O2 Apollo Manchester, Music venue in Ardwick, England
The O2 Apollo Manchester is a concert and film venue in an Art Deco building in Ardwick, Manchester. The hall spans two levels with an open floor area downstairs and fixed seating in the upper gallery, providing space for 3,500 visitors.
The building opened in 1938 as a cinema with actress Margaret Lockwood attending the ceremony and survived three Luftwaffe bombs during the Second World War. Use shifted in later decades, and the site evolved into a venue for live music and occasional film screenings.
Locals know the building changed names several times and now serves as a concert hall where younger visitors stand on the main floor. The atmosphere shifts noticeably between the quiet moments before shows begin in the upper gallery and the animated mood downstairs during performances.
The main floor switches between seating and standing arrangements depending on the type of event. Arriving early helps if you want to stand near the front or secure a good seat in the gallery, as the hall fills quickly for popular concerts.
The white terracotta Art Deco facade stands as one of the few remaining examples of 1930s entertainment architecture in Manchester. The Beatles performed here in 1963 and 1965, when the venue still functioned as a cinema and was just beginning to host live music.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
