Events including concerts, international business conferences and art exhibitions were held there.

The centre had a leisure pool with flume and wave machine, and a multi-purpose sports hall with facilities for badminton, netball, tennis, basketball and volleyball.

Newport Centre opened in 1985 and hosted performers including Elton John, David Bowie,[1] Run DMC, Elvis Costello, Alice Cooper, Manic Street Preachers, Robert Palmer, Iron Maiden, Ronnie James Dio, Kasabian and Marilyn Manson (in 1997 and 2017).

[citation needed] In February 2021, with the facility (particularly the pool area) requiring expensive repairs to reopen, Newport City Council decided to demolish it.

[3][4] The pool closed in August 2021 and the rest of the centre in March 2023, when demolition began.