Prime Arena: US–Ireland's once-in-a-generation platform for sport, culture and economic exchange
Located in Cherrywood, Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown, Dublin, The Arena is a strategic platform for economic growth, cultural exchange and sustained partnership, purpose-built to connect Ireland with North American sport, business and audiences at an unprecedented scale.
Prime Arena Holding’s plans for a new arena in Dublin represent a once-in-a-generation opportunity to redefine the depth, ambition and practical impact of the transatlantic relationship between Ireland and the United States.
More than a sports venue, it is a strategic platform for economic growth, cultural exchange and sustained partnership, purpose-built to connect Ireland with North American sport, business and audiences at an unprecedented scale.
Located in Cherrywood, Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown, The Arena will provide Ireland’s first Olympic-standard, multi-purpose indoor arena complex. From its inception, the project has been shaped by a simple but powerful idea: that sport and culture can act as enduring connectors between nations, driving tourism, trade, diplomacy and community engagement simultaneously. In that sense, The Arena is far from merely infrastructure.
The economic impact is compelling. Independent analysis shows the Arena will generate close to €300 million in annual economic output, support more than 2,400 jobs and attract over 1.33 million visits each year. Crucially, it is expected to draw more than 67,000 international visitors annually, with North America as a core market.
This builds directly on the proven appetite of US audiences for Irish-hosted sport. The recent NFL game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Minnesota Vikings in Dublin was watched by almost 8 million in the United States and delivered the largest number of travelling American fans to any NFL game ever staged in Europe. These findings offer, a clear signal that the transatlantic opportunity is real, scalable and repeatable.
Prime Arena is designed to turn that success into a permanent pipeline. Through targeted partnerships with leading US sports organisations, the Arena will anchor Ireland as Europe’s home for North American sport. The proposed All-American Sports Festival will become an annual fixture, combining elite competition, fan engagement, corporate hospitality and cultural programming, while collaborations with US broadcasters and creative studios will amplify Ireland’s story to global audiences.
This multi-disciplinary model is central to the project’s value. Prime Arena is not a single-use venue. It is engineered to host major sporting events, international concerts, cultural showcases, conferences and entertainment at scale, ensuring year-round activity and consistent economic return.
Partnerships with global promoters will bring world-class music and entertainment to Irish audiences, while positioning Dublin as a competitive destination for international tours that currently bypass the country due to a lack of suitable indoor infrastructure.
Beyond economics, Prime Arena’s social impact is central to its purpose. Designed as a shared civic asset, the development includes a dedicated public ice rink for schools, community groups and grassroots participation, delivering thousands of affordable public ice hours each year and opening access to activities that have historically been unavailable in Ireland.
This inclusive approach, embedded in the project’s governance and design, supports young people, families and para-athletes alike. While winter sports form a key component of the vision, addressing the absence of a permanent ice facility in Dublin and creating clear pathways for Irish athletes, the Arena’s flexible, multi-purpose design ensures it also serves a wide range of indoor sports and community uses, reinforcing its role as a truly multi-sport, multi-community venue.
The scale and ambition of Prime Arena is reflected in the breadth of support it has already secured. Formal endorsements from organisations including the Olympic Federation of Ireland, Fáilte Ireland, Ibec, the American Chamber of Commerce, the Irish Tourism Industry Confederation, Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown Chamber, and international partners such as the Ireland Canada Chamber of Commerce and the Elite Ice Hockey League underline the project’s national and international significance. Collectively, these stakeholders recognise Prime Arena as a catalyst for economic growth, tourism development and global engagement, reinforcing its role as a strategic national asset capable of attracting world-class events.
Planning, which is being prepared in consultation with Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown County Council, is scheduled to be officially submitted in May 2026, with construction expected to commence in 2027 and the main arena opening in 2029. From day one, Prime Arena will stand as a visible symbol of Ireland’s confidence in and commitment to deepening its transatlantic relationships.
