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.
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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.
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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.”
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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.
Appeal launched to find the owner of live chickens found at Creamfields festival
Daisy Jackson
The hunt is on to find the owner of a pair of chickens who were discovered at Creamfields festival.
The two birds were spotted on the grounds of the huge electronic music festival by bewildered festival-goers.
The cockerel and hen were trapped in a hedge, after it appears they wandered onto the festival campsite before the security barriers were installed.
The birds then found themselves trapped inside as around 70,000 music fans poured into Cheshire for a line-up that included Calvin Harris, Swedish House Mafia, Disclosure, and Tiësto.
The chickens have been safely rescued from the Creamfields festival site and are recovering at a wildlife centre, and now the RSPCA is on a mission to find their owner.
Festival-goers first called the RSPCA on Saturday 29 August to alert them to the cockerel and hen trapped inside the festival, one of whom assisted in the rescue mission.
RSPCA Inspector Leanne Cooper: “I was surprised that they were inside the festival site and I needed to get through the road blocks and security before reaching them on foot through muddy fields. I met the caller who helped me as they were just running up and down the hedge line where there was a wire fence blocking access.
Where the chickens were discovered at CreamfieldsThe RSPCA wants to track their owners down
“We managed to guide them out and I caught both of them with my rescue net which was a bit of a sight for the festival campers.
“I don’t think they were abandoned and they’re more likely to be stray because it’s farmland all around the festival site. They don’t have any health issues, apart from being quite underweight.
“With the fences going up a week before the festival starts they’d probably been unable to get out for some time and had been left foraging in the hedge. Someone mentioned that a third bird was also trapped, although we couldn’t find any others.
“I am really grateful to the festival-goer who found them and alerted us to their plight.”
Data reveals Manchester hotel prices have ALREADY surged by 462% on rumoured Oasis tour dates
Emily Sergeant
Manchester hotel prices have apparently already surged by 462% on rumoured Oasis tour dates, some new data has revealed.
Of course, absolutely nothing is set in stone yet and we are still yet to receive any form of announcement.
But with rumours having been swirling for months now that Oasis will be touring again in 2027, and several videos shared on the band’s social media platforms this week also hinting at that, it’s been revealed that searches for ‘when are Oasis tickets going on sale?’ have soared by 5,000% in the last seven days alone.
After recent data has pointed towards soaring searches for tickets, the experts at SeatPick decided to analyse the average cost of accommodation in Manchester on the suspected concert nights in June 2027 to uncover if prices have surged along with the searches.
Data reveals that Manchester hotel prices have already surged by 462% on rumoured Oasis tour dates / Credit: The Manc Group | Simon Emmett (Press Picture)
And lo and behold, it appears that they have.
The ticketing platform has revealed that hotel prices have surged by up to 462% during Oasis’ rumoured concert nights in Manchester.
The rumoured weekend date of 19 and 20 June has experienced the most noticeable price surge – with a two-star hotel costing an average of £216 for just one overnight stay.
The data also reveals that the rumoured finale on the 27 June has just a £95 difference between two-star hotels (£200) and five-star hotels (£295).
“Our analysis uncovered an enormous markup for local accommodation on nights that Oasis is rumoured to perform in Manchester,” explained Gilad Zilberman, who is the CEO at ticket platform SeatPick.
“Being aware of these accommodation costs and additional expenses can help fans plan and avoid being caught off guard by inflated prices on concert nights.
“To find the best deals on hotels, concertgoers should scan budget chains in the city or look slightly outside of the centre in hotspots served by local bus routes or regional trains, such as Salford and Trafford.
Emily Sergeant -
11th May 2023 
