Rainton Arena

Rainton Arena, currently marketed as RM Arena, is a major multi-purpose events venue at Mercantile Road in Houghton-le-Spring, between Sunderland and Durham. Originally known as Rainton Meadows Arena, the venue has developed into a highly flexible destination for large-scale business, entertainment and private events. Its principal strength is its large pillar-free indoor space, which allows organisers considerable flexibility when designing seating, staging, exhibition stands, dining layouts and production areas. The current venue information gives the main indoor arena a capacity of up to 3,500 standing, 1,554 seated and 1,000 for dining. The venue is suitable for a particularly broad range of event types, including conferences, exhibitions and trade fairs, concerts, live entertainment, sporting events, weddings, awards dinners, charity events, corporate celebrations, product launches and private functions. Its exhibition facilities include approximately 1,848 m² of main floor space and a 300 m² foyer exhibition area, with ground-level vehicle access for large installations and equipment. RM Arena also has significant outdoor capability. The RM Yard can accommodate up to 12,000 people, while the Sun Trap Stage can accommodate up to 6,000. The Garden Room provides a hybrid indoor/outdoor option for events of up to 1,500 guests. With on-site catering and bars, professional lighting and AV production, dedicated event support, large loading access and 900 free parking spaces, Rainton Arena is particularly well suited to large and complex events requiring substantial space and production infrastructure.