The AO Arena in Manchester has finally unveiled its new VIP bar and restaurant, The Mezz, as part of its £50m redevelopment.
The luxurious new space promises to elevate the gig-going experience with five-star hospitality before, during and after every show at the huge venue.
There’s the restaurant space, of course, where the menu of modern British cuisine has been worked on by Simon Rogan MBE (of three-Michelin star L’Enclume) and Tom Barnes (of soon-to-open Skof in Manchester).
The pair will be working on quarterley seasonal dishes, which currently includes a roast rump of Herdwick lamb with onions and split pea; and a lightly-set jasmine cream with white chocolate and rose for dessert.
And members of The Mezz will gain priority reservation access to restaurants across the UMBEL portfolio, which are among the best and most sought-after tables in the world.
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Then across the way from the restaurant is The Mezz bar, where there’s a menu packed with signature cocktails, fine wines and champagnes.
The bar area remains open throughout every gig – so no more scrambling to get served in the main arena bars.
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The Mezz has been built above one of the AO Arena’s new barsInside The Mezz Bar at the AO Arena in ManchesterInside The Mezz Bar at the AO Arena in Manchester
There’s no rush to leave either. The Mezz bar remains open for several hours after the curtain falls, with DJs providing post-show entertainment.
Once you’ve eaten and drank your fill and are ready for the show, you can head up a short flight of stairs and find yourself in prime position in the AO Arena.
With plush best-in-house seats and a clear view straight-on to the stage, The Mezz’s audience experience is sure to set a new gold standard for arenas everywhere.
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The Mezz restaurant at the AO ArenaThe Mezz restaurant at the AO Arena
The new hospitality area sits between the new concourse and the 23,000-capacity arena bowl.
VIPs who have already tested it out include Brian McFadden, Jorgie Porter, Rachel Lugo and Peter Hook, who all attended a glittering red carpet launch night and watched Niall Horan perform.
Member perks include guaranteed attendance for all shows at the AO Arena, direct access to the arena bowl, early access via a dedicated VIP entrance, dedicated parking, all-inclusive food and drink, a private cocktail bar, a private dedicated table in the restaurant and personalised service including a cloakroom boasting the latest in venue technology, members app and portal, and dedicated host service. Pretty fancy.
But of course, all this luxury comes at a price. Memberships for The Mezz start from £3,500 – that gets you access to 10 shows and The Mezz Bar (for 10 shows with The Mezz Dining it’s £4,000).
And if you want to really soak in all the action with a 50-show membership, that’s £8,500 for the bar or £12,500 for the restaurant.
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You can find out more about The Mezz in Manchester and memberships here and follow The Mezz on Instagram here.
Review | Leigh-Anne at Albert Hall, Manchester – the best version of her
Thomas Melia
Leigh-Anne visits Manchester for her second gig since becoming a solo artist, dominating Albert Hall as part of her My Ego Told Me To Tour.
Opening with lines like ‘You want a revival?’, before commanding Manchester to ‘look into my eyes’ and ‘tell me what do you see’, Leigh-Anne isn’t just walking onto stage – she’s setting a precedent.
The start of the show sees the rebirth of Leigh-Anne, from former Little Mix member to solo pop act, and Dead and Gone helps deliver this with its powerful message.
The choruses are simple but impactful, especially when paired with harder hitting lines like ‘Five fingers to your face ’cause you know it slaps’, and ‘Can’t keep a good woman down’.
Leigh-Anne performing songs from her My Ego Told Me To Tour at Albert Hall, Manchester / Credit: The Manc Group
Don’t Say Love gives the Manchester crowd major Throwback Thursday energy (even though it’s Wednesday), taking fans right back to where it all started with her drum and bass-pop debut single.
As soon as the intro to Most Wanted starts, it awakens something in the crowd and the 2,000 capacity of Albert Hall Manchester intuitively get ready to bust a few moves.
This is a song that’s been on repeat for me since the album’s release and it certainly lives up to the high-energy of its studio recording in a live setting.
After hearing this track live and witnessing some of the shapes me and the crowd were throwing as a result, the song’s title makes a lot of sense – Sorry Mum.
Been A Minute is exhilarating with the “What you’re waiting for? / Put your back in it” background vocals courtesy of its Denise Belfon ‘Work’ sample.
Albert Hall in Manchester got to witness the ‘Revival’ of Leigh-Anne as she played her second gig as a solo artist last night / Credit: The Manc Group
The dancehall-pop track is the catalyst for Leigh-Anne’s independent artist journey as well as the first taste fans got of her debut album My Ego Told Me To.
This almost four-minute banger set the precedent for the whole project, establishing the album’s soundscape as a fusion of the star’s Jamaican heritage and pop prowess.
On her latest LP My Ego Told Me To there’s a cute interlude which features the voices of Leigh-Anne’s grandparents titled ‘You ARE a Star’ and it’s safe to say the crowd agrees.
The High Wycombe-born singer ends her show on a high, playing one of her biggest tracks to date, My Love, a collaboration with Afrobeats artist Ayra Starr.
For fans like myself, closing with this will come as no surprise as Leigh-Anne originally intended for this to be her first ever single as a solo artist, but was deterred by her label at the time.
Now, the former Little Mix star gets to set the record straight and enjoy her music career just how she intended – or in her words, how her ego told her to.
Printworks’ Vue cinema is the latest to get a comfort upgrade with new ‘Ultra Lux’ seats
Emily Sergeant
Cinephiles across Manchester are now able to enjoy the latest movie releases in ultimate comfort.
If you hadn’t already heard, over at the popularMediaCity Vue cinema complex, 75 brand-new ‘Ultra Lux’ seats were installed across seven screensat the end of last year, offering film fans what is, quite literally, the chance to sit in the best seats in the house.
And now,Printworks is getting in on the action as well, as a whopping 163 new ‘Ultra Lux’ seats have now been installed at Vue Manchester Printworks too.
Each seat provides the very-best view of the big screen and comes with a host of premium features.
Some of these exciting premium features include extra-wide armrests, a personal table forsnacks and drinks, your very-own beverage cooler – which is ideal for films with a particularly long run-time – and even backs and legs that recline independently, so you can find the most relaxing viewing position possible.
Ultra Lux seats have arrived at Vue Manchester Printworks / Credit: Vue Gallery / Supplied
Vue currently has 93 state-of-the-art cinemas throughout the UK and Ireland, totalling more than 850 screens – and Vue Manchester Printworks is the latest to benefit from upgraded seating.
This means that anyone heading to thecinema to see some of the latest and upcoming releases like Project Hail Mary, The Drama, Hoppers, Scream 7, How To Make a Killing, and so many more, can experience comfort like never before.
“We’ve invested in bringing Vue’s premium seating to our venues and can’t wait for customers to enjoy an even more comfortable cinema experience on their next visit,” commented Brodie Lyons, who is the Area Manager for the two Vue venues in Manchester.
“It’s truly the best way to immerse yourself in a film.”
Tickets for screenings at Vue Manchester Printworks and Vue Quayside Manchester start from £7.99, with upgrades to Ultra Lux available on selected tickets.
Daisy Jackson -
8th March 2024 
