First Direct Arena

Was so lovely to enjoy the amazing Hans Zimmer concert at this venue. The queue was massive long and was surprised how fast it took to get in. Thanks to such lovely Stuart efforts and organising.. try not take a long umbrella with you as I was asked to leave it at the door outside 😔 many bars selling drinks and food available inside. Sadly they need to add more toilets facilities, it's logic to have such massive amazing arena and just few toilets for massive number of ppl. The sound and light was very good. Thanks for hosting such an amazing concert and all the organisation...

I do like this venue, its an arena that still feels like a smaller venue. We saw Wolf Alice , who were amazing ! Entry to the venues easy enough, a number of barriers, we carried no bags so it was straight forward to get through security. Once inside, it was well signposted, easy to find our seats, toilets, the bar and the merch stand. The bar was very expensive for beer, but water was free ! The view of the stage was excellent from all sides, we were on the second set of seats, which were comfy and had good leg room. Sound was good too, I'd definitely recommend coming here.

Went to Wolf Alice yesterday at First Direct, staying in Black and white lounge. Staff were incredibly vigilant on arrival, with multiple security checks in place, including scanners, ticket and wrist band checks. No queue on entrance and doors were open for the lounge a few minutes earlier than stated which was really good as it was raining. The lounge was fab, live music, comfy chairs, no queues for toilets, merch or drinks, really clean, definitely worth the upgrade. Staff were incredibly friendly and helpful both in the lounge and the arena, using torches in dark areas and guiding people to seats, they were on the ball. Drinks were very expensive. Only complaint is that given the price of the lounge, it would’ve been good for it to be open for a bit after the concert had finished to use toilets, but as soon as the encore was over it was shut. Arena area was mostly clean, seats comfortable with plenty of space so that nobody was touching shoulders. Leg room was very very tight, people struggled to get in and out of seats, even when people stood up to let them in. We were in section 215, which had a fabulous view despite being quite far away from the stage. Overall it is a great arena and I would recommend it to anyone who asks.

Has been there for Simply Red concert. Well organised everything was on time. Not impressed with t- shirt prices but I think that maybe the band indication. Good acoustic. Overall good experience.

We went to see Simply Red in September. We paid £175 per head for the North Gallery. It was a mixed bag. The photos are what you see from where it is. If you have the choice between the back few rows that are high up and the gallery, take the latter. If the cost difference isn't huge. The view of the stage is unobstructed, but if you want to see the artist up close, you may want to avoid this. The description of it sells it as more of a suite or corporate box. It's not, you'll pass those on the way. It's essentially a self-contained, tiny corridor with around 15 barstools, each with limited space to move or dance. There is a dedicated waitress service, and she was lovely, although you receive one token each for a complimentary drink. I had a Diet Coke, which half-filled the glass. I inquired and was told they only served 330ml bottles of Coke, hence it was half full. It didn't look good and didn't sit well with us. Subsequently, 2 alcoholic drinks and the Coke cost me £23. The toilets are immediately outside, so instantly accessible. The kitchen apparently closed at 20:30 - it may not always be so - which seemed a bit like the DC. For about 10 - 15 max people, at least offer cold snacks or sandwiches. Maybe they do, but if so, we weren't told. The external entrance to the VIP area is clearly visible and well signposted, with a dedicated lift providing direct access upstairs. If the cost wasn't significantly higher than the high rows, we would use it again. Obviously, that's an individual judgement call. On the other hand, we felt somewhat short changed. There was certainly no wow factor. But it was ok.