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Manchester Arena is being renamed as the ‘AO Arena’

The new headline sponsorship will see the site titled the 'AO Arena' until 2025 - with AO customers entitled to exclusive access, tickets and experiences.

The Manc The Manc - 2nd September 2020

Manchester Arena has struck a deal with Bolton-based online electrical retailer AO to rename the city centre’s major entertainment venue.

The new headline sponsorship will see the site titled the ‘AO Arena’ until 2025 – with AO customers entitled to exclusive access, tickets and experiences.

This is the first time the arena has been branded since 2014.

In addition to the sponsorship announcement, arena operators ASM Global have also submitted a planning application for the first phase of the venue’s major redevelopment.

The strategy is aiming to turn the arena into one of the lowest carbon venues in Europe, enhance its existing access to onsite transport links, and act as hub for communities.

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Over 6,800 people from across Greater Manchester provided feedback as part of an extensive consultation on the plans – ‘with 94% voting positively on the proposals.’

Anthony O’Neill / Geograph

AO Founder and CEO, John Roberts commented on the announcement; “The Arena holds a special place in the hearts of so many people in Manchester so we’re hugely proud to add the AO smile, especially after such an emotional and difficult period. Our home is firmly in the North West, something we’ve never forgotten while building the business into a global destination for electricals.

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“We hope today’s redevelopment plans for the AO Arena which, combined with soon-to-be-announced good news about the events coming in 2021, will create hope and excitement about the future of entertainment in our great city.

“Through this sponsorship, we can deliver our famous AO smile to millions of visitors every year and we can’t wait to welcome them to the AO Arena. Thousands of our customers will also be able to enjoy amazing events with tickets, exclusive access and money-can’t-buy experiences.”

James Allen, General Manager of the AO Arena added: “We are thrilled to have secured this partnership and we look forward to a dynamic relationship with this exciting brand.

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“Marking our 25th anniversary with redevelopment plans and our new partnership with AO highlights our commitment to the future of this venue in the heart of Manchester. And after such a long period of pause, we look forward to being able to press play and welcome fans back to the AO Arena.”

AO and ASM Global will be working together to turn the venue ‘AO green’, with ambitions to book the biggest talent for shows once the arena is ready for a full reopening.

Learn more online.

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Noughties throwback Lemar announces special 20th anniversary gigs in Manchester and London

Danny Jones Danny Jones Lemar Manchester gig 20th anniversary

The one and only Lemar is back now only with new album but two special shows to mark his 20th anniversary in music.

A chart-topping, BRIT and MOBO award-winning artists who rose to popularity in the early 2000s, Lemar has sold millions of albums worldwide and is now returning with his first new record in nearly eight years.

Having released his latest 80s funk inspired new single, ‘Future Love’, today (7 February) and officially announced his upcoming seventh album, Page In My Heart, the noughties pop and R&B artist is back on the scene and thought it only fit to pay tribute to 20 years in the biz.

Two decades on from his debut album, Dedicated, Lemar is hosting a pair of anniversary shows in London and right here in Manchester. Now this is going to be quite the throwback.

Best know for hit tracks like ‘It’s Not That Easy’, ’50/50′, ‘What About Love?’, ‘Another Day’ and many more, the 44-year-old returns to the stage with a new sound but one that also calls back to his roots and early work.

Speaking in a statement, Lemar says: “With this new album, I wanted to make something for anyone who ever bought Dedicated, as this year is 20 years since its release. I thought I’d like to make something for the people who got behind that album, something that they would appreciate and like.

Descirbing his new single, he went on to say, “it’s more uptempo, it’s got that soulful feel, it’s a bit looser, a bit Chaka Khan. A bit ‘Dance (With U)’… it’s got that kind of energy to it.”

The Tottenham-born singer hasn’t been ‘away’ per se, having continued to perform up and down the country in recent years, but both he and his fans have been waiting “patiently” to get the right collection of songs together to release new material.

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His last album, The Letter, released back in 2015 and delighted die-hards but he says this latest project is about reconnecting with his fans, insisting that “it really is a page from my heart.”

Lemar will celebrate two decades of music and the 20th anniversary of Dedicated live with two special nights at O2 Ritz here in Manchester and London indigo at The O2 on the 27 and 28 of April, respectively. You best believe we’ll be getting one.

Tickets go on sale on 10 February at 10am. Tickets will be available HERE and at Ticketmaster.

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Image — Supplied/Lemar (via YouTuvbe)

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Neighbourhood Weekender announces massive warm-up show with Ian Brown, Happy Mondays and more

Danny Jones Danny Jones Neighbourhood Weekender Ian Brown Happy Mondays

Neighbourhood Weekender has announced a warm-up show on the Friday before the festival proper kicks off, with the likes of Ian Brown, Happy Mondays and more already confirmed.

With Neighbourhood 2023 set for the weekend of 27-28 May as festival season gets into full swing, the increasingly popular Victoria Park-based crowd-pleaser is effectively starting a day early with their ‘Live At The Big Top’ event.

Although the local favourite has previously put on a number of performances on the Friday before the Warrington Weekender as we know it, this is the first time this event has been held and will serve as a warm-up show for the impending gig-goers.

What better way to get the party going?

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Effectively acting as a warm-up party for the main event, the North West crowd will be treated to the likes of 80s and 90s Manc music icons Ian Brown and Happy Mondays, as well Liverpool indie band Cast and up-and-coming Welsh psych-rock band, CVC, a.k.a. Church Village Collective.

The lineup also denotes a landmark occasion, with this being the first time that Brown and Happy Mondays — two of pioneering artists of the ‘Madchester‘ scene — are sharing the same bill in their long and illustrious careers. Well, aren’t you a lucky lot?

While we’d say this is an absolute must if you truly want to make a full go of Neighbourhood Weekender, this is technically a separate event and it’s well worth attending if you can’t make it on the Saturday or Sunday for whatever reason.

Tickets go on sale at 9.30am on Friday, 10 February. You can grab yours HERE.

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Image — Ian Brown (via Wikimedia Commons)/Supplied/Happy Monday (via IG)

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