Max SteventonWith AEG Presents just days away from opening the doors of the British Airways ARC, we took a look around the West London venue and caught up with Lucy Noble, the company’s senior vice president of UK venues, to discuss what it means for London and the live music industry.
The new 3,800-capacity space, located above Olympia’s West Hall, is part of a wider £1.3bn redevelopment of the west London site. It will open on 16 June, with Self Esteem launching the venue’s first season of shows.
You joined AEG after more than two decades at the Royal Albert Hall. Having worked on such a long-established, and much loved, venue for so long it must be interesting focusing on an entirely new facility?
It is very different because the Royal Albert Hall is a Grade I listed building, whereas this is a state-of-the-art new venue. It’s been a great experience seeing the different types of venues we can present in the UK. It’s almost the complete opposite in many ways, but that’s made it really enjoyable because it’s so different.
From a production perspective, what are the key elements of the offering at British Airways ARC?
We’ve got an L-Acoustics sound system, a full lighting rig, and the stage is 1.7 metres high, so it’s slightly higher than many others. Even things like the internal house lights are different, they can be programmed alongside the main lighting system, so we hope artists will come in and embrace the whole building creatively.
I think the audience experience is state of the art too. There are brilliant sightlines from every seat, and although it’s quite a large venue, it still feels intimate. It’s also designed to be accessible to everyone, with a wide range of ticket prices.
Can you talk me through the VIP options and how they work?
We’ve got a lowered front-row section at the front of the balcony called the Front Row. These are some of the best seats in the house if you prefer seated experiences although, of course, some people prefer standing.
The British Airways Wing is a viewing box located at the side of the stage. You buy a ticket at the upper end of the balcony seating range and then gain access to this dedicated space, which includes its own private bar. It’s a brilliant feature and quite unique for a venue. That’s one of the advantages of working with a new building – we can introduce ideas and experiences that simply weren’t possible in older venues.
Accessibility has clearly been a priority in the design process. What have you put in place?
We can accommodate 37 wheelchair users, we have accessible toilets, and fully accessible dressing rooms. The site itself has been designed with accessibility in mind from the start, and the accessible seating areas include some of the best views in the venue.
What’s the response from promoters and booking agents been like so far?
Promoters are starting to come over and see the venue now, and they’ve been really supportive. They are very pleased to have another venue option in London.
We want to book a wide range of artists. We have heritage acts like Van Morrison and younger performers such as Self Esteem. We want to be receptive to a wide range of genres as well. The EFG Jazz Festival is coming later this year, for example. The venue programme accommodates everyone.
What does it mean to you to be involved in opening a venue like this in West London, considering the area’s musical and cultural history?
Knowing the history of this site alone is special – artists like Jimi Hendrix performed here, and that instantly elevates what the venue means.
There’s such a rich creative and musical history in this part of London. But what’s exciting is that this isn’t just about the venue itself — it’s about the wider campus and creating a destination. I think it has the potential to take West London to another level.
Photo credit: Paul Harries