first direct arena Review

Love the arena . Great artists good view excellent staff

Great venue. Amazing show. Only let down by price of drinks

Venue and staff were brilliant only downside was tickets says doors open at 6 when they didn't until 6.45 and it was a freezing snowy evening

Saw Vic and Bob on tour. Acoustics aren't great and big queues for everything. I'd rather to go a proper theatre.

Love this place. Ideal venue for disabled people. Nice place

Staff are very helpful and friendly, good view from up a height, in the town centre close to all amenities, nice sorroundings, plenty of places inside for food and drinks, smoking area on the balcony, good clean toilet facilities, ability to buy merchandise inside. Overall good experience

apart from waiting outside in the snow for far to long ( thanks security)
nice venue.
crowd control needs a little tweaking

Great arena. Great acoustics. Let down by over-zealous security. Even the artist commented on the security. I hope they enjoyed my daughter's unopened packet of crisps that they took off of her. Go to their website for the latest rules: no More

Went to see whoopi Goldberg was a brilliant night out

Excellent from security staff to hospitality staff can't fault it. See you next year at Cherish.

Really disappointed to see plastic straws being readily available at the front of the counter at the Arena tonight. Are they really necessary? Think of the terrible impact that plastics are having on our planet and lead by example - withdraw the straw!

... and while you are at it, why not put baskets near the exits to collect and recycle the VIP lanyards? It's such a waste not requesting their return, and they can only end up in household waste.

As my bank, I expect better from you in terms of environmental impact.

It's an excellent place for an event. We have our yearly conventions here. Fantastic venue

Easy to get too, plenty of parking within walking distance. Looks better outside on a night a bit basic inside but better leg room than other venues with padded seats.

I was here for work, but a brilliant place to see great acts and shows.

Brilliant concert last night but totally agree with other comments regarding the poor view with hanging speakers in front of the stage

Great music venue, easy access & exit
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Probably my favourite music arena, particularly for acoustics and proximity to the city. Due to the design, even the furthest seats away from the stage are closer than they would be at Sheffield or Manchester arenas, and there's plenty of legroom.

Great prices and fast service. Didn't have salt for the wedges.

They didn't let me in when I had a mini backpack on just because it had 2 straps. I'm all for safety but this was ridiculous. I had to go all the way back to my hotel (20 mins walk) and change to a shoulder bag which was actually bigger?
I ended up missing alot of the first band I wanted to see. Very irritated, also felt venue was small and abit scruffy.

Love the place but wish that they would close bars while performances are on going. Nothing worse that people spilling beer all over you trying to squeeze past everyone.

Amazing arena and have a enough loos so women don't have to queue for ages

Saw Fall Out Boy here on their AB/AP tour. The seating and lighting was great and even though I was in cheap seats at the back I could see everything well. The only gripe was with the people I was sat next to because I seemed to be in a swamp of fans who only knew AB/AP songs, but I just pretended I was drunk and so didn't feel like a fool being the only one standing up and dancing a much nicer arena than when I saw them for SRAR at Wembley tbh

Great venue. Views good from everywhere too. Loved it

Good arena well laid out and the best seats in any arena ive been in plenty of local parking at reasonable prices

Came last year to watch The Prodigy, and came back this year for Chemical Brothers. Fantastic arena

Good venue. Fantastic acoustics. Good stewarding friendly staff but beer and food expensive as you would expect. Last gig attended James Taylor. But found it hard to get a drink in Leeds after this Thursday night gig. Please note if your hopping to go out afterwards.

best arena in the country as its not a box for ice hockey but an amphitheatre first direct customers get free water and icecream

Good arena.. the back lot of seats are steep so avoid if your not good with heights but good views

Great views no matter where you are sat just a bit pricey for food n drinks

Incredible venue. Acoustics for gigs, sporting events are second to none. Modern and appealing and the security is fantastic. If a band isn't playing here then it's their loss!

Amazing night in a great venue! Staff were fantastic! Friendly professional & approachable! Can't thank ANDY & PHIL enough for all the help they gave me on my first visit. Made me feel save and welcome thanks again guys cant wait to visit again!

Had an amazing evening at Andrea bocelli concert. Very emotional

Excellent venue, very well organised and made to feel welcome. Drinks are very expensive though..

Easy to get to. Good facilities. Parking close by at Merrion Way.

Really good venue, location is fab.,but the bar is very expensive!

Security is weird and outdated but it's a great venue. Actually the booze is a bit rubbish. Don't bring a bag

Saw Alfie Boe and Michael Ball last Friday - fantastic show. Security was very good. However Bar food is absolutely awful - real let down. Chicken burgers were bits of peppery batter and served luke warm. We wereoffered replacement hamburgers that weren t much better. Really poor image for non residents of Leeds.

Saw Mark Knopfler and it was great. Good views and great sound.

We recently visited to watch Iron maiden from one of the VIP boxes and what a great experience. The nachos were great and the fridges were constantly stocked full of beer. If you ever get the chance to visit Leeds arena to see a huge band like this then definitely take it - even from the seating or standing areas it seems a really intimate venue for an arena. Great stuff!

Great venue other than the drinks prices. Over five pounds a pint! Beware!

Great venue, really friendly staff. Attended for the conference and hospitality show and will return again

Strictly come dancing _ what a fabulous show. Venue is great too.

Great arena! So nice outside, have to go through security to be allowed in but that's understandable, they didn't take too long. Food and drink normal arena prices, there is a cloackroom and cleaners always present which is noticeable as the toilets are much cleaner than other arenas I've been too. Inside it is a great arena, really good atmosphere. I have was in a box and that was great.

Brilliant venue for watching bands no bad seating and you don't have to sit with your neck twisted all night

I went to see the war of the world's musical and when I entered the area I was blown away it's the biggest by far and that's what I liked

Great gig for Flight of the Conchords, but seating very uncomfortable for a new arena and food / drink service incredibly slow (please ask McDonald's how it should be done). Security checks very quick though. Please Like helpful reviews.

Great atmosphere and in a perfect location in the city centre. The seating is a bit hard to work around.

It's a small arena but that just makes the atmosphere better. Where ever you sit is close to the show and it gives the act a more intimate vibe. We would highly recommend the arena over many other larger venues and we will be prioritising it in our own future show bookings where we can.

Great! Quick & easy to get in (apart from the now 'enhanced' security checks) & out of. Good view of the performance from all the seats I've had so far.
The concession counters could improve on the quality of the food and the speed of service.

Brilliant arena...felt safe with security staff on doors....clean inside....seating was fantastic....saw EAGLES last night absolutely amazing .. sound was brilliant..would certainly go to another concert there

Great venue, really well set out, and we'll staffed. The parking was very close to the venue, reasonably priced, and can be booked in advance. My only criticism was the prices at the bar. Everything came out of cans or bottles, and was two or three times the normal price.

Really nice arena the staff were very helpful and the security was well organised before we went in .went to see a concert and it was great acoustics and seating on every level

Great place, but staff are bit rude. One of the cleaner was aggressive when we told him, that he's job are bit pointless when ppl still walking (I was a cleaner in one of the supermarket so I know how difficult is) and better just wait when we go to the show- speccialy it was raining. He's say to "stay away from he's job and if we make joke about him, he call security and they gonna kick us. We just wanna be helpful

Brilliant, that place is so well organized and staff there are so helpful and friendly
Top Mark's first direct arena

Good seating area, easy to find and find seats. Sat in different places each time but always got a good view. Food and drink prices reasonable too.