AEG Presents’ Lucy Noble has told Music Week that the “elevated experience” of the new British Airways ARC venue will make it a major draw for global artists in the capital.
The 3,800-capacity, purpose-built venue in Olympia, West London will launch in June with two shows from Self Esteem. It is located above the existing West Exhibition Hall.
Within the complex, Olympia’s Grand Hall previously featured acts such as Jimi Hendrix, Rod Stewart, Bloc Party, Primal Scream and The Cure. The ARC venue aims to honour that heritage while meeting the demands of a modern audience.
“The Olympia estate is steeped in history, so to reignite that is exciting,” said Lucy Noble, senior vice president, UK venues at AEG Presents. “The wider campus is absolutely incredible, and with the Thomas Heatherwick design, it looks beautiful. It’s going to become a real destination.”
The venue is part of the £1.3 billion transformation of the site, which Noble said will offer fans an “elevated experience”. Robbie Powell has been appointed as general manager of British Airways ARC.
In addition to British Airways ARC, Olympia will feature a theatre, bars and restaurants, two hotels and 550,000 sq ft of office space. The Grand Hall exhibition space, operated and managed by Legends Global and Olympia Events, will also host concerts again. It launches with SJM-promoted, co-headline Bloc Party & Interpol dates in December.
Noble said British Airways was a “great partner” for ARC’s naming rights deal.
“It’s great to have that really strong British brand to associate with the venue,” she said. “We will be welcoming artists from all over the world, so we’re really excited about that too.”
International acts confirmed so far include Khalid, The Black Keys, Caravan Palace, Zac Brown Band, Sammy Hagar, Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, and Branford Marsalis and Dianne Reeves as part of EFG London Jazz Festival.
UK talent lined up includes McFly, The Damned and Self Esteem; the latter plays the opening dates on June 16 and 17, following last year’s Top 5 album A Complicated Woman.
“We’re really pleased about that, and she’s going to be great as a first act in the venue,” said Noble.
Describing the booking policy as “absolutely eclectic, but world-class at the same time”, Noble welcomed all genres.
“Country music is certainly growing in this country,” she added, also noting the rise of the family market for music and the strength of electronic/dance acts. In addition, the new venue will host comedy and sporting events.
The AEG Presents exec said that the modern design of the ARC, as well as the wider Olympia estate, means that it is a unique experience among standing venues in the capital. The configuration can also be changed to a seated layout for a more intimate setting.
“I’m excited to look at really big artists playing those intimate moments,” said Noble. “We hope to get artists that might normally be arena-level to come in and play, because it’s a really special venue. But then alongside that, we want to support new artists. We want it to be innovative and offer a platform to welcome everyone.”
We hope to get artists that might normally be arena-level to come in and play, because it’s a really special venue
Lucy Noble
AXS will be the ticketing partner for the new venue.
Among its mid-sized venue portfolio, AEG Presents also has the Eventim Apollo, which recently hosted BRITs-winning band Geese. Outside the capital, The Civic at The Halls Wolverhampton has a similar capacity of around 3,400.
“I did feel that there is a gap in the market for mid-sized venues,” explained Noble. “Hammersmith Apollo really ticks the boxes in terms of capacity. But there aren’t so many venues up and down the country of that size – although ours in Wolverhampton is a brilliant size for that region and the Birmingham area. But that mid-size is slightly lacking [in the UK live market].”
The Olympia launch comes as a fresh wave of domestic and international acts is breaking through. Noble said it would be suitable for new and established artists.
“It’s something between the smaller venues and the arenas; it is that kind of stepping stone,” she said. “Our standing capacity is 3,800, so that is a great capacity when people are on their way up to an arena, but also not quite ready to sell the 10,000-plus tickets.”
Noble also expects to welcome big names who are looking to play scaled-down gigs, following recent examples such as Robbie Williams’ Long ’90s Tour earlier this year, which called at venues including AEG Presents’ The Halls Wolverhampton, as well as O2 Academy Brixton.
“It will be great for those intimate shows,” she told Music Week. “There’s been a trend for artists doing those more club-sized or theatre-sized shows at the moment and getting back to their roots. They’re making choices about playing smaller venues, which I think is quite interesting, and it will be really positive for smaller venues and mid-sized venues up and down the country.”
With major artists also looking at playing more intimate residencies – such as Lily Allen’s recent pre-arena dates at the London Palladium – British Airways ARC is set to attract multi-night bookings.
“I absolutely think it can suit residencies, and that’s something that we will be looking to do as well,” said Noble. “It is perfect for residencies; we’d like to champion that idea.”
The launch of a new central London venue is also significant for the music industry. British Airways ARC is the first venue of its size to be built in London from the ground up in more than a decade.
“Finding that real estate in London to actually be able to build a new venue [is challenging],” said Noble. “[British Airways ARC] is groundbreaking because it is brand new. We see it as a flagship mid-sized venue for London and the UK.”
Despite competing with a whole range of venues across the capital, she anticipates there will be no issue in terms of demand for tickets or artist bookings.
“The live industry is as strong as ever,” said Noble. “When you’re opening a new venue, you’re starting from scratch in terms of building an identity, building a brand, getting audiences to come over when they may be used to going to another venue in London – there’s a lot of competition.”
It is perfect for residencies; we’d like to champion that idea
Lucy Noble
She described the new venue as “state of the art”, including an L-Acoustics sound system and in-house lighting.
“It’s plug-in-and-play so people can come in and they don’t need to bring all the production; it will sound fantastic and look fantastic,” said Noble. “The sight lines are amazing. When you’re on the stage, it feels really intimate for the artist, and it’s intimate for the audience.”
The premium experience includes the British Airways Wing private lounge and bar, as well as exclusive front row seating.
“It is a lowered front row in front of the balcony, which will be a VIP experience for audiences,” said Noble. “So we have thought about those special places within the venues for the customers.”
Noble joined AEG Presents as its first-ever artistic director in 2022 after 20 years at the Royal Albert Hall.
She was recently promoted to SVP of UK venues, overseeing mid-sized venues British Airways ARC, Eventim Apollo, Indigo At The O2, The Civic & The Wulfrun at The Halls Wolverhampton, and Watford Colosseum.
“We have grown and added a few in just the last few years,” said Noble. “My role is to oversee those venues and to drive them forward in positively looking at the programming, the identities of the venues, and just to put them on the map for touring, which artists are doing already.”
As it expands with venue launches, Noble said AEG Presents is supportive of the grassroots sector. It follows the launch of a voluntary ticket levy donated from arena and stadium shows to help fund the grassroots scene.
“We are always supportive of the wider grassroots infrastructure in the music industry,” said Noble, who’s a founding member of the LIVE board.
With the AEG Presents team now gearing up for launch, Noble said the ambition is for around 200 events a year.
“Having a new venue is amazing for London as well, and we’re seeing that people are really excited to find out more about it and for artists to perform there,” said Noble. “So I think we’re off to a strong start for ARC – and long may that continue. I’m very optimistic about it.”
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