The NEON

The NEON is the entertainment and events identity used by a historic venue in Newport, South Wales. The building stands at the junction of Clarence Place and Chepstow Road, close to Newport Bridge and the eastern side of the city centre. It is notable both as a surviving cinema building and as one of Newport's relatively rare examples of Art Deco architecture. The property is Grade II listed, reflecting its architectural and historic interest. The building opened in March 1938 as an Odeon cinema. It was designed by architect Harry Weedon, whose work for the Odeon chain produced a number of cinemas in a distinctive modernist and Art Deco style. The original Odeon use ended in 1981. During the subsequent years the building became derelict and was at risk of demolition, although parts of the ground floor were later used as a snooker hall. Its heritage status was strengthened in 1999 when it was designated a Grade II listed building. In 2003, the property was acquired by local business owners Ian Gilland and Andrew James Byers. They undertook a redevelopment reported to have cost more than £1 million and relaunched the venue as Newport City Live Arena. That phase repositioned the building as a multipurpose entertainment site rather than a conventional cinema. Facilities included a large screen for televised sporting events, while the stage hosted live music performances. Following a later sale and redevelopment, the venue reopened in February 2016 under the name The NEON. The name is an acronym for “Newport Entertains Our Nation” and deliberately echoes the original Odeon name, which referred to the Odeon chain's “Oscar Deutsch Entertains Our Nation” slogan. The NEON presented itself as a combination live-music venue and vintage-movie destination, drawing on the building's cinema heritage while offering a broader events programme. The venue has also hosted political events. In 2019 it held a sold-out Brexit Party rally attended by more than 1,000 people ahead of the European Parliament elections. Speakers reported in connection with the event included Nigel Farage, Ann Widdecombe, Nathan Gill and James Wells. The NEON's operations were interrupted in December 2023, when the venue was closed and its alcohol sales licence was revoked after police identified a large cannabis farm operating inside the building. The venue subsequently reopened in May 2024 as a professional wrestling academy, marking another change in its operating model. The building therefore has a layered identity: it began as a cinema, later became a live-events arena, operated as The NEON from 2016, and subsequently adapted again for specialist sports training and entertainment use.

The building now associated with The NEON was constructed as an Odeon cinema and opened in March 1938. It was designed by Harry Weedon, an architect closely associated with the Odeon cinema programme, and became one of Newport's notable Art Deco buildings. Its location near Newport Bridge placed it close to the city centre while its purpose-built cinema design gave it a prominent role in local entertainment. The cinema closed in 1981. The building then entered a period of decline and dereliction, during which demolition was considered a possibility. Some ground-floor space was used as a snooker hall, but the property did not immediately return to its original role as a major public entertainment venue. Its architectural importance was formally recognised in 1999, when it received Grade II listed status. The listing protected the building as an important example of Art Deco architecture in Newport. A major change came in 2003, when local business owners Ian Gilland and Andrew James Byers acquired the building. They invested more than £1 million in its transformation and relaunched it as Newport City Live Arena. Rather than restoring it solely as a cinema, the redevelopment created a multipurpose venue. A large television screen was installed for live sports coverage, and the stage was used for music performances, allowing the property to serve as both an events space and a live entertainment destination. The building was later sold and redeveloped again. It reopened in February 2016 as The NEON, a name formed from “Newport Entertains Our Nation.” This wording was designed as a localised play on the original Odeon name, whose initials referred to “Oscar Deutsch Entertains Our Nation.” The new identity connected the venue's contemporary role to its cinema past. Its programme was described as combining live music with vintage film screenings, retaining the building's entertainment function while making use of its historic character. The NEON also became a venue for political gatherings. In 2019, it hosted a Brexit Party rally that sold out to an audience of more than 1,000. Speakers associated with the event included Nigel Farage, Ann Widdecombe, Nathan Gill and James Wells, and the rally took place before elections to the European Parliament. The venue's operation was disrupted in December 2023. Police identified a large cannabis farm in the building, after which the premises closed and its alcohol sales licence was revoked. This incident represented a significant regulatory and reputational interruption to the venue's entertainment business. The building later reopened in May 2024 as a professional wrestling academy. The transition illustrates the property's continuing adaptation: from Odeon cinema, to a period of disuse and partial alternative occupancy, to Newport City Live Arena, then The NEON's live-event and vintage-film format, and finally a wrestling-focused academy.

• 2024

  Reopens as a wrestling academy

  [1]The NEONen.wikipedia.org

  The building reopens in May as a professional wrestling academy.

• 2023

  Closure and licence revocation

  [1]The NEONen.wikipedia.org

  The venue closes in December after police identify a large cannabis farm in the building, and its alcohol sales licence is revoked.

• 2019

  Brexit Party rally

  [1]The NEONen.wikipedia.org

  The venue hosts a sold-out Brexit Party rally with an audience of more than 1,000 ahead of the European Parliament elections.

• 2016

  The NEON opens

  [1]The NEONen.wikipedia.org

  Following a sale and further redevelopment, the venue reopens in February as The NEON, offering live music and vintage movie programming.

• 2003

  Redevelopment as Newport City Live Arena

  [1]The NEONen.wikipedia.org

  Ian Gilland and Andrew James Byers acquire the building and transform it into a multipurpose entertainment venue in a redevelopment reported to cost more than £1 million.

• 1999

  Building receives Grade II listing

  [1]The NEONen.wikipedia.org

  The former cinema is designated a Grade II listed building, recognising its architectural and historic significance.

• 1981

  Cinema operations end

  [1]The NEONen.wikipedia.org

  The cinema closes, beginning a long period in which the building is substantially underused and later becomes derelict.

• 1938

  The Odeon cinema opens

  [1]The NEONen.wikipedia.org

  The building opens in March as an Odeon cinema designed by Harry Weedon.

A heritage entertainment venue combining Newport's former Odeon cinema architecture with live events, film programming and later specialist wrestling training.

• Live entertainment · 2003

  Live music events

  The venue's post-redevelopment identity included live music programming in the former cinema's auditorium and stage areas. The stage was also used during the earlier Newport City Live Arena period for performances by established music acts.

• Film exhibition · 2016

  Vintage movie screenings

  When it reopened as The NEON in 2016, the venue combined live events with vintage movie presentations. This offering drew directly on the building's original function as an Odeon cinema and its preserved architectural character.

• Sports training and entertainment · 2024

  Professional wrestling academy

  After the venue closed in December 2023, it reopened in May 2024 as a professional wrestling academy, giving the building a specialist training and wrestling-related entertainment function.

• 2023

  Cannabis farm and alcohol licence revocation

  Police identified a large cannabis farm operating inside the building in December 2023. The venue closed and its alcohol sales licence was revoked.

  Source

Read more

• 2019Brexit Party rally

  United Kingdom

  The NEON hosted a Brexit Party rally in Newport before the 2019 European Parliament elections. The event reportedly sold out with more than 1,000 attendees and featured speakers including Nigel Farage, Ann Widdecombe, Nathan Gill and James Wells.

  Outcome. The event demonstrated the venue's use as a large political and public-gathering space rather than solely as a music or film venue.

  Source

• 2024

  Reopen as a professional wrestling academyStrategy

  Background

  The venue had closed in December 2023 after police identified a cannabis farm in the building and its alcohol sales licence was revoked.

  Action taken

  The building reopened in May 2024 with a professional wrestling academy as its operating use.

  Aftermath

  The property continued operating in a specialised sports and entertainment format, distinct from its previous live-music and film-venue model.

  Source

• 2016

  Relaunch as The NEONStrategy

  Background

  The building was sold and redeveloped after its Newport City Live Arena period, with an opportunity to create a new identity linked to the site's Odeon heritage.

  Action taken

  The venue reopened in February under the name The NEON, presenting live music and vintage film events.

  Aftermath

  The new name connected the venue to Newport and its original cinema identity while broadening its entertainment proposition.

  Source

• 2003

  Convert the former cinema into Newport City Live ArenaStrategy

  Background

  The former Odeon had experienced closure, dereliction and partial use as a snooker hall. New owners sought to return the building to a broader public entertainment role.

  Action taken

  Ian Gilland and Andrew James Byers acquired and redeveloped the property, adding facilities for televised sport and live performances.

  Aftermath

  The building returned to operation as a multipurpose entertainment venue after an investment reported to exceed £1 million.

  Reported redevelopment cost. over £1 million (2003 redevelopment)

  Source

1. 1The NEONen.wikipedia.org