Swansea Arena | Arena Abertawe Reviews Summary

Accessibility and Seating Comfort

Pros:

• "As a disabled customer the staff and venue went above and beyond."
• "The seats are not as comfortable as the ones over at Cardiff Millennium Centre but still were ok for the length of the performance."
• "Access from street level is poor for wheelchair users as you have to get an elevator almost at the rear."
• "The arena itself is ok, not much to look at on the inside, however the acoustics are really good."
• "Great venue, but only 1 coffee bar with just 2 people serving who were incredibly slow."
• "Seating is very uncomfortable with cramped leg room which is a big shame for a new Arena."
• "The seat I had (A39) provided an amazing view."
• "Staff were very quick and efficient doing the security and ticket checks, so we were happy with that."

Cons:

• "The seating in the arena is so uncomfortable 😫. The cinema has better."
• "Seats are so uncomfortable and unless your under 5'5 your going to feel like your legs are bent in two to fit."
• "The sound system overall was very poor, the first warm up band came on and I've still no idea who they were."
• "Massive long queues for all bars all evening. No bins so everyone left their plastic cups/glasses everywhere."
• "Once inside, the seats, while they have no arms, are tiny and extremely claustrophobic, with no leg room."
• "The seating is shocking! They really need a middle aisle, as those seated toward the middle need to pass everyone."
• "The rows of seats are too wide and there are not enough aisles -- constant disruption with people getting up and down going to the bar or to the (inadequate) toilets."
• "In short I so wanted to be impressed but wasn't, I'd sooner drive the extra to Cardiff where they know what they are doing."

Facilities and Amenities

Pros:

• "Great multi use space at the Arena in Swansea."
• "Beautiful decor in the lobby and an impressive roof garden with café and kiosk."
• "The bar was open. Great areas for taking photos."
• "There are bars & toilets on all levels."
• "The lift to the front of the building did not seem to be working, and I noticed a lady on crutches having to navigate to another entry to get in though."
• "Very organised entry and exit from the building, helpful staff."
• "The staff are very helpful and friendly and were very good in finding me a seat with easy access for me and my 2 year old."
• "The staff were very quick and efficient doing the security and ticket checks, so we were happy with that."

Cons:

• "Toilets are a bit of an issue with the lack of and as always food and drink prices are quite steep."
• "Food looked and smelt very nice of what I seen but didn't buy any."
• "Only slight gripe was leaving the stalls/floor at the end of the concert funnelled everyone up one set of stairs, which was a bit of a squeeze."
• "We parked in a different car park in town so we were home within half an hour. We parked on site before and it took AGES to get out."
• "Firstly the V.I.P lounge. Terrible value for £30 per head. A very poor antipasti meat board probably bought in tesco with a glass of champagne."
• "The show was absolutely great and my son thoroughly enjoyed. Loved how they got the audience up and dancing and involved in the show."
• "The venue itself is close to the city, where there are plenty of places to eat and have a drink."
• "The service, food & coffee were excellent & not over priced."

Parking and Transportation

Pros:

• "Great access to city centre with one bridge over a short distance."
• "Parking at Paxten St is cheap and 5 mins walk."
• "We arrived an hour early to ensure parking, very convenient at Bae Copr."
• "The arena is really impressive with good pitch on seating."
• "Easy to find and good access for all."
• "Plenty of parking."
• "Very easy to get to. Plenty of parking."
• "Lots of parking onsite and a quick walk from Swansea City centre."

Cons:

• "One downfall is parking being quite a lot at the arena."
• "Getting to and parking is a nightmare, the attached car park is too small for the amount of people attending."
• "Parking prices which escalates quickly above 4 hours."
• "The parking charges have gone up from £2 on Sunday to £30 for 8 hours +."
• "The nearest lift into the building was not working, and hadn't been since the opening of the venue apparently."
• "We had a trek to our seats, it took three attempts to find the correct door because the signage didn't correspond with the info on our tickets."
• "We ended up parking in the multi-story opposite. As with most theatres these days the price of food and drinks is exorbitant."
• "The price of soft drinks is actually astronomical."

Staff and Customer Service

Pros:

• "The staff were very quick and efficient doing the security and ticket checks."
• "Amazing building, friendly helpful staff!!"
• "Staff helpful and friendly. Venue has acoustic wall sound treatments to reduce echos."
• "Staff in the main have been friendly and helpful but not always on view."
• "Staff are friendly and helpful."
• "The staff are very helpful and friendly and were very good in finding me a seat with easy access."
• "The staff are fantastic and cannot do enough for visitors."
• "Staff amazing, show great, unfortunately a chaotic, inadequate car park for the amount of people it held."

Cons:

• "The staff were rude and abrupt. They do not take cash at any of the bars."
• "No biggie as it was cheap."
• "Getting inside, the outdoor life was out of order, and as a disabled person this was an inconvenience."
• "The staff member who shouted no! Even though we were just told to go to her, then rejoining the original line."
• "The seating plan should label seats with restricted legroom."
• "Not enough signage to show you where to go, the team working there at the time of my visit didn't seem to know where I was supposed to go."
• "A kindly assistant moved us a row back. I could now put my feet down."
• "Lift also wasn't working. Staff unsure what to do but took us back stage and found a way round - thank you."