O2 Ritz
O2 Ritz
3.8
12:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Monday
12:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday
12:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday
12:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Thursday
12:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Friday
12:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Saturday
Closed
Sunday
Closed
About
Formerly HMV Ritz, gig venue & nightclub
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The area
Address
How to get there
- St Peter's Square • 5 min walk
- Deansgate-Castlefield • 8 min walk
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Best nearby
Restaurants
2,521 within 3 miles
Attractions
508 within 6 miles
See what travelers are saying
- Wigan MickWigan, United Kingdom6 contributionsA very nostalgic night for me. Went to see Michael Schenker as Schenker was the first live band I ever saw way back in 1983 and he didnt disappoint. Played all the old classics as well as quite a few UFO tracks. I hadnt been to this venue for 20 odd years after last seeing Ozzy there. Only downside was the price of the beer, over 7 quid for a pint of cider I walk with a stick and was asked no less than 3 times in the queue outside if i needed any assistance, twice more inside. The staff were fantastic and Im looking forward to going again in the near future A great venue but do yourself a favour and have a few pints before you go in, you'll save a fortuneVisited November 2023Traveled soloWritten July 9, 2024
- katec19842017Liverpool, United Kingdom2 contributionsWe had some special seats at the side of the stage as my friend needed them. All the staff where simply amazing, we felt well cared for, told if we needed any assistance to just ask. We seen Jet, and it was such an amazing show, the venue is one of my favourites as it always feels like an intimate gig. Couldn't rate The Ritz higher, really brilliant venue.Visited October 2024Traveled with friendsWritten November 11, 2024
- Hollie P19 contributionsMe and my friend went to see Matt Bennett at O2 Ritz and we had the best time ever. Matt truly does know how to get a crowd going to enjoy and relive their childhood era. The bad thing about the venue it was too small for amount of people that came to the concert. Everyone was cramped together and couldn’t hardly move. The room felt like a pure sauna and hardly had any air conditioning which led to people be dripping wet of sweat or worse passing out due to the heat of the room. You could’ve gone outside to cool down but it meant you would miss some of the concert but be stuck right at the back of the crowd. But apart from the venue…Matt Bennett was AMAZING !!!!!!!!Visited June 2024Traveled with friendsWritten June 25, 2024
- malex nManchester, United Kingdom28 contributionsIts a decent size venue for a gig - quite a few bars, a decent balcony (if you get near the front). We were here to see Earl Sweatshirt, a fairly underground hip hop act and it was the perfect size venue for an artist like this. The drinks are a tad pricey but somewhat expected for a gig venue. The organisation to queue to get in was straight forward. Would like to see more events here in the future!Visited September 2024Traveled with friendsWritten September 19, 2024
- Phoebe C10 contributionsNice intimate venue! I went with my disabled friend and they provided us with seating next to the bar with a good view. You need to ask for this and they will help you in and find a seat for you. Really attentive & friendly staff!Visited July 2024Traveled with friendsWritten July 5, 2024
- robHinojares, Spain45 contributionsWhat a great experience. A huge thank you to Caitlyn for her help with getting my wife into the access are. The rest of the staff were exemplary too, they couldn't have been more helpful. Even the bar staff were chatty and engaging. First time I've ever been impressed enough to review a venue. Well done to all involved.Visited November 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten November 12, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
3.8
287 reviews
Excellent
103
Very good
104
Average
38
Poor
9
Terrible
33
Ian J
Crewe, UK71 contributions
Feb 2024 • Solo
The stewarding at this venue gets worse and worse every time I visit. It’s actually becoming dangerous. Their treatment of O2 Priority ticket holders is disgraceful. I was one of the many O2 Priority ticket holders who arrived early for the gig by PinkPantheress on 22 February. At first, the venue didn’t have an O2 Priority queue at all. The senior steward told me to join the single, mixed queue and said they would “filter out” the O2 Priority ticket holders later and pointed to the wall where he said they would line people up.
I returned to the main queue. We could see lots of people walking straight past us but we weren’t too concerned as we had the word of the senior steward that they would not let anyone in before us.
What had clearly happened was they had someone stood at the very back of the main queue intercepting people as they arrived and sending O2 Priority customers to the front of the queue which they had now formed at the front of the venue.
Those O2 customers who had arrived up to five hours early were stuck in the general queue and were only allowed into the venue once about 200 late arriving O2 customers had been let in first. They made up the first six rows of people at the gig.
The organisation of the whole queuing arrangements was chaotic and shambolic, as we have become used to expect from this dreadful company. I have attended many other O2 venues around the country and they are by far the worst organised venue operator.
O2 Priority is basically a disaster waiting to happen in terms of crowd safety. O2 Academy Birmingham is sheer chaos and, of course, Brixton. That was several years ago now but stewarding at O2 venues has not improved.
I returned to the main queue. We could see lots of people walking straight past us but we weren’t too concerned as we had the word of the senior steward that they would not let anyone in before us.
What had clearly happened was they had someone stood at the very back of the main queue intercepting people as they arrived and sending O2 Priority customers to the front of the queue which they had now formed at the front of the venue.
Those O2 customers who had arrived up to five hours early were stuck in the general queue and were only allowed into the venue once about 200 late arriving O2 customers had been let in first. They made up the first six rows of people at the gig.
The organisation of the whole queuing arrangements was chaotic and shambolic, as we have become used to expect from this dreadful company. I have attended many other O2 venues around the country and they are by far the worst organised venue operator.
O2 Priority is basically a disaster waiting to happen in terms of crowd safety. O2 Academy Birmingham is sheer chaos and, of course, Brixton. That was several years ago now but stewarding at O2 venues has not improved.
Written February 22, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
steve m
Coventry, UK46 contributions
Feb 2025 • Family
My daughter, her partner and I travelled 100+ miles to see Green Lung on Friday 21/02/2025 at O2 Ritz in Manchester.
The venue itself is good, but unfortunately the gig was completely spoilt by an over officious inexperienced young female security officer and misuse of position.
It was disappointing my own request to speak to her Supervisor about her conduct and actions was 'viewed as aggressive' when being surrounded by 5 staff members, one of which claimed I was partly stood in an access way, but refused to move out of the way to let me stand exactly where I was previously standing i.e. not in the access way!
After talking to security staff about this (to avoid being ejected from building) and then discussing matters in the foyer, it was agreed I hadn't done anything wrong, although this caused me to miss most of the gig.
Unfortunately my daughters partner was now so upset by events she sat down at the back, unable to see anything, almost in tears in fear of security staff returning and creating further conflict.
Given the situation I spoke further to lady named Amy, who I assume manages the Security staff, who listened to my complaints and kindly agreed to speak to my daughter's partner to allay her fears but unfortunately to no avail, and is all we had to look forward to was the long drive home after wasting a substantial amount of time and money.
The venue itself is good, but unfortunately the gig was completely spoilt by an over officious inexperienced young female security officer and misuse of position.
It was disappointing my own request to speak to her Supervisor about her conduct and actions was 'viewed as aggressive' when being surrounded by 5 staff members, one of which claimed I was partly stood in an access way, but refused to move out of the way to let me stand exactly where I was previously standing i.e. not in the access way!
After talking to security staff about this (to avoid being ejected from building) and then discussing matters in the foyer, it was agreed I hadn't done anything wrong, although this caused me to miss most of the gig.
Unfortunately my daughters partner was now so upset by events she sat down at the back, unable to see anything, almost in tears in fear of security staff returning and creating further conflict.
Given the situation I spoke further to lady named Amy, who I assume manages the Security staff, who listened to my complaints and kindly agreed to speak to my daughter's partner to allay her fears but unfortunately to no avail, and is all we had to look forward to was the long drive home after wasting a substantial amount of time and money.
Written February 23, 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
AdamDS18
Bolton, UK2 contributions
Nov 2022 • Friends
One of the best gig venues in Manchester! Attended multiple gigs at The Ritz and never once had to queue to get in or for a drink, with multiple bars around the sides of the venue, including another downstairs in the basement, it has far more bars than any other venue I’ve attended.
Security have always been welcoming and once inside has always had a good vibe to it. Never feels too overly crowded, unlike other venues. It ticks pretty much all the boxes for a great venue to me!
The only downside is the price of the drinks and the clock room. You’d expect to pay more for drinks at gigs, but The Ritz is noticeably more expensive than other venues in the area.
Overall though, it’s an amazing venue, who book great acts each year. A personal favourite venue of mine.
Security have always been welcoming and once inside has always had a good vibe to it. Never feels too overly crowded, unlike other venues. It ticks pretty much all the boxes for a great venue to me!
The only downside is the price of the drinks and the clock room. You’d expect to pay more for drinks at gigs, but The Ritz is noticeably more expensive than other venues in the area.
Overall though, it’s an amazing venue, who book great acts each year. A personal favourite venue of mine.
Written March 21, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
r2uzenblot
shropshire174 contributions
Feb 2024 • Couples
First visit to the 02 Ritz and what a great venue it is. The ambience is good, centrally located and the sound was excellent.
Inside there was no queues at the bars and then I discovered why. ÂŁ7.95 a pint...... One drink and that was me done and looking around hardly anyone had a drink. The bar staff were all standing round doing nothing.
These venues just don't get it. Grown ups won't pay silly prices when there was a spoons 200 yards or so away. If the prices had been a pound or cheaper I would have had another couple of pints and the venue would have made ÂŁ15 from me instead of ÂŁ6.
Inside there was no queues at the bars and then I discovered why. ÂŁ7.95 a pint...... One drink and that was me done and looking around hardly anyone had a drink. The bar staff were all standing round doing nothing.
These venues just don't get it. Grown ups won't pay silly prices when there was a spoons 200 yards or so away. If the prices had been a pound or cheaper I would have had another couple of pints and the venue would have made ÂŁ15 from me instead of ÂŁ6.
Written February 21, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
John Phillips
1 contribution
Mar 2023
Had a great time at a concert, Acoustics were good and its a perfect size for a electric atmosphere whilst still feeling intimate. The staff were fantastic, Due to a disability I usie a walking stick and the staff without prompting asked if I needed a stool, at which point they led me to a seated area. When the gig ended again without asking they escorted me through the staff area to avoid the leaving crowd.
I was worried about how I would manage my disability at the gig but all worries were unfounded due to the fantastic staff and I know I can go there again without worry.
I was worried about how I would manage my disability at the gig but all worries were unfounded due to the fantastic staff and I know I can go there again without worry.
Written March 2, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Keith H
Manchester, UK7 contributions
Apr 2021
You can't fail but have a good view in a small venue, so having a good view isnt a "plus point" per se.
What reduces score to one however is the revolting stink of days-old urine in the mens, (a bit of disinfectant wouldnt kill them) & the appalling heat ! I have been to Death Valley and even that isnt as hot as it was in here. The Artist even had to wear a sweatband as he was sweating into his eyes, affecting his performance !
Its obviously a trick to sell alcohol but everyone was drenched in sweat, really was revolting & I left 30 mins before end because of it.
An absolute hovel of a venue, artists.. book academy instead in future please !
What reduces score to one however is the revolting stink of days-old urine in the mens, (a bit of disinfectant wouldnt kill them) & the appalling heat ! I have been to Death Valley and even that isnt as hot as it was in here. The Artist even had to wear a sweatband as he was sweating into his eyes, affecting his performance !
Its obviously a trick to sell alcohol but everyone was drenched in sweat, really was revolting & I left 30 mins before end because of it.
An absolute hovel of a venue, artists.. book academy instead in future please !
Written March 14, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Eloise W
Salford, UK2 contributions
Oct 2023 • Friends
Went here to see The Mission and Theatre of Hate last month and I had a great time thanks to the security who were constantly handing out water and checking up on everyone in the first few rows of barricade. Entry was fairly swift and I felt safe even when my friends were upstairs when I was downstairs, one very kind member of security chatted to me about how the plastic cups were recycled and even handed me a clean setlist after the show after I had given one I had received to someone next to me who desperately wanted it. The venue itself has a good amount of room including a seated balcony space, the barricade and the stage are the perfect distance appart for both enjoyment and safety. I had a great time!
Written November 7, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Linda C
3 contributions
Sep 2023 • Family
Attended a standing only concert with my 16yo and her friend. Currently mid treatment for cancer and can't stand or sit for long periods of time.
We were greeted at 5:50 by John, what a guy! Escorted us in, got me a stool and made sure I was comfortable but could see my daughter and her friend. As the venue filled up, the security team constantly checked in with me ensuring I was ok. One security guy said he'd keep an extra eye on my daughter and her friend so I wasn't anxious. The show was excellent but what really stood out what how attentive John and his team were. In all honestly, due to my chemo I didn't think I'd be able to make this event and was so worried yet again cancer would get in the way of me spending time with my daughter and seeing her have fun. I felt very emotional seeing her have the time of her life in such a safe environment. She had an awful year watching me go through this and it's really been a highlight.
We were greeted at 5:50 by John, what a guy! Escorted us in, got me a stool and made sure I was comfortable but could see my daughter and her friend. As the venue filled up, the security team constantly checked in with me ensuring I was ok. One security guy said he'd keep an extra eye on my daughter and her friend so I wasn't anxious. The show was excellent but what really stood out what how attentive John and his team were. In all honestly, due to my chemo I didn't think I'd be able to make this event and was so worried yet again cancer would get in the way of me spending time with my daughter and seeing her have fun. I felt very emotional seeing her have the time of her life in such a safe environment. She had an awful year watching me go through this and it's really been a highlight.
Written September 25, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Simon Dorey
4 contributions
Jan 2023
Great evening, and a privilege to see the wonderful Lucinda Williams, on 22/01/2023, at the Manchester 02 Ritz. Staff were super helpful, and found a good seat for my partner, Thank you 👍 The view from the balcony was excellent, the bar Staff upstairs were a good bunch too. It’s a fairly small venue, I think about 1500 in total, so wherever you are, it’s a reasonable view. Ideally located one minute from Manchester Oxford Road Station.
Theatre VERY cold, so all the audience kept their coats on throughout, but as stated all Staff really helpful and niceđź‘Śđź‘Ś
Theatre VERY cold, so all the audience kept their coats on throughout, but as stated all Staff really helpful and niceđź‘Śđź‘Ś
Written February 6, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sarah
Wa, Ghana1 contribution
Apr 2023
Really enjoyed thd gigs that I've attended here. It's a smaller so much more intimate experience than other venues. The experience was enhanced by one if the guys who worked there. His name was John & he is an absolute asset to the 02 team. He went far above & beyond anyone could expect in terms of customer service, Nothing was too much trouble. He was so friendly & even came outside in the pouring rain to hand out waterproof ponchos to those getting soaked & he was the only one doing that. When we entered the building we was the only one with a friendly attitude welcoming every single person entering.
Written May 3, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi does anyone know if they serve Guinness at the Ritz manchester thanks
Written December 9, 2024
Do they allow you to take digital cameras in? The website says no large lenses and mine doesn’t have that but I don’t want it taken of me
Written April 11, 2024
I’m 18 but look a little more like 16 and I’ve lost my ID will they let me in? The show I’m going to see is 14+ and under 14s with an adult. The two friends I’m going with who do have ID aren’t 18 yet.
Written April 11, 2024
My event says doors open at 6 and curfew at 10. Is it fair to assume main act will be 8pm?
Written November 4, 2023
Looking to book a Premier inn for a concert at o2 ritz. Is deansgate lock quite near. Is it safe to walk to and from here at night? Thanks
Written October 13, 2023
Would you take a 12 year old to a concert here?
Would have preferred sitting down but this is all on offer, is it a good atmosphere?
Written April 7, 2021
hi just wondering about the cloakroom at the o2 ritz manchester what do you actually need to do to prove your an o2 customer ? phone number ?? pls help
Written February 18, 2020
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