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AO Arena unveils plans for new ‘luxury’ suite, bar, and restaurant as part of £50m redevelopment

The Mezz promises to take guests "above and beyond the show".

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 11th May 2023

AO Arena has today unveiled plans for a brand-new range of ‘luxury experiences’ as part of its £50 million redevelopment.

As Manchester‘s flagship entertainment venue undergoes its major transformational redevelopment over the next three years, and continues to expand and elevate its premium portfolio, the venue has today unveiled exciting plans for a brand-new and exclusive ‘members only’ state-of-art luxury suite, bar and restaurant.

Called ‘The Mezz’, and set to open in early 2024 – with bookings being taken from this month – the new level promises to take guests “above and beyond the show” through two connected experiences.

The new premium bar and restaurant will serve up the best in modern British cuisine, champagne, fine wines, signature cocktails, and post-show entertainment – with freshly-prepared modern dishes using local and seasonal ingredients, complemented by an expertly-crafted wine list, and “impeccable service timed to perfection”.

AO Arena has unveiled plans for a new ‘luxury’ suite, bar, and restaurant / Credit: AO Arena

Master mixologists will pour champagne, and prepare a wide range of cocktails and mocktails accompanied with snacks and sharing platters.

Guests will have an unrivalled view of the arena bowl and world-famous stage from The Mezz, as well as direct access to the best seats in the house, and then after the show, the bar will stay open with a DJ on the decks to keep the party going.

The AO Arena says The Mezz will be “the ultimate space” to start and end a night of live entertainment. 

The Mezz promises to take guests “above and beyond the show” / Credit: AO Arena

Speaking on the unveiling of the plans for The Mezz, Jen Mitchell – General Manager at AO Arena – said: “With our redevelopment works well underway, we are absolutely delighted to announce the launch of The Mezz – a stunning new suite, premium bar and restaurant for guests right here in Manchester city centre.

“There will of course be access to watch the shows from some of the best seats in the house.

“We’re incredibly proud to be elevating AO Arena as we drive ahead to a bright future, so it’s fantastic to be able to reveal this latest addition in the works as part of our state-of-the-art premium portfolio.”

The AO Arena says The Mezz will form part of the long-term vision and investment to “future-proof” the venue as it looks ahead to exciting times at the heart of the action in Manchester city centre.

The AO Arena is currently going through a three-year £50 million redevelopment project / Credit: AO Arena

As well as The Mezz, customers will also see upgraded concourse areas with revamped bars and new menu offerings that “cater for diverse and evolving food and drink requirements”, all opening throughout 2023 and into 2024 as part of the redevelopment plans.

And crucially, the floor space within the arena’s main bowl is being expanded as part of the redevelopment to allow for increased capacity. 

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For more information on The Mezz membership, or to book the new venue, you can contact [email protected] or call 0161 950 1069.

There’s also a dedicated portal that’s accessible via a QR code on www.ao-arena.com/the-mezz.

Featured Image – AO Arena

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Heaton Park’s ‘Gallagher Hill’ where people have been watching Oasis for free is no more

Thomas Melia Thomas Melia Heaton Park's 'Gallagher Hill' where people have been watching Oasis for free is no more

The Heaton Park viewpoint coined ‘Gallagher Hill’ which fans flocked to to watch Oasis for free has been closed off ahead of the remaining gig dates.

The particular high area of Heaton Park has gone viral online after Oasis fans have been using it to watch the Live ’25 shows for free, with a distant view of the huge screens.

But as thousands of ticket-holders flock back to the remaining Manchester gigs of Oasis Live ’25, fans who couldn’t manage to get any tickets will be disappointed to learn that the viral viewing point Gallagher Hill has been shut down.

Usually, this hill section of the Manchester green space isn’t filled with Gallagher supporters – it’s normally home to a herd of cows who use this land to graze and walk about on throughout the day.

Huge fences have now been erected around the area to prevent any further groups from gathering, with Oasis still set to perform on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday.

Manchester City Council has said that there are also around 300 young trees that have been planted in this part of Heaton Park to develop a new woodland area.

@susiehookwayfitness #gallagherhill #oasis #oasisheatonpark #oasis25 ♬ original sound – Susie_m_h_fitness

The purpose of the fencing is ‘dual purpose’, a council spokesperson said: “Both to protect the environment from further damage and to dissuade people from gathering there. The necessary measure means the concert will no longer be visible from this area.”

After seeing videos of fans in this particular area, one TikTok user checked it out for herself asking her followers: “Would you get on Gallagher hill now?” before panning her camera to show cows grazing on the land.

Although fans of the Manchester icons were flocking to this spot in order to join in on the Oasis fun from afar, issues have been raised via safety concerns of visitors, the cattle herd and reports of litter.

Fans are now being directed to enjoy the many, many events taking place in the city centre, including the MCR Live Hub at Piccadilly Gardens.

'Gallagher Hill' in Manchester today ahead of the next Oasis shows
'Gallagher Hill' in Manchester today ahead of the next Oasis shows
‘Gallagher Hill’ in Manchester today ahead of the next Oasis shows. Credit: The Manc Group

Some fans have been very understanding reasoning this fair decision admitting, “Probably because of security and threats unfortunately”, while others express their disappointment asking, “How sad do you have to be to put that up?”.

One social media user, who was planning on taking a family member to this brand new Manchester landmark commented, “They could’ve utilised Gallagher hill”.

The fan went on to pose the question of making it an official viewpoint for concerts, posing the question, “£30 entry fee, is that too steep?”.

Councillor John Hacking, Executive Member for Employment, Skills and Leisure, Manchester City Council, said: “The atmosphere across Manchester has been electric over this last week with the whole city swept up in Oasis fever and peaking over the weekend with the first two hugely successful homecoming concerts at Heaton Park.

@x.777.sdj #oasis #oasis25 #gallagherhill #heatonpark #manchester #mancunian #manc ♬ original sound – Simone xo

“As you would expect given the size of the concerts and numbers of people attending, we go through a continuous process with partners of re-assessing the plans in place for the concerts to ensure both public safety and that any environmental impact on our award-winning park is minimalised.

 “The steps being taken ahead of the next concert regretfully mean the distant view of the large screens behind the event stage will no longer be there. Unfortunately our hand has been forced in having to put these additional measures in place to protect the very recent extensive planting of young trees in that location as we try to establish a new woodland area in the park, and the wellbeing of our cattle herd in the field, as well as to keep people in the park safe.

“Our advice to music fans who don’t have tickets for the concerts is to head into the city centre instead.  The whole city is going all out to celebrate and help everyone have a good time.  We’ve got some fantastic things going on with a real party atmosphere for everyone to enjoy whether they’ve got tickets for the Oasis gigs or not.”

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Featured Images – The Manc Group

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American rock band Alter Bridge announce massive Manchester gig

Danny Jones Danny Jones Alter Bridge Manchester ticket 2026 tour dates

American rockers Alter Bridge have announced a brand new album and a massive European tour along with it, including a pretty big gig here in Manchester.

Staring down the barrel of their eighth studio release, the Orlando-based heavy rock, progressive and alternative metal four-piece are bringing their brand of triumphant, in-your-face, Floridian guitar thrashing and powerful drumming to the city centre in the new year.

Veritable veterans of the industry at this point, Alter Bridge are set to drop their upcoming record – a self-titled project which will debut almost a whole 22 years on from the launch of their first, One Day Remains – at the start of 2026, and will be heading out on the road soon after.

Confirming a total of 31 dates across the continent, they’ll be getting the shows underway in mid-January before landing in the UK just over a month later.

Fronted by lead singer and equally talented guitarist, Myles Kennedy (who also performs with fellow genre legend, Slash, as part of The Conspirators), Alter Bridge have regularly notched number one in the rock charts, and have landed as high as number three in the UK’s pop-dominated Official Album Charts.

In 2017, they cleaned up at the 6th annual Loudwire Music Awards, winning ‘Best Rock Band’, ‘Best Rock Album’ and ‘Best Rock Song’ all in one night.

Boasting more than a billion streams to their name to date, they have gradually become one of the biggest and most commercially successful rock bands in the US over the course of more than two decades now.

Other tour dates on this side of the pond include Northern neighbours Newcastle, as well as the likes of Nottingham, Glasgow, London and Dublin over in Ireland.

Alter Bridge will be joined in Manchester by fellow long-standing rock outfit, Daughtry (‘What About Now’, ‘Home’, ‘Over You’), as well as Atlanta legends, Sevendust.

With such a well-respected discography, not to mention a deep and rich back catalogue, you can expect them to play a healthy selection of the hits as well as their newest tracks, which will be available on Friday, 9 January.

Speaking ahead of their latest LP, Kennedy said in a statement: “You can’t ever rest on your past success. We’ve never allowed ourselves to get too comfortable. The only way to stay at a certain level is to be very dedicated to what you’re doing. We’ve crossed the 20-year mark.

“We’ve proven we can do this for the duration. We worked hard to get to a place where we can plant our flag. We’re still around as the four original members, so it felt appropriate to call the album Alter Bridge.”

Co-founding member and former Creed lead guitarist, Mark Tremonti, went on to add, “I think this record earns that title. The material felt strong enough, so we’re letting the music speak for itself.”

Alter Bridge arrive at the AO Arena in Manchester on 26 February 2026, with Three+ presale available from 10am tomorrow (Wed, 16 July), venue early access going live at the same time on Thursday, and general admission tickets up for grabs from Friday – again, 10am.

You can get ready to secure yours HERE.

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

Featured Images — Chuck Brueckmann (supplied)/Audio North

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