Executive Summary
In the last year, the AO Arena has firmly cemented itself as one of Manchester’s most vital cultural landmarks. Welcoming over one million people to the venue annually, not only has one of Manchester’s most iconic venues celebrated its best year yet, but it is also embarking on an exciting new era that promises to attract even more guests and fans through its doors. From internationally acclaimed icons to the next generation of musical legends, comedy stars and sporting spectacles, the AO Arena has been part of it all.
For the AO Arena, the past year has been record-breaking in more ways than one. Not only did the arena welcome 1.6 million incredible fans through the doors, the venue’s biggest yearly turnout on record, but also hosted a record number of events – 136 in total. From all genres of music, sporting events, comedy shows and theatre performances, there’s always something for everyone at the AO Arena.
Highlights include record-breaking attendances at Davis Cup, England Netball and Premier League Darts, as well as welcoming brand-new series with In Conversation With acoustic sessions.
Outside of the norm, the AO Arena also hosted the largest Euro screen in Europe, turning around 3 matches in less than a week’s planning.
Submitting Organization: SMG (UK) Ltd
Detailed Nomination
In the last year, the AO Arena has firmly cemented itself as one of Manchester’s most vital cultural landmarks. Welcoming over one million people to the venue annually, not only has one of Manchester’s most iconic venues celebrated its best year yet, but it is also embarking on an exciting new era that promises to attract even more guests and fans through its doors. From internationally acclaimed icons to the next generation of musical legends, comedy stars and sporting spectacles, the AO Arena has been part of it all.
For the AO Arena, the past year has been record-breaking in more ways than one. Not only did the arena welcome 1.6 million incredible fans through the doors, the venue’s biggest yearly turnout on record, but also hosted a record number of events – 136 in total. From all genres of music, sporting events, comedy shows and theatre performances, there’s always something for everyone at the AO Arena.
Highlights include record-breaking attendances at Davis Cup, England Netball and Premier League Darts, as well as welcoming brand-new series with In Conversation With acoustic sessions.
Outside of the norm, the AO Arena also hosted the largest Euro screen in Europe, turning around 3 matches in less than a week’s planning.
Amongst it all, the AO Arena’s venue team have also been busy outside of working hours, raising tens of thousands of pounds for local charities and giving hundreds of hours to local community projects. All of which has been delivered whilst undergoing what has been one of the world’s most remarkable venue transformation projects. Together with ASM Global, the AO Arena has undergone a complete re-imagination and reconstruction of the 30-year-old venue, whilst continuing to open its doors to entertain fans for the duration.
As part of this redevelopment, the AO Arena has also increased its total capacity to 23,000, including a 100% increase in standing floor capacity, making more fans feel even closer to their favourite artists. This is supported by a brand-new lower concourse designed to enhance the experience of the venue’s standing floor guests.
The fan experience is at the heart of everything the AO Arena does. As part of this new chapter in the Arena’s lifespan, the venue is reimagining the guest experience throughout the entire venue.
Located in the heart of Manchester city centre with a wealth of transport links connecting the venue to Greater Manchester and beyond, it’s not only easy to get to, but with the addition of new entrances and state of the art technology, getting in and out of the arena will be the quickest in any venue in Europe.
As if that wasn’t enough, early 2024 saw the venue boasts a multitude of new bars, as well as an elevated food offering following the launch of The Mezz Restaurant and Bar, which features a menu that includes dishes curated by Michelin-star Chef Simon Rogan and Chef Tom Barnes of Skof. In a first-of-its-kind experience for any Arena, The Mezz transforms the premium guest experience like never before. Guests of The Mezz can expect the very best in modern British cuisine, champagne, fine wines, signature cocktails and pre and post-show entertainment.
The restaurant also features a unique collaboration between Chefs Simon Rogan MBE and Tom Barnes, where there will be regular
appearances and quarterly seasonal dishes from both chefs, and the highest-calibre, sustainably sourced fresh produce from Simon Rogan’s regenerative ‘Our Farm’ in the Cartmel Valley.
The launch of The Mezz was a full team effort, proving how the AO Arena’s venue team can deliver exceptional experiences time and time again. From the Food & Beverage department, to Operations and Sales & Marketing, the campaigns surrounding the launch included a series of intimate press dinners, guest appearances and a topping out ceremony like no other, amassing a massive press audience reach of 30 million.
Amongst some of the first to witness the transformation includes Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham who welcomed guests to the Topping Out Ceremony, describing the AO Arena aptly as “the beating heart of Manchester”, with one of Manchester’s most successful artists and rappers Aitch opening the party with “When the AO Arena asked me to be part of tonight I thought, how can I say no? It’s always been a huge part of the culture here in Manchester and you know I’m all about anything that gives back to the community,” he continued, “The AO has been pushing the music scene forward for over 27 years and over one million people walk through these legendary doors every year, and we
have them right on our doorstep.”
The AO Arena has set the precedent for Arena’s around the world, with 30 million fans in 30 years, where will the next 30 take them?
