ATG to operate new 4000-seat venue in Milton Keynes

ATG Entertainment has been named as the preferred operator of a new multi-purpose events venue in Milton Keynes’ city centre.

The £76 million project will create a 4,000-capacity space at the Old Bus Station site on Elder Gate, expected to draw more than 300,000 visitors each year.

ATG, which currently operates the city’s other venue, the Milton Keynes Theatre, states that around 100 major events will be a planned annually, broadening the cultural offering for local audiences.

The development forms part of Milton Keynes Development Partnership’s (MKDP) 2024 to 2027 business plan focused on placemaking and city-centre regeneration. The venue sits next to the refurbished Station Square and near Unity Place, Santander’s new headquarters.

Public consultation on the planning phase will begin later this year, with construction scheduled to follow and opening planned for 2029. Around 70 jobs are expected to be created.

MKDP, owned by Milton Keynes City Council, uses land development to fund city-wide placemaking projects. It expects to contribute £7.8 million to the council by 2027, rising to £23 million by 2035/36.