Brains' Millennium Stadium concession to be handed to Heineken for Olympic Games

28-May-2012 - Last updated on 01-Jun-2012 at 14:53 GMT

Related tags Millennium stadium Olympic games

Deal: Brains will lose its sponsorship of Millennium Stadium for Olympic Games

SA Brains, the Cardiff-based brewer and pub operator, has confirmed that its beer and branding will be removed from the Millennium Stadium for this summer’s Olympic and Paralympic Games, as part of Heineken’s sponsorship of the events.

This follows the news last month that Marston’s is to have its concession to sell its Pedigree Bitter removed from Lord’s Cricket Ground for the Games, along with all its branding.

Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium will host the men’s and women’s football competitions at the Olympics, which run from 25 July (preliminary rounds) until 10 August.

All Brains branding at the stadium will be removed as a result of the Heineken deal, with all beer served to be replaced by the Dutch brewer’s lager.

However, it is unclear whether or not any of Brains’ pubs around the stadium will also have to remove or cover their exterior branding as part of the Games’ Street Trading and Advertising Regulations.

One pub, the City Arms, falls within the ‘Millennium Stadium Event Zone’, but Brains’ chief executive Scott Waddington does not believe it will be affected by any regulations.

Waddington said that whilst the Millennium Stadium will be “clean” of all Brains' beer and branding, he added that the external signage of the City Arms is “fixed”.

“I would have to look closely at the content of any notification we receive,” he said.

A spokesman for Heineken said: "It is far from unusual for Heineken branding to appear at The Cardiff Millennium stadium, which has provided a word- class venue for several spectacular Heineken Cup finals, the most recent being in May 2011.

"With regards to Olympic events held at the Millennium stadium, in common with all other venues, there will be no Heineken branding in any competition areas or within TV coverage. Heineken will be on sale at all licensed catering points within the Cardiff stadium together with John Smith's and Strongbow.

"We are also proud to operate a long- term trading partnership with SA Brain which benefits both parties.We look forward to welcoming visitors and guests to Cardiff and sincerely hope that they will enjoy the city's many excellent pubs and the variety of beer and ciders they offer."