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
Aqara Announces the Availability of The Spatial Multi-Sensor FP400, Offering Advanced Spatial Intelligence for Smart Homes16.9.2026 10:00:00 EEST | Press release
Aqara, a global leader and pioneer in IoT, today announced the release of the Spatial Multi-Sensor FP400. The FP400 is designed to bring precise, spatial intelligence to homes without sacrificing the privacy typically compromised by smart cameras. Rather than simply detecting motion or presence, the FP400 enables homes to better understand occupancy, movement, and context for more granular and personalized automations and insight. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260916958372/en/ Aqara Announces the Availability of The Spatial Multi-Sensor FP400, Offering Advanced Spatial Intelligence for Smart Homes The Spatial Multi-Sensor FP400 redefines how smart homes perceive and interact with living spaces by combining high-precision spatial sensing with AI-powered environmental understanding. Powered by a next-generation high-precision 60GHz mmWave radar, the FP400 delivers industry-leading multi-person sensing, precise
Cambridge Associates Opens Italian Office and Expands European Leadership16.9.2026 10:00:00 EEST | Press release
Global investment firm Cambridge Associates (CA) today announced the opening of a new office in Milan and the appointment of two senior hires in Europe. The move reflects the firm’s ongoing commitment to providing bespoke services to current and future institutional and family office investors across the region. Raphael Heynold has joined the Client Solutions team as Head of EMEA and APAC and will serve on the firm’s EMEA Operating Committee. Based in London, Raphael is a key member of the Global Client Solutions Leadership team, responsible for driving growth and market expansion and overseeing client engagement efforts across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia Pacific regions. Heynold brings more than 30 years of experience across client strategy, investment banking and investment management, and has worked with many sophisticated families and institutions around the world. Riccardo Pianeti has joined Cambridge Associates to lead the Italian office. He will serve as Head of the Milan
International Expansion Far Outweighs M&A as a Legal and Compliance Execution Burden, CSC Research Finds16.9.2026 09:49:00 EEST | Press release
International expansion is creating a far heavier legal and compliance execution burden than M&A itself, with nearly three quarters (74%) of senior cross-border professionals citing market entry or international expansion as a leading burden, compared with just 28% for M&A transactions, according to new research from CSC, the leading provider of global business administration and compliance solutions. The challenge extends well beyond deal execution. Ongoing entity governance and compliance is cited by 71% of respondents, highlighting the operational burden of establishing and maintaining a presence across multiple jurisdictions. CSC’s new report, The Cross-Border Readiness Gap: Navigating the Legal and Compliance Burden of International Expansion, draws on the views of 200 senior professionals globally with direct experience of cross-border transactions, expansion, restructuring, and entity or compliance work. Fragmented entity and ownership information is a major source of that compl
Okomera Strengthens Its Leadership Team With the Appointment of Marion Ghibaudo as Chief Technology Officer16.9.2026 09:00:00 EEST | Press release
Okomera, a TechBio company pioneering next-generation cancer care through the development of a proprietary technology platform combining tumor mini-avatars, microfluidics, and AI-powered imaging, today announced the appointment of Marion Ghibaudo as Chief Technology Officer. She will spearhead the company’s technology and innovation strategy and lead the industrial deployment of its integrated hardware, software, and biological platform. Marion Ghibaudo will join Okomera’s Executive Committee and report to CEO Silvère Lucquin. In parallel, Raphaël Tomasi, Okomera’s co-founder and former CTO, transitions to the role of VP Platform, ensuring continuity in the development of the company’s technology platform. Marion’s appointment comes at a key stage in Okomera’s growth as the company advances toward pilot studies, industrial scale-up, and commercialization. Okomera has developed a proprietary technology platform that transforms patient biopsies into multiple miniaturized tumor avatars, e
Galderma’s Restylane ® Volyme™ Demonstrates High Effectiveness, Satisfaction and a Robust Safety Profile in Chinese Patients With Temple Hollowing16.9.2026 08:00:00 EEST | Press release
Galderma (SIX: GALD) today announced positive topline results from a study of Restylane Volyme for the correction of moderate-to-severe temple hollowing in 162 patients in China.1 The study met its primary endpoint, demonstrating the effectiveness and safety of Restylane Volyme versus a no-treatment control, while also achieving high patient and investigator satisfaction.1 These data further reinforce Galderma's ambition to expand its Restylane hyaluronic acid (HA) injectables portfolio in China, one of the world's fastest-growing aesthetics markets, through evidence generation that supports broader patient access and additional treatment areas.1-3 Powered by diverse NASHA®, NASHA HD™, and OBT™ technologies, Restylane offers gels with the highest firmness to the highest flexibility, enabling personalized treatments that deliver structural support, natural-looking results, and a healthy glow.1,4-8 Restylane Volyme is a moderately soft and flexible gel made with OBT that distributes with
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