ASM Global’s AO Arena in Manchester Unveils Dramatic Multimillion Dollar Three-Year Reimagination of Legendary Venue
27.4.2022 20:05:00 EEST | Business Wire | Press release
ASM Global, the world’s leading producer of entertainment experiences, venue management and event strategy, has announced a $63 million plan beginning this summer to transform the AO Arena in Manchester. This plan is set to dramatically enhance the venue’s premier position for live entertainment experiences through state-of-the-art infrastructure expansion and innovative guest features as the iconic arena looks to the future.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220427005883/en/
AO Arena, Manchester (Photo: Business Wire)
AO Arena in Manchester, located in the heart of the city, is one of the busiest indoor arenas in the world. Through its near 30-year history, the venue has firmly established itself as a beloved and iconic Manchester landmark, a must-play for artists, and a fan-favorite destination for world-class live entertainment. Officials from the AO Arena will be releasing more detailed plans in coming months.
Chris Bray, EVP Europe at ASM Global, said, “AO Arena is one of the world’s iconic venues and a much-loved part of Manchester’s rich culture and history. It has been delivering world-class entertainment experiences for over two decades. As we approach our 30th anniversary, this ambitious endeavor will not only reinforce its position as a leading destination for live entertainment but will extend its market leadership for ‘live’ and fan experiences for the next 30 years. We’re proud to be further investing into the heart of Manchester.
“The first phase will enhance and increase our standing floor capacity to share this historic arena with even more of our guests, and we will also be adding new hospitality lounges and investing in delivering an upgraded concourse experience. Our performers will be immersed in an all-new, back-of-house artists’ campus, unparalleled anywhere.”
Additional major developments include new arena entrances welcoming guests to the venue and new premium seating, which will transform the venue to an elevated experience.
AO Arena’s back-of-house campus dramatic upgrade will include a complete overhaul of the backstage experience for artists, production and crew. This includes new artist dressing rooms and production areas, a world-class green room with meet-and-greet facilities, an overhaul of crew catering, and first-class connectivity and technology.
Plans have already been jump started by the venue’s rapid scheduling of major sell-out 2022 events, including Billie Eilish, Dua Lipa, Diana Ross, Alicia Keys, Swedish House Mafia, Snoop Dogg, George Ezra and more.
Jen Mitchell, general manager at the AO Arena, said, “This is a really exciting time for AO Arena. Not only are we able to welcome guests back after a challenging two years with a program packed full of world-class acts and entertainment, now we can reveal the first phase of ASM Global’s plans for the arena’s redevelopment. This will enhance the experience for everyone who sets foot in the venue, including artists, production, crew and our staff who work so hard to make the magic happen right here in Manchester.”
Unveiled in 1995, the arena was the first indoor venue in the U.K. to be built with a layout of 360-degree seating. Attracting over 1 million visitors yearly, the 21,000-capacity arena is a winner of the Stadium Business Awards’ prestigious ‘Venue of the Year’ award. There has been a host of musical talent that has performed at the venue, from Led Zeppelin legends Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, The Rolling Stones and Pavarotti to Dua Lipa and Lady Gaga as well as Manchester’s homegrown artists including Take That, Oasis, Elbow, New Order and The Courteeners. The venue has hosted everything from the 2002 Commonwealth Games, 2008 FINA World Swimming Championships and international boxing bouts by Mike Tyson, Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury, David Haye, Joe Calzaghe and local champions Ricky Hatton, Amir Khan and Anthony Crolla.
About ASM Global
ASM Global is the world’s leading producer of entertainment experiences. It is the global leader in venue and event strategy and management—delivering locally tailored solutions and cutting-edge technologies to achieve maximum results for venue owners. The company’s elite venue network spans five continents, with a portfolio of more than 350 of the world’s most prestigious arenas, stadiums, convention and exhibition centers, and performing arts venues. Connect with us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. asmglobal.com
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220427005883/en/
Contact information
Jim Yeager
breakwhitelight (for ASM Global)
jim@breakwhitelight.com
Mobile: 1-818-264-6812
About Business Wire
For more than 50 years, Business Wire has been the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
LR Invests Over €2 Million in Quality and Growth9.7.2026 10:00:00 EEST | Press release
Global demand for innovative health products continues to grow, and with it the requirements for quality, supply reliability and production capacity. LR Health & Beauty is therefore strengthening its Ahlen headquarters with an investment of more than €2 million, laying the foundation for further growth. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260709000261/en/ New, state-of-the-art production line in Ahlen, Germany, manufacturing LR 5in1 Beauty Elixir and LR 5in1 Men's Shot. At the heart of the investment is a new, state-of-the-art production line. LR will use it to fully consolidate the manufacturing of its successful 5-in-1 products at its Ahlen headquarters. This includes, among others, the LR 5in1 Beauty Elixir and the LR 5in1 Men’s Shot. At the same time, the new facility creates the conditions for future product innovations in modern nutritional supplement concepts. By bringing the complete production of its 5-in
Robbyant Unveils LingBot-World 2.0: Pioneering Hour-Long Real-Time Generation in World Models9.7.2026 09:52:00 EEST | Press release
Robbyant, an embodied AI company within Ant Group, today announced the open-source release of LingBot-World 2.0 (Infinity). This interactive world model significantly upgraded its world prediction and interactivity capabilities, supporting hour-long continuous generation, 720p/60fps high-definition real-time output, and richer interactive actions. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260708757367/en/ LingBot-World 2.0: Visual Demo of Real-Time Generation LingBot-World 2.0 also integrates a native agent mechanism, evolving generated worlds from merely watchable and controllable to "sustainably interactive and dynamically evolving", a first in the world model sector. While LingBot-World 1.0 set a benchmark with minutes-level stable generation, version 2.0 pushes the boundaries toward true infinity. The model leverages a Causal Pretraining Paradigm combined with a proprietary MoBA (Mask of Bidirectional Attention) mec
Aidoptation Receives Approval for First Fully Autonomous Driving Tests on Highways in the European Union9.7.2026 09:32:00 EEST | Press release
Aidoptation BV, the autonomous vehicle technology company headquartered at DronePort in Sint-Truiden, has received official approval from the Federal Public Service Mobility (FOD) and Transport and the Flemish Agency for Roads and Traffic (AWV) to conduct fully autonomous driving tests on public highways. The permit covers 100 km on the E313 and E314 highways in the province of Limburg, and marks the first time a Level 4 fully autonomous driving system will be tested at highway speeds on public roads in the European Union. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260708112110/en/ Our car driving on the highway (in manual mode). Within the global automotive industry, Level 4 is defined as autonomous driving capable of performing all driving tasks and monitoring the environment without any human intervention. This level of autonomy is distinct from the Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) that have been tested by se
FIFA World Cup™ Fans Embrace Referee View as Lenovo AI Brings Viewers Closer to the Pitch9.7.2026 07:00:00 EEST | Press release
New international research from Lenovo reveals that technological advancements are fundamentally changing how fans experience the FIFA World Cup 2026™, making viewers feel closer to the action than ever before. According to a survey of football fans across Australia, Canada, India, U.K., U.S., 87% say technology is improving their viewing experience, and 84% report the close-to-action camera perspectives help them feel like they're right there on the pitch. Accelerating this unprecedented view of the game is Referee View, powered by Lenovo AI that gives viewers a first-person look at the match from the referee’s point of view. The research further found: Over three-quarters (76%) of FIFA World Cup™ viewers have seen or heard about Referee View, and 91% say the close-to-action perspective is appealing. 88% say that smooth, stable footage is an important part of viewing sports footage, and nearly all fans (98%) say clear picture quality has been important when watching this FIFA World Cu
Empire State Building Observation Deck Launches Exclusive Soccer Jersey Ticket Offer for Sports Fans in July9.7.2026 01:37:00 EEST | Press release
The Empire State Building Observation Deck (ESBOD) today announced a new, exclusive ticket offer for soccer fans who don their favorite team’s duds at the “World’s Most Famous Building” in anticipation of the tournament final. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260708711923/en/ Empire State Building Observation Deck Launches Exclusive Soccer Jersey Ticket Offer for Sports Fans in July Guests who plan to wear their soccer jersey to the Empire State Building Observation Deck can purchase tickets online for 15 percent off to enjoy the immersive museum experience and New York City’s best views from the 86th and 102nd Floor Observation Decks. The limited-time offer is available only to guests who wear their soccer jersey on the day of their visit from now through July 31. “Whether they rep their favorite country’s jersey or the shirt from their hometown heroes, guests can celebrate their teams with prime views of the
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom