ESL UK is in talks with a council-backed consortium that hopes to redevelop the Leicester Haymarket Theatre.
ESL wants to use the theatre as an 800-seater esports arena if a £3m revamp project gets the all-clear, the Leicester Mercury reports.
Organisers say the theatre could host one esports event a month ‘depending on demand’.
Plans to reopen the theatre as an arts and music venue were originally announced last summer, with Leicester Mayor Peter Soulsby saying the project will need £2.2m. That has since been increased to £3m.
ESL UK is based in Leicester, and hosts events from its ESL Studio 1 facility. It has used the Curve Theatre for some events in the past, such as the Season 2 ESL UK Premiership League of Legends finals.
“We have a venue here which we think would be ideal for esports events. We could create a great atmosphere.”
Chris Knight, Haymarket Consortium
The theatre was originally opened in 1974, but closed in 2007, after operators The Leicester Theatre Trust vacated in favour of the newer Curve Theatre. The Haymarket has cost the council £1.5m since closing.
Under the new proposals, it could reopen in spring this year.
Consortium member Chris Knight told the Leicester Mercury: “We have a venue here which we think would be ideal for esports events. We could create a great atmosphere.”
Chris also spoke about training people up to work at the theatre and in esports.
Another member Jed Spittle, added: “To begin with we will be mainly a music venue, but e-gaming is another string to our bow.”
The Leicester Mercury wrote a full-page report on the story, as spotted by Esports News UK’s Cameron Peberdy:
Nice to see Leicester could be come a regular location for eSports in the UK, @Esports_News_UK pic.twitter.com/JxVoUbVzsk
— Cameron | (@TheButteryGamer) January 5, 2017
Dom is an award-winning writer and finalist of the Esports Journalist of the Year 2023 award. He graduated from Bournemouth University with a 2:1 degree in Multi-Media Journalism in 2007.
As a long-time gamer having first picked up the NES controller in the late ’80s, he has written for a range of publications including GamesTM, Nintendo Official Magazine, industry publication MCV and others. He worked as head of content for the British Esports Federation up until February 2021, when he stepped back to work full-time on Esports News UK and offer esports consultancy and freelance services. Note: Dom still produces the British Esports newsletter on a freelance basis, so our coverage of British Esports is always kept simple – usually just covering the occasional press release – because of this conflict of interest.
