Academy Music Group Assumes Operation Of Newcastle City Hall

– O2 Newcastle City Hall
The new O2 branding will go up soon

Academy Music Group Limited (AMG) today announced that it will be taking over the commercial operation of the 2,135-capacity Newcastle City Hall from Newcastle Theatre Royal Trust.

The deal follows an agreement between AMG, Fusion Lifestyle and Newcastle City Council.

 

Newcastle City Hall becomes part of the AMG portfolio, which also includes  London’s O2 Academy Brixton and O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire. 

As part of the agreement, City Hall, will be rebranded O2 City Hall Newcastle from 03 May 2019 as part of Academy Music Group and Live Nation Entertainment’s long-standing partnership with O2, which began in January 2009. 

The announcement follows the recent addition of the 3,500-capacity O2 Victoria Warehouse Manchester in August 2018 to AMG’s venue portfolio.

 

Opened in 1927, the Grade-II-listed City Hall is a major part of the city’s cultural heritage as one of Newcastle’s first dedicated concert venues.

The venue saw an explosion in the amount of concerts hosted in the 1960s, when it opened its doors to pop music.

Tommy Jackson/Redferns – Motorhead Launched Their 2010 Tour At Newcastle City Hall
The late Lemmy Kilmister of Motorhead performs on stage during the first night of their tour at City Hall on November 10, 2010 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England.

 

The Theatre Royal Trust took over the management of City Hall from Newcastle City Council in April 2016 and has made significant improvements to the building over the last three years.

 

“Newcastle has a musical heritage to be proud of. It’s a city that is famed for its nightlife, and live music especially plays a major part in that” said Graham Walters, COO, Academy Music Group. 

“Here at AMG, we are renowned for our experience in live entertainment and venues across the UK, particularly historic and listed buildings; and we’re delighted to be shaping one of Newcastle’s most iconic venues with the ambition to entertain and preserve its amazing history. We look forward to presenting a full range of live music and events and securing its future for many years to come,” he continued.

 

Added Philip Bernays, chief executive of the Newcastle Theatre Royal Trust: “Academy Music Group is an industry leader in concert hall management and promotion. They have the industry expertise and resources to develop both programming as well as the building to ensure O2 City Hall Newcastle continues to thrive as one of the major venues for Newcastle and the North East.”

 

O2’s head of sponsorship Gareth Griffiths concluded: “O2 City Hall Newcastle is a fantastic addition to our O2 Academy estate and further demonstrates O2 and Academy Music Group’s commitment to live music in Newcastle. With Priority Tickets, O2 customers will have access to tickets 48 hours before general release. Furthermore, all Priority Tickets for this venue will be mobile only, helping to combat ticket fraud and ensuring tickets go to genuine fans so they can experience more live music and events in this historic building.”   

 

Upcoming shows at the O2 City Hall Newcastle include UB40, The Vamps, Hozier, Eddie Izzard, Will Young and James Morrison.