Key Takeaways

• Visitor Statistics: Aviva Studios has welcomed over 1.5 million visitors since its opening in October 2023.
• Architectural Design: The venue was designed by renowned architect Ellen van Loon, featuring flexible spaces and advanced acoustics.
• Cultural Impact: Aviva Studios is redefining performance art by integrating music, theatre, gaming, and visual arts.
• Community Engagement: The venue supports local artists and offers accessible ticketing initiatives for underprivileged groups.

Aviva Studios is Manchester’s latest cultural powerhouse. Since October 2023, the venue has welcomed over 1.5 million visitors and is rewriting the rules of performance and creativity – bringing music, theatre, gaming, and visual arts together under one roof. Designed by world-renowned architect Ellen van Loon, its flexible spaces and cutting-edge acoustics make it a playground for global artists and local talent alike.

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“This is a venue of the future – we don’t worry about old definitions of art forms. Musicians, video artists, and performers are all mixed together here,” John McGrath, artistic director and chief executive of Factory International, tells Billboard U.K. With a focus on commissioning and booking new interdisciplinary works, the non-profit arts organisation – which produces the biennial Manchester International Festival and operates Aviva Studios – is setting a gold standard for collaboration, positioning the building as a cultural landmark of the North.

From the outside alone, Aviva Studios is a showstopper: an industrial feel to its exterior is complemented by the overlappings of surrounding arches and bridges. The venue has “unique scale and flexibility and exceptional acoustics,” McGrath explains, meaning that its three main internal spaces – the ground floor, warehouse and auditorium – can be reconfigured to present a multitude of different types and scales of events and be divided by a moveable acoustic wall.

“Aviva Studios has been designed to offer artists the opportunity to do things here that they can’t do anywhere else,” he continues. “Each artist who uses the space will teach us new things about the possibilities. I’m excited to welcome the most exciting global artists in the space and also, in particular, to see Manchester artists starting to grow into this space and become confident with its potential – growing their ambitions and ideas.”

The venue launched with the world premiere of Free Your Mind, Danny Boyle’s large-scale dance show based on the classic film The Matrix. Radiohead’s 2003 LP Hail to the Thief was reworked for an adaptation of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, which opened at Aviva Studios over the spring. In October, another global exclusive arrived with the debut of Marina Abramović’s Balkan Erotic Epic performance art show, which was divided into 13 acts, featured 70 performers, and ran for four hours each night.

Other recent highlights, McGrath notes, include Build Manchester in partnership with Adidas, which saw Aviva Studios become home to a custom-built public skateboarding plaza this past August. There have been inclusive open deck nights in which aspiring DJs can practice mixing as well as a series of four live-streamed shows in partnership with Amazon Music featuring Bastille, Franz Ferdinand and Mumford & Sons.

Last night (Dec.2), the venue played host to a Billboard U.K. Live experience with Grammy-winning musician Corinne Bailey Rae comprising a stunningly intimate performance as well as an exclusive Q&A event with fans.

The 2026 gig calendar is already looking stacked too. Alt-pop icon Halsey will kick off the year with a stop on her Badlands anniversary tour followed by the likes of Fatboy Slim Basement Jaxx and international acts Sombr Kesha and Big Thief throughout the rest of spring. Lily Allen’s highly anticipated West End Girl show will also take over the venue for two sold-out nights in March.

“You can tell the place is built for people who love live events,” says Caitie Inson a Manchester resident who attended FKA Twigs’ headline show at Aviva Studios this past spring for which lighting production value were “incredible” she notes “What struck me most was how open inviting venue felt as well as breadth shows experiences on offer.”

Multinational insurance company Aviva invested in space create sense community Manchester local residents have responded kind “In Aviva Studios we saw once-in-generation opportunity be part one most ambitious cultural buildings anywhere Europe” says Tom Whiteside head group sponsorship at Aviva .

As principal partner Factory Academy offers everything from six month-long music promoter course hands-on experiences trainee sound technicians Aviva helping deliver free training skills programmes young people Manchester Another long-term commitment venue involved introduction accessible ticketing policy via Aviva £10 ticket initiative In first year low-cost tickets were accessed per report from The Sponsor , while all students over65s people low incomes can register for discount across all Aviva Studios shows.

With Factory International Whiteside says that Aviva has “a partner whose values align perfectly with our own core ethos that this building should serve community be inclusive accessible” The partnership builds on company’s long-running success with capacity Aviva Stadium Dublin Ireland which they acquired year deal naming rights subsequently extended arrangement
in .

“Aviva’s partnership is so much more than name above door – it is commitment create long-term community social economic impact enhance experiences millions people that come through door” continues Whiteside explaining how Aviva Factory International want set gold standard community outreach arts.

Factory International’s name was chosen nod seminal Manchester label Factory Records helped launch local legends Joy Division New Order Happy Mondays well famed nightclub Haçienda pivotal “Madchester” era late ’80s early ’90s Although organization deep cultural roots mission statement future-oriented centered around breaking barriers bringing people together at Aviva Studios.

One organization’s key initiatives Neighbourhood Organisers allows select paid team residents different boroughs help connect community opportunities venue Elsewhere Factory International offers wealth fellowships bursaries each year involve mentoring opportunities coaching observational placements peer-to-peer learning access commissions internal teams.

An in-depth accessibility policy has also been paramount to Aviva Studios’ early success allowing it become well-known beacon city neurodivergent disabled gig-goers The Factory International team currently working opening quiet space venue while accessible performances including captioned audio-described relaxed BSL-interpreted presentations have been delivered each production.

As McGrath concludes “We take more shows all kinds around world than any arts organization UK The fact Factory International based runs Aviva Studios means this where some most exciting new work world produced seen very first time.”

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