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
Clearwater Analytics Completes $8.4 Billion Take-Private Acquisition by Permira and Warburg Pincus25.6.2026 17:07:00 EEST | Press release
Clearwater Analytics (“CWAN”, “Clearwater” or the “Company”), today announced the completion of its previously announced acquisition, a transaction valued at approximately $8.4 billion, by a Permira and Warburg Pincus-led Investor Group (the “Investor Group”). The transaction was supported by Francisco Partners, with participation from Temasek. With the completion of the acquisition, Clearwater’s Class A common stock no longer trades on the New York Stock Exchange. Under the terms of the agreement, Clearwater stockholders received $24.55 per share in cash, representing an approximately 47% premium over the Company’s undisturbed share price on November 10, 2025, the last trading day prior to media reports regarding a potential transaction. The transaction followed a thorough review process overseen by a Special Committee of independent and disinterested members of the Clearwater Board of Directors, which unanimously recommended approval of the transaction. The transaction was approved b
Visa Redefines Its Role in Travel With the Global Launch of Visa Destinations25.6.2026 17:00:00 EEST | Press release
Visa (NYSE: V), a global leader in digital payments, today announced the launch of Visa Destinations, a passion-led travel platform live in 10 major locations around the world, as the company redefines its role in the rapidly growing experience-driven travel economy. The move marks a strategic expansion of Visa’s role beyond payments, positioning the company at the center of how travelers discover, plan and experience trips. According to Visa research, travelers are increasingly choosing destinations based on passion, purpose, and experiences, not just geography. In 2025 alone, 4 in 10 American travelers made a trip to experience music, sports or art festivals1, with major cultural moments acting as magnets for international visitors and catalysts for local economies. Available exclusively to Visa customers, through a mobile-first platform, Visa Destinations is designed around why people travel, whether they are drawn by food, fashion, sports or simply wandering the streets for hidden
Andersen Consulting Adds House of Code to Strengthen Technology and Data Solutions25.6.2026 16:30:00 EEST | Press release
Andersen Consulting expands its technology transformation capabilities through a Collaboration Agreement with House of Code, a global firm headquartered in the U.S., specializing in data-driven platforms, automation, and agentic AI solutions. Founded in 2001, House of Code develops software solutions and provides consulting services for the energy trading and financial services sectors, with clients spanning hedge funds, private equity firms, and utilities. The firm brings deep expertise in energy trading and risk management, supporting organizations with systems implementation, business transformation, data automation, and AI-enabled workflow modernization. Its proprietary platform, Enterprise Platform for Integrated Compliance (EPIC), streamlines data management, automates reporting processes, improves operational visibility across enterprise systems, and provides a foundation for building intelligent agentic workflows. “We approach every challenge by focusing on clarity, efficiency,
Incode Acquires Identiq to Expand Its Privacy-First Architecture for Identity and Fraud Prevention25.6.2026 16:00:00 EEST | Press release
Incode Technologies, a global leader in AI-powered identity verification and fraud prevention, today announced that it has completed the acquisition of Identiq, a company specializing in privacy-enhancing cryptographic solutions for peer-to-peer anti-fraud collaboration. Incode announced this acquisition as part of a $100 million commitment to advancing its original privacy-preserving identity infrastructure. The funds will be used to enhance on-device processing capabilities, continue R&D in privacy-enhancing technologies, and expand engineering resources and its global footprint. “We have always believed that privacy and fraud prevention are not a tradeoff, but part of the same problem, solved together or not at all,” said Ricardo Amper, Founder and CEO of Incode. “Identiq is the piece that enhances our Privacy by Design architecture, the natural culmination of the decisions we made on day one.” Incode’s privacy commitment rests on three architectural decisions made at the company’s
Gurobi Introduces New Optimization Game Set in a Fast-Paced Coffee Shop25.6.2026 16:00:00 EEST | Press release
Gurobi Optimization, LLC, the leader in decision intelligence technology, today announced the launch of Gurobean: The Coffee Optimization Game, a new educational game that brings nonlinearity, simulation, and decision-making under uncertainty to life. Following the success of the Burrito Optimization Game—which has been played over 85,000 times by learners across the world since its launch in 2022—Gurobean places players behind the counter of a virtual coffee shop, where they must make critical decisions around pricing, staffing, queue management, inventory levels, and more. The free, interactive game furthers Gurobi’s ongoing commitment to open education, teaching players: The value of mathematical optimization How quickly real-world decision problems become too complex to solve by trial and error How nonlinearity and uncertainty make outcomes harder to predict Why solvers like Gurobi and other optimization algorithms are essential for finding decisions that perform well across many p
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