At Screen Manchester we are extremely fortunate to be able to showcase the very best venues and locations to the Film & TV industry!
As we assist broadcasters and producers to turn dreams into reality and make scripts jump from page to screen it is imperative that we constantly reveal a range of locations to match with the many and varied requests that land on our desks every day!
That’s why we have decided to launch a regular feature on our site and across our social media platforms which focuses on a “Location Of The Month” and we couldn’t be more delighted to focus first on Manchester’s AO Arena.
Managed and operated by ASM Global, the AO Arena is one of the busiest venues in the world and is the largest indoor sporting arena in Europe. Its potential to provide film and television productions with a spectrum of cast and crew friendly spaces is virtually endless and of course at Screen Manchester we are also able to facilitate permits for exterior locations around and about this prime spot set right in the heart of the city.
Bobby Cochrane, Film Office Manager at Screen Manchester says,“Manchester offers producers a rich and varied selection of intriguing and characterful locations, all easily reached via the many international flights and main transport arteries which lead here. We love being able to discover these places and then to see them work on the big and small screen and to know that Manchester is being celebrated by a global audience. The AO Arena offers us something extra as it has the ability to house an extraordinary range of scenarios. We are delighted to be able to offer this stunning and brilliantly situated venue another range of choices to add to its already incredibly varied portfolio.”
Opened in 1995, the AO Arena has hosted some of the biggest names in live entertainment. Beyonce, Take That, Oasis, U2, The Rolling Stones, Prince, Madonna, Lady Gaga and Pavarotti are just some of those who have taken to the stage and of course as proud Mancunians we all remember local comedian Peter Kay’s record breaking run! The arena is a highly flexible and versatile space with 3000 square metres on the bowl floor which has hosted all manner of events and been used as an ice rink as well as tennis, basketball and netball courts. There are foyers, concourses, a green room, suites and VIP areas, food and drink kiosks, and over twenty dressing rooms and production offices not forgetting kitchens and an industrial gantry above the bowl.
Bobby Cochrane adds, “The main production space at The AO is very versatile and easily suits a number of location briefs. The clear span and height makes it great for big set pieces and special effects and the gantry above the bowl area can be incorporated into the set as well.”
So, all told the AO Arena is all set to accommodate the demands of busy filming schedules but in addition to this could also be the perfect venue for celebrity-led screenings or indeed launch parties for movies. The newly opened £50m MEZZ, Manchester’s hottest Bar and Restaurant, provides elevated elegance in the heart of the action exclusively at the AO Arena. Guests can enjoy a stylish dining experience before stepping out to the best seats in the house guaranteed the ultimate VIP experience from arrival to encore. Whether you’re entertaining Hollywood A-Listers, networking with Manchester’s finest or it’s just high-time you treated yourself to a night at MEZZ remember this stunning venue is also available for shoots and is typically not in use during the day. In short at AO Arena provides solutions for everyone across the board.
Katrina Hutchison of AO Arena says,“We pride ourselves in being a flexible venue, open to discussing options for how our space can be used beyond its original purposes. It is exciting to be sitting at the heart of a city where Film and TV production is thriving and we look forward to exploring projects along with the Screen Manchester team that will enable AO Arena to further expand its offering to the world at large. We are very much open to film and photography enquiries both large and small and with varying lengths of tenancy. We have a 23,000 capacity and a 360-degree seating configuration and we are used to dealing with events which have height, noise, and weight requirements in their production.”
Bobby Cochrane adds, “The ancillary and support spaces at AO Arena offer great potential for a number of different settings often found in contemporary dramas for example restaurants, bars, offices, kitchens and communal areas and when the venue is not in use, generally during the day, then these spaces are ideal for a production base and offer the flexibility for a busy schedule. These spaces also ensure that talent and crew would be extremely comfortable and looked after in the venue with additional areas that can be used for green rooms, costume, hair and make-up and catering.”
