Gigs & Nightlife

Celebrating 30 remarkable years of AO Arena – one of Manchester’s BIGGEST music hot spots

Hip hip TICKETS! I mean hooray...

Thomas Melia - 24th January 2025

The AO Arena is the home of core memories in Manchester, and is about to celebrate a monumental 30 years of creating magical music moments.

Over the last three decades, the AO Arena has been pulling in massive acts across a variety of genres, scales, demographics and styles of entertainment.

It’s hosted some of the world’s biggest tours and been a nurturing place for homegrown talent to perform their first-ever arena-level shows.

From head spinning and record breaking performances in 2008 with the company of Kylie Minogue to hundreds of comedy shows (a hundred of them courtesy of Peter Kay alone) this live music space really has welcomed some golden moments and continues to do to this day.

Manchester has been a pioneer city for the Northern music scene, and there’s no denying AO Arena has played a major part in transporting this scene to some unreal heights.

To celebrate the venue’s 30th birthday, we chatted with director of operations Miriam Stone, and although her name may not be familiar to a lot of you, we wouldn’t have the incredible memories we hold so dearly without her.

Interview with Miriam Stone, Director of Operations at AO Arena

There have been lots of acts who have made AO Arena their home for the night or for a couple of nights with their various tours and shows, who’s been your favourite to see live?

That is the question that people ask a lot. If you imagine over 130 shows a year, for 18 years, that’s a lot of shows. Tina Turner always stands out as being one of the most incredible events that we ever did, partly because you look at the stage and go, that’s Tina Turner. She had these big, massive heels, and went striding out to the audience, incredible!

Prince was the one that made me cry. We had three weeks notice that we were doing Prince’s concerts, and because of my age and where he sat in my life, that made me cry. That was amazing. Those two shows just make me sit back and take a breath.

Kylie Minogue AO Manchester arena show — Kylie Minogue has played more than 30 shows at AO Arena. Credit: Supplied

Living legends and rock royalty alike have stepped out and played shows here over the years, have there been any pinch me moments in your career that still leave you feeling starstruck to this day?

Billy Bragg. He was always one that made me laugh and made him laugh, I suppose it’s who you grew up listening to, isn’t it? Spice Girls were an interesting one too, because I was too old for the Spice Girls, when they were first around and but when they had their reunion tour, and I stepped out again and had a listen, there was just that swooping moment.

It’s the audiences, almost as much, if not more, than the artists, because when you have that many people all singing all at the same time its magical. When Coldplay did an arena tour I’d never seen seats behind the screen and stage sold before. That’s how much people wanted to be in that room and that crowd, because they all wanted to sing their heart out.

Spice Girls show at AO Arena, Manchester — Spice Girls at AO Arena. Credit: Supplied

I had my first ever concert experience here at AO Arena, my first ever show was Ariana Grande all the way back in 2014, who was the first artist you saw play here?

The first concert I worked here was Richard Ashcroft in 2006 followed very quickly by Christina Aguilera, two massive shows!

What are some of the strangest requests the team have received from a performer?

Most of those requests go to the promoter. We’ve had artists install doors and temporary walls to cut off certain parts of the room. We have a we have a wire that runs around the dressing room walls, because some artists like to style the dressing rooms the same everywhere they go. Most artists have a curtain that they then would normally bring a framework to hang things on to make the room more homely but in our venue, they don’t need to. They can just clip it around the walls. Whatever it is that makes the artists feel the most comfortable, we’ll do it.

What’s the most surprising event that you’ve ever held here?

The World Taekwondo championships, Disney on Ice the day after, and then, Cirque du Soleil was coming in the day after that, Oh my God!

We had to start building ice which we then covered up with wood, carpet and plastic so that we could then build the Taekwondo mats all on top of that, we did the Taekwondo on top of the ice. As soon as the event finished, we whipped it all out, carried on making the ice, did the ice show, brought in mini diggers, to break the ice up,and then loaded in Cirque du Soleil. I suppose those back-to-back days showed a really good range of the of the kind of events that we do.

David Haye AO Arena Manchester boxing — David Haye at AO Arena, highlighting just the range of events this entertainment space can do. Credit: Supplied

We’re only in the first few weeks of 2025 but I know music lovers like myself will be buzzing to fill up their concert calendars, what artists can we expect to see at the arena so far this year?

We’ve got, again, that range of things, from James Blunt to Toto to Sean Paul and Ashanti. Olly Murs, The Lumineers, Twenty One Pilots, Busted head to head with McFly, Lynnyrd Skynnyrd, Parkway Drive and Deacon Blue.

As Director of Operations for AO Arena, you will have spoken to plenty of attendees that have walked through the door and into this incredible live entertainment arena, which seat/view have people said is the best?

I mean that changes depending on your taste. When it comes to tennis some people want to be on the net line in 103 and 114. 108 and 109 are just brilliant, if you’re struggling for tickets, the front rows of the upper tiers are brilliant with a great view. The good thing about the front rows of of 102, 103, 114 and 115 is that you can feel like you’re part of the standing floor, but you still get your own seat.

You’ve worked in the music industry for more than a decade so you will be more than aware of how much planning goes into events and concerts, but if you could pick three individuals to play a special one night only show at AO Arena who would you choose?

If I could have David Bowie here, then, then that I could end my career! Billy Connolly, I have never laughed so much as I have watching him, people talk about crying laughing, I was almost sobbing laughing. And finally, The Dalai Lama, I’ve got this photo of him holding my hand, if they could come back and I could do that again, that’s a once in a lifetime, opportunity.

Madonna AO Manchester Arena — Another living legend, Madonna performed at AO Arena, opening her European leg of her ‘Invention World Tour’. Credit: Supplied

AO Arena turns 30 on 15 July 2025 and to celebrate they want you to submit your favourite pictures and memories in return for a chance to win free tickets, more info HERE.

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Featured Image: Publicity Pictures (Supplied)