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
Cyclic Materials Opens America’s First Commercial-Scale Facility Delivering Automated Rare Earth Magnet Recovery9.9.2026 23:09:00 EEST | Press release
Cyclic Materials announced today the opening of its first commercial-scale rare earth magnet recycling facility in Mesa, Arizona, marking a major milestone in building domestic supply of rare earths and critical minerals. With an annual processing capacity of up to 25,000 metric tons of magnet-bearing end-of-life products, the facility produces Cyclic’s rare earth magnet material, Mag-Xtract™, and critical minerals such as copper and aluminum, and steel. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260909142592/en/ Leaders gather to mark the opening of Cyclic Materials’ new facility in Mesa, Arizona. From left to right: Herbert Flores, Arizona Commerce Authority Vice President of Business Development; Scott Somers, City of Mesa Vice Mayor; Jeff Dawley, Cyclic Materials CFO; Mark Freeman, City of Mesa Mayor; Ahmad Ghahreman, Cyclic Materials Founder and CEO; William Kimmitt, U.S. Under Secretary of Commerce for Internationa
Belkin Introduces Titan SmartShield Pro Collection for the New iPhone 18 Pro Lineup9.9.2026 22:00:00 EEST | Press release
Belkin, a leading consumer electronics brand for over 40 years, today introduced its new Titan SmartShield Pro collection, designed to protect and enhance the experience of the new iPhone 18 Pro lineup. The collection includes three distinct screen protectors – clear, Blue-to-Red and Bright Privacy – each combining advanced Nano-Titan Technology with premium anti-reflective properties, exceptional scratch resistance and up to 9 feet of impact protection.* This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260909094720/en/ Belkin Titan SmartShield Pro Blue-to-Red Light screen protector As smartphones become increasingly central to how people work, travel and connect, the Titan SmartShield Pro collection goes beyond traditional screen protection to address the different ways consumers use their devices throughout the day. Whether prioritizing crystal-clear viewing, greater visual privacy or a more comfortable screen experience, us
PPAI Releases Landmark Study Showing Branded Merchandise Supports a $472 Billion Global Economic Footprint9.9.2026 20:24:00 EEST | Press release
Branded merchandise connects brands and people every day, but its impact extends well beyond the products consumers wear, use, receive or purchase. A landmark study commissioned by Promotional Products Association International (PPAI) provides the first comprehensive look at the global economic ecosystem behind branded merchandise. Conducted by independent global advisory firm Oxford Economics, the Branded Merchandise Global Market Report measures the industry end to end, from manufacturing and decoration to distribution, retail, e-commerce, fulfillment, marketing and brand activation. Key findings: $338.3 billion was spent on branded merchandise globally in 2025. The industry supported $472.3 billion in global GDP. Branded merchandise supported 11.9 million jobs worldwide. The sector supported $141.3 billion in global tax revenues – roughly the same as the entire Swiss federal budget. “For years, we’ve known branded merchandise has an extraordinary ability to connect brands with peopl
Vindral Named Recipient of 2026 Technology & Engineering Emmy ® Award9.9.2026 19:38:00 EEST | Press release
Vindral, the Swedish company building future-ready technology for real-time audio and video, has been named a recipient of a 2026 Technology & Engineering Emmy® Award by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS). Vindral is recognised in the category Web-Based Frame-Accurate Remote Monitoring Systems for Distributed Broadcast Production. The co-recipients in the category are SipRadius, NBCUniversal, Grass Valley, CBS Sports, Disney, Game Creek and Amazon. The awards will be presented on October 14 at the Television Academy's Saban Media Center in North Hollywood, California, where Vindral will be represented by CEO Daniel Alinder and Ian Jefferson. The Technology & Engineering Emmy® Award is one of the U.S. television industry's most prestigious recognitions of technical achievement, previously awarded to companies including Apple, Sony, Netflix and YouTube. This year's recipients are honoured for technology that enabled high-quality, real-time production from distribu
Elliptic Intelligence Used by the USSS to Take Action Against Xinbi, the $30 Billion Criminal Marketplace and Money Laundering Operation9.9.2026 19:36:00 EEST | Press release
Elliptic, the global leader in risk intelligence for on-chain finance, today confirmed that it provided the intelligence used by the United States Secret Service in action taken today against the Xinbi marketplace. The U.S. Secret Service froze wallets belonging to the marketplace and its merchants, containing $52.8 million in cryptoassets linked to Xinbi marketplace. Elliptic provided the data and intelligence that no other provider could. The data was extracted from Elliptic’s Data Fabric Solutions into the USSS' systems, giving investigators the one hundred thousand-foot view, connecting on-chain and off-chain data to paint a full picture of illicit activity rather than a snapshot in one screen of data. Data Fabric provides access to the same blockchain data and intelligence set behind Elliptic’s solutions, and that Elliptic’s own intelligence team used to expose both Huione and Xinbi before anyone else. Since beginning operations in 2022, Xinbi Guarantee and its merchants have proc
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