Newport Centre: Venue seating failure 'short-sighted'

The venue has hosted big artists including David Bowie and the Manic Street Preachers

One of Newport's largest entertainment venues may not be able to attract bigger events in the future after its seating was deemed unsafe.

The Newport Centre was told in October that it cannot use the current retractable seating for shows.

The venue has hosted artists such as David Bowie, the Manic Street Preachers and the Wales Open snooker tournament.

The trust that runs the centre said "the situation is currently being reviewed".

But the delay in renewing the seating has been described as "short-sighted" by one business expert.

Prof Jonathan Deacon said it would be difficult to get big events and artists to return once they have been told no

Prof Jonathan Deacon, from the University of South Wales' business school in Newport said concert bookers and event organisers are looking up to 18 months in advance to book venues - and would be "looking elsewhere" for hosts.

"Once we have lost that, it's a real tough job to get them to come back again," he said.

Newport Live, the trust that runs the centre, said it is still able to stage big events with alternative seating, and could hire in tiered seating "should it be cost effective to do so".

It said capacity at the 2,000-seat venue has not been reduced.

The Newport Centre will host the music acts Wombats in January and the Vamps in April.