Why concert arena bid for Edinburgh is no-brainer - Scotsman leader comment

New research this week showed that superstars like Swift, Beyonce and Harry Styles are helping to boost the annual economic impact of Murrayfield Stadium to record levels.

Music and sporting events there are now said to be worth more than £185 million, according to figures revealed by Scottish Rugby.

But while the likes of Swift will have no problem selling out Murrayfield three nights in a row, with the associated economic boost to the city, they are hardly regular events. What of the artists who are too big for the mid-size venues but not able to attract a rugby-sized crowd?

For decades Edinburgh has been hamstrung by the lack of a venue smaller than an arena but bigger than the like of the Playhouse or Usher Hall to host the biggest names. The city has watched artists and events head to the likes of Aberdeen and Glasgow and miss the capital completely on lucrative tours.

The spend associated with the gigs then obviously heads out of the city too, either north, west or south.

Varying plans for such a venue have come and gone over the years, never reaching fruition or attracting the enthusiasm of planners - until perhaps now.

City council chiefs have backed plans for a new 8,500-capacity indoor arena near the airport, and, if councillors give it the go-ahead, it is hoped work could start in 2025 with the venue up and running two years later.

Entertainment giant AEG, which is behind the plans, say it could host music, sports and comedy events on a 200,000 square foot site at Edinburgh Park.

The transport links, both tram and train, are already there and on paper it seems like a no-brainer.

Edinburgh is world renowned for its cultural offering, not least through the festivals, but the absence of such a venue has been a major economic and social miss in sustaining the city throughout the year, not just August. Perhaps we are about to see swift change.