Queen + Adam Lambert perform at the future home of YTL Arena Bristol

Queen + Adam Lambert – one of the biggest music acts in the world – performed at the future home of YTL Arena Bristol in a unique event that offered a glimpse into the city’s future venue.

Performing several of their best-known songs to an invited audience, the performance was a key milestone in the Brabazon Hangars’ transformational journey to becoming a top-five global music arena.

It was 45 years to the day since Queen performed at Bristol Hippodrome. Today Queen + Adam Lambert’s appearance was the culmination of the past five days in which they have completed production rehearsals at the Brabazon Hangars in preparation for their mammoth Rhapsody Tour, which kicks off in Belfast on Friday 27 May before playing Manchester, Glasgow, Birmingham then ten nights in London at The O2, thereafter continuing their tour with18 further shows across Europe.

Making use of the vast space at the venue, which will be able to offer both rehearsal and performance space to major touring acts in future, Queen + Adam Lambert confirmed they would have been delighted to perform a Bristol show on their epic tour had YTL Arena been fully operational.

The band said: “We’ve been made to feel very welcome by YTL, and the Rhapsody Tour would have loved the opportunity to include a Bristol show if this fantastic venue was open. Hopefully we can come back and play here again, to a packed house, when YTL Arena Bristol is ready to welcome the public.”

In 2019, Bristol legends Massive Attack performed at a custom-built arena on the neighbouring former Filton Airfield, and Queen + Adam Lambert’s performance indoors at the site is the latest major step forward to the Arena becoming reality.

CEO of YTL Arena Bristol, Andrew Billingham said, “It has been a privilege to host Queen + Adam Lambert as they chose Bristol to complete full production rehearsals in a five-day residency at the Brabazon Hangars.”

“We are honoured that Brian, Roger and Adam wanted to play their part in our story.”

“Over the past week we have accommodated one of the largest touring productions with ease. With 40 artic lorries parking on site and more than 200 production crew in attendance, everybody has said what a fantastic venue the new Arena will be and predicts it will become one of the busiest.”

This was the first, and only time, that such an iconic band has played inside the Brabazon Hangars as they are today. To mark the occasion, the band placed personal items into a time capsule that will be built into a glazed Walk of Fame running 100 metres across the event floor, from stage to Runway Bar at the opposite end of the building.

Once home to aviation icon Concorde, the transformational programme to repurpose the Brabazon Hangars to create a live entertainment arena for Bristol and the South West continues to make good progress to open in 2024.