'Substantial progress' expected in Cork Events Centre plan in 2026 after key step taken

Council delivers preliminary business case to Government - an important part of tendering process

The original proposed site of the Cork Events Centre beside the former Beamish and Crawford brewery. Other proposed sites are believed to include South Docklands. Picture Chani Anderson

The vision for the Cork Events Centre has taken a step closer to reality after a preliminary business case (PBC) for delivery of the project was submitted to the Department of Housing, Heritage & Local Government this week - a key step to begin the tendering process.

The PBC was sent to the department following the December meeting of the Cork Events Centre project development board. After almost two decades of setbacks and false starts, Cork City Council expects to see "substantial progress" on the long-awaited project in 2026.

The council expects formal approval of the PBC in January, which will enable the tendering process to commence.

Plans for the Events Centre were first put in place 18 years ago. The first sod was turned in 2016 on the initial proposed site at South Main Street but the project stalled.

A new procurement process was announced in 2024 to ensure the project stayed in compliance with EU procurement laws. The site of the centre is yet to be decided, with rival options now proposed including at a South Docklands site. 

Cost of delivery for a 6,000-capacity centre has soared from the initial estimate of about €50m has risen to about €150m, while the amount of available State funding has since risen to €57m as of 2021, with an additional €30m to €40m of State funds believed to be required to bring the project to fruition.

In 2025, the Cork Events Centre project received fresh momentum under the new project development board. The new project management delivery team for the events centre project has met monthly since January. The team is led by Brian Geaney, the assistant chief executive of Cork City Council, and includes members of the business community in Cork, government department representatives, and other agencies.

"The preliminary business case is a very welcome forward step and we need the department to approve it as soon as possible. No more obstacles should be in place here and this new process under the guidance of Brian Geaney has marked a significant shift in approach from previous processes," Labour Cork City Cllr Peter Horgan said. "Ultimately we want this centre to deliver for Cork and be cost effective for what it delivers for the city."

Last September, the project development board began the process to engage with potential developers after publishing a preliminary market consultation, with a callout for expressions of interest. The intention was for bilateral one-to-one discussions to take place with interested parties. The consultation was to "engage with suitably experienced developers as well as operators and promoters within the live entertainment and events industry to seek advice in relation to the council’s procurement plans and requirements".

Cork City Council did not comment on who had responded to that consultation callout in September but said it was “very happy with the level of engagement”.

The procurement process for the Events Centre is now being overseen by Aecom, a global project management firm with an office in Cork.