Ambassador Theatre Group’s (ATG) 3,500-capacity Swansea Arena is to host two test events this month to showcase Welsh talent ahead of its delayed official launch in March.

The events, curated by Swansea Music Hub (The Swansea Fringe) will take place on 25-26 February, before Royal Blood official open the venue with a show on 19 March.

The test events, featuring 11 homegrown acts, will be followed by shows from Alice Cooper and The Cult, Diversity, comedians Rob Brydon and Katherine Ryan, and the musical Jersey Boys.

The arena, located next to Swansea Marina, is expected to host 160 performances across music, comedy, esports, sport and conference events for an estimated 230,000 visitors each year.

The development of the arena is part of the city’s £135m Copr Bay Phase One project, which is being delivered by the council working alongside development manager RivingtonHark.

The arena also forms part of the Swansea City and Waterfront Digital District project which is being part-funded by the £1.3bn Swansea Bay City Deal.

Swansea Arena general manager Lisa Mart said, “The time has finally come for us to fling our doors open and test the capabilities of this gorgeous venue before we open for good in March.

“What better way to do it than with some ‘Housewarming’ shows for the people of Swansea from some of the area’s most exciting emerging artists.”