LOCAL people and visitors will be able to enjoy walking or cycling across the stunning new bridge over Oystermouth Road and spending quality time in the 1.1-acre coastal park.

They’ll also be able to book tickets for Swansea Arena events by taking a first look at the venue’s elegant foyer area.

Comedian John Bishop will be the first star to perform at the 3,500-capacity arena on Tuesday March 15, with rock band Royal Blood then taking to the stage on Saturday March 19. The shows follow-on from arena test events that featured local bands last weekend.

Also open to the public on Friday March 4 is the 345-space car park beneath the coastal park.

About the same size as a football pitch, the coastal park will be the first major new city centre park since Victorian times. It includes plenty of new greenery, play areas for children, bug hotels, water features and a selection of new trees. Also located in the coastal park is a restaurant called ‘The Green Room’, which is being run by Swansea-based The Secret Hospitality Group, who will soon announce an opening date.

Designed in a dune-like shape to celebrate its proximity to the coast, the coastal park includes solar-powered benches enabling people to charge their smartphones, tablets and laptops.

Swansea Council is developing the Copr Bay phase one district, supported by development managers RivingtonHark. Buckingham Group Contracting Ltd is leading on its construction.

Cllr Rob Stewart, Swansea Council Leader, said:

“The opening of many features of Copr Bay phase one – including the stunning Swansea Arena development – is a landmark moment for our city.

“Delivered during a pandemic for the benefit of local people and local businesses, Copr Bay is already generating hundreds of jobs and opportunities, with many more to follow in the coming years.

“It’s created a major new leisure destination for Swansea people and visitors to the city, where they can relax, enjoy world class entertainment and support some of the fantastic local businesses forming part of the scheme.

“All other features of Copr Bay phase one, including the apartment, car parking and business complex on the city centre side of Oystermouth Road, will open in the coming months, helping further boost city centre footfall and spending.”

Cllr Robert Francis-Davies, Swansea Council’s Cabinet Member for Investment, Regeneration and Tourism, added:

“Copr Bay phase one is a key part of a £1bn regeneration programme in Swansea, with many more exciting schemes to follow in the coming years.

“It’s already acted as a catalyst to attract our preferred development partner Urban Splash to lead on the £750m private sector redevelopment of many other sites in Swansea, with Copr Bay, once open, also due create even more jobs and investment in future.”

Lisa Mart, Swansea Arena’s Venue Director, said:

“With equal amounts of excitement and anticipation, we’ve been looking forward to throwing open our Box Office doors and welcoming people into the venue as our launch season kicks off. We’re thrilled to be working alongside such a varied and exhaustive list of brilliant local enterprises.”

​Copr Bay phase one is worth £17.1m a year to Swansea’s economy.

​The arena feature of Copr Bay phase one is part-funded by the £1.3bn Swansea Bay City Deal. The new bridge over Oystermouth Road is part-funded by the Welsh Government through the Active Travel initiative.