchairs to borrow for short distances to the seat
• A radio-frequency induction loop across the arena, with receivers from the Information Desk in the main atrium
• Accessible toilets, larger ambulant cubicles and stoma-friendly toilets on every level, with most accessible toilets opened by a RADAR key
• A Changing Places toilet off the ground floor concourse, with a height-adjustable bench, a tracking hoist and a height-adjustable basin; no sling is provided for the hoist
• A quiet room on level 1 next to the Black & White Lounge, with low lighting, soft seating and fidget toys
• Foam ear plugs from the Information Desk, and a limited number of ear defenders for hire
• Assistance dogs can stay under the seat, move with their owner to the accessible platform if there is room, or be looked after at the Info Point
• BSL interpreters and audio description by request to the venue's accessibility team, as early as possible
• A medical exemption, applied for through the venue's Accessibility Request Form, for anyone who needs to bring in medication, medical equipment, food or drink

How do you book accessible tickets?

Accessible tickets at first direct bank arena go through the venue's own access process. For events that went on sale from July 2026, guests with access requirements need either an Access Card or the free Digital Access Pass, which opens the accessible seat options when booking. Wheelchair spaces are in blocks 101 to 109, and a personal assistant must be able to help the guest they are with leave the building in an emergency.

Ambulant tickets are standard seats with a limited number of steps. Ambulant standing tickets are on the standing floor, with no seat.

How do you get to first direct bank arena, and where do you park?

Leeds' first direct bank arena is on Arena Way, with LS2 8BY for sat nav, about a 15-minute walk from Leeds City Station on New Station Street and from Leeds City Bus Station. Local buses also stop on Clay Pit Lane, Wade Lane and Woodhouse Lane. The arena has no car park of its own, but the venue counts more than 7,500 spaces within a 15-minute walk.

• Merrion Centre car park, Merrion Way: the closest, next to the arena, but traffic restrictions on Merrion Way can slow the exit
• Woodhouse Lane Car Park: 1,272 spaces and easy access to the ring road after the show
• Q-Park: parking for arena visitors at several of its city car parks
• EV charging: the nearest car park with chargers is on Albion Street

Does park and ride run for a weekend show?

Only partly. Of the three park and ride sites serving first direct bank arena, Temple Green runs no weekend service and Elland Road none on Sundays, so Stourton is the only one with no weekend gap listed. Elland Road buses drop on Boar Lane, about 14 minutes' walk from the arena; Temple Green and Stourton buses drop on Lower Briggate, about 15 minutes' walk.

Where can blue badge holders park?

Blue badge holders at first direct bank arena can be dropped off, including by taxi, at the turning circle on Elmwood Close, the exception to the venue's advice to use drop-off points away from the arena. Blue badge bays sit on three nearby streets and in two city car parks, the nearest 110 metres from the doors and the furthest 650 metres.

• CitiPark Merrion Centre: 4 blue badge spaces on each level, 110m from the doors
• Elmwood Close: 9 on-street spaces, 136m from the doors
• Brunswick Crescent: 5 on-street spaces, 160m from the doors
• Tower House Street: 7 on-street spaces, 180m from the doors
• Woodhouse Lane Car Park: 14 blue badge spaces on levels 1 and 7, 650m from the doors

An accessible minibus space on Brunswick Terrace allows a stay of up to four hours.

How do you get home after a show?

For the journey home, first direct bank arena asks for pick-ups to be arranged away from the arena, as it does for drop-offs, because the city-centre roads and pavements around it get congested after big events. A hackney taxi rank is signposted from the main doors, with more ranks on Wade Lane, Merrion Street, Woodhouse Lane, Cookridge Street and Portland Way, and on Merrion Way after 10pm.

What has first direct bank arena hosted since it opened?

By its own list, first direct bank arena has staged Premier League Darts, the Tour de France Grand Départ, Sports Personality of the Year, the MOBO Awards, championship boxing nights and leading comedy tours since opening in September 2013. Populous designed it, Legends Global runs it, and it was named Best New Venue in the World at the 2014 Stadium Business Awards.

For live music, the names on the venue's list include Elton John, Bruce Springsteen, Prince, Fleetwood Mac, Neil Young and Drake.