O2 Apollo Manchester


The O2 Apollo Manchester is a concert venue in Ardwick Green, Manchester, England. It is a Grade II listed building, with a capacity of 3,500.

History

The building was designed by architects Peter Cummings, Alex Irvine, and R. Gillespie Williams, in an Art Deco style. The building’s frontage consists of a glazed white terracotta façade. Its original purpose was as a multi-purpose cinema and variety hall and was opened by actress Margaret Lockwood.
In the 1970s, it stopped presenting films and became solely a concert venue.
It also hosts seated events to a capacity of 2,693. Split into two levels, the upstairs contains permanently fitted seating, whereas the larger downstairs can be altered to suit the event; both levels view a single concert stage. The venue has no air-conditioning except in the "Whiteroom" hospitality area.
The venue hosts a large number of popular music-based concerts and other events throughout the year.
Concert management and advertisement is handled by Live Nation, merchandise is sold by the permanent resident concession company CMI Ltd, and first aid cover for all events is provided by St. John Ambulance.
In September 2010, the venue was rebranded as the O2 Apollo Manchester.