The 6,500-seater venue will be renamed the Glasgow International Arena ahead of the Commonwealth Games. It was still called the Emirates Arena, despite the naming rights expiring in June 2024. The search for a new sponsor began in the summer of 2023 and has been concluded without securing a replacement commercial partner.

The Emirates Arena in Glasgow’s East End, which includes the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, will be known as the Glasgow International Arena after failing to secure a replacement headline sponsor. The £113million sports venue was built ahead of the 2014 Games and will host cycling at this summer’s scaled-back event.

Glasgow Life, the registered charity that operates cultural and sport services on behalf of Glasgow City Council, said new signage will be installed around the building, along with two large outdoor screens. The rebranding will cost £500,000.

A tender document to secure an agency to negotiate the naming rights for the venue was published in June 2023: “The current Emirates Arena ten-year naming rights sponsorship agreement is coming to an end later this year. The sponsorship partnership with Emirates Airlines has been highly successful. The sponsorship started when the venue was opened in 2012. Glasgow Life is now looking to establish another successful partnership with a new naming rights sponsor.

“The intention is for the sponsorship agencies to work with Glasgow Life on a no-fee, non-exclusive basis to identify and engage with potential naming rights sponsors. Following this process it is intended that a single agency will be appointed to conclude the main terms of a deal with a naming rights sponsor on a commission-based concession approach.

“The project is expected to be delivered within 6-14 months to have a new naming rights sponsor secured.”

Glasgow Life published an update yesterday introducing a refresh that “follows the end of the previous naming rights agreement, with the new name reflecting the arena’s evolving role in hosting world-class sport, events, and music performances.”

Emirates previously paid £5 million for a 10 year naming rights agreement.

A spokesperson for Glasgow Life said: “This is an exciting moment as we introduce the Glasgow International Arena, marking the start of a new chapter for Scotland’s largest indoor sports complex.

“Delivering exceptional and memorable sporting occasions will remain central to the arena’s future.

“At the same time, we see real opportunities to expand its role as a live entertainment space given its flexible capacity, which we have shown through three successful test concerts as part of the city’s Celtic Connections music festival.

“In a challenging commercial environment, we remain committed to exploring every opportunity to secure an appropriate new naming rights partner that aligns with the venue and the city.”

The Emirates Arena in Glasgow began hosting Celtic Connections concerts in January 2025. The venue has served as a large-scale venue for the festival, featuring major headline acts. Notable performances include Peat & Diesel, who played the first-ever concert there, Emmylou Harris, and Skerryvore.