Ambitious plans to create a new concert venue that will bring top music and entertainment acts to the Highlands have been revealed.
James Martin, chief executive of Inverness Leisure, which runs the city’s main leisure centre and swimming pools, believes the Highland capital should be aiming to build its own, albeit smaller, version of Glasgow’s Hydro.
North business leaders last night hailed the proposal as “fantastic”, saying it was exactly the type of “very ambitious” thinking required to ensure the city continues to flourish.
Inverness Leisure raised eyebrows last week after it was revealed that the Bught sports complex would be turned into a giant nightclub for an event in April next year.
Legendary producer Dave Clarke will be among the techno DJs to take to the stage for the dance event, in what will mark a new venture for the 2,000-capacity facility.
It follows the booking of big name bands such as Texas, Wet Wet Wet and Deacon Blue in recent months and years.
Explaining the strategy to the Press and Journal, Mr Martin said last night: “We’ve got to think out of the box in terms of what we’re doing here.
“We’re the biggest venue in the Highlands, effectively, so there’s an opportunity to use it for something else.
“One of the biggest compliments we get is that people say they wouldn’t know they were in a leisure centre.
“Promoters are now approaching us in terms of coming to us and they see Inverness as on the map.”
Any money raised from the gigs is being used to keep prices low for users of the sports complex, Mr Martin said.
But if the venture continued to prove successful, his ambition would be to invest in a purpose-built concert and conference venue.
“Ultimately, I would love to see that happen,” he said.
Asked if Inverness could soon have its own version of the Hydro in Glasgow, Mr Martin said: “Why wouldn’t Inverness strive to have something like that as a city? I think it would be very successful.
“A big, purpose-built venue that would allow bigger concerts but could also be used during the day for conferences and exhibitions.
“Everyone is looking at how things can be improved. I think you would find it hard to find anyone who wouldn’t support this.”
The 13,000-capacity Hydro opened in 2013 and became the second busiest music venue in the world last year.
Meanwhile, Aberdeen is currently progressing plans for a new £333million exhibition and conference centre.
Stewart Nicol, chief executive of Inverness Chamber of Commerce, welcomed the proposal for the Highland capital.
“It’s really interesting to hear that kind of thinking. It’s fantastic. It’s certainly very ambitious but I think we need to be thinking like that,” he said.
“There’s a lot going on in the Highlands, especially culturally. I guess Eden Court might have a view, and it’s a larger version than the Ironworks. Is there space for it? I don’t know.
“But it’s a fantastic advertisement of what’s going on in the city and the Highlands.”
Plans have previously been discussed for a new £23million regional sports facility, including a velodrome, at Inverness. The proposal was raised as part of calls for Inverness to receive a lucrative City Region Deal from the UK and Scottish governments.
City MP Drew Hendry said: “Inverness is the fastest growing city in Europe and it is important that our level of ambition for the area not only looks to our present needs but to the future as well.
“A growing city should have facilities that are modern and versatile and there is no better example of that than the prospect of a sports hub which could accommodate large events, as part of a wider City Deal.
“Indeed the velodrome area of the sports hub could make an excellent and unique venue for large scale events, it was certainly part of the vision when I first set out to secure a City Deal for the Inverness region.”