Coventry and Warwickshire musicians are being offered a £40 million stage to showcase their talents.

The appeal is being made by the management of Rank Entertainment’s SkyDome Coventry, a new leisure complex which houses a nine screen cinema, two nightclubs, a live entertainment bar, a café bar and a 4,000 seat arena.

It is the live entertainment bar, Jumpin Jaks, that will allow local bands the chance to perform live to 900 people, and complex general manager Trevor Ellard is hoping to get a big response.

He said:

"I am a local man myself so I know all about the wealth of talent that is in the area.

"It would be great to see some of that at SkyDome Coventry and Jaks is such a unique environment that it is an ideal venue to get a real taste of the big-time.

"I was born and bred in Leamington and it has often been the case that local bands have missed out because there has not been a good local venue for them to perform and get the recognition they deserve."

Jumpin Jacks brand manager Michael Beveridge admitted that many bands had already been watched.

He said:

"I have been out and about round the area listening to any live music that I could, and I will invite any suitable bands to perform at Jaks."

SkyDome Coventry is set to open in late October creating 485 new jobs for the people of Coventry and Warwickshire, with the 4,000 seat arena opening around a month later.

The arena will offer people from across Warwickshire the opportunity to see top acts from the music and entertainment world on their doorstep, as well as playing host to the English national basketball team.