This week, I was fortunate enough to see Billie Eilish perform her second night at Manchester's AO Arena. The tickets were a surprise Christmas present from our parents last year, and so, after a long six months of waiting, last-night we finally got to see the neurodivergent icon put on a show to remember.
The evening kicked off at 7:30 pm with a 50-minute set from Jungle. I wasn't super familiar with their music, but it was impossible to resist dancing along to their electro-funk tunes. They closed their set with the absolute banger, that is 'Busy Earning'; by this point had definitely done their job in warming up the crowd! I'll just say that if you're unfamiliar with Jungle and their music, you need to search them up and add them to your playlist.
Billie came on stage at 9 pm, opening her 25-song set with Bury A Friend. She performed songs from all her albums, as far back as Don't Smile At Me from 2017. I was excited to see her play Lovely, as it has a lot of meaning to me, but unfortunately, she didn't play it all the way through. Regardless of that though, it's hard to be disappointed with a 25-song setlist and seeing her play songs that I hadn't listened to much, simply made me fall in love with them - especially Getting Older and Your Power.
Image Description: Two tickets to Billie Eilish's Happier Than Ever Tour are being held in front of two stages on the Arena floor. The lights are on and people are still arriving in the background.
Travel
I'm a creature of habit and having grown up attending events at Manchester Arena, we've always parked in the same place, opposite the arena. We parked on Shaw Street, on the street, with my blue badge displayed in the window. Of course, the nature of on-street parking is that it's never guaranteed that you'll find a suitable place to park. However, I've always found that I can usually find a space when I arrive between 1 hour and 30 minutes before the event starts.
If you don't want on-street parking but are looking for a cheaper alternative to the AO Arena car park, Shaw Street is surrounded by three carparks - all of which are pay and display. The problem with parking in the area around Shaw Street is that once the event finishes, the road becomes incredibly busy. As the pavements aren't the most wheelchair accessible, made worse by vehicles parked blocking the walkway, the only option was to wheel in the road. If I weren't with my able-bodied family, it would have been incredibly tough to make it back to the car safely. So, thinking about where you park and who you're with is super important.
Across the road from Shaw Street is the AO Arena car park: a 24-hour, indoor, multi-story parking garage. Parking there for an event at Manchester Arena (between 5 pm and midnight), costs £10 - a flat rate. Obviously, this is the safest option when it comes to parking, but probably the most expensive too. The cost of parking in the Arena is pretty much the only reason I choose not to park there, but that's simply a personal preference.
If you're travelling via public transport, Manchester Arena is well connected to local bus routes and train lines. Shudehill Bus Station is a 0.4-mile walk from the Arena, making it relatively accessible for those travelling via bus. In addition to this, Manchester Victoria Station is the nearest train and tram station to the AO Arena, with the station and the Arena being next to each other.
Image Description: Billie Eilish is standing on the main stage, surrounded by pink clouds on the screens behind her. There is confetti falling from the ceiling. This photo was taken during her final song: 'Happier Than Ever'.
Entering the Arena
Things have changed in recent years, and measures have been put in place to ensure the Arena is as safe as possible. This means that, now, just to enter the arena building you need to show arena staff your tickets. We entered the Arena via the Trinity Way entrance and were then guided into an area of the multi-story carpark, where security checks were taking place.
People using mobility aids, and those in their party, are taken through a different part of Security, which makes things a lot easier. Here, staff search any bags you have, ask those who can, to walk through metal detectors and search those in wheelchairs/scooters, using a wand. The whole process was pretty seamless. It took our party of four about 10 minutes to clear security and get to the main doors. In order to get from this area of security, to the main doors, you have to go up a level. I was asked whether I could use the ramp or if I needed to use the lift; I used the ramp, but it was good to know that there was the option of the lift if needed.
The final stage, of entering the Arena was getting through the main doors. Thanks to the security protocols, the area around the main doors, is relatively calm and easy to navigate. So we showed our tickets to the doorman and he pointed us in the direction of our seats - we were in!
Seating
We were seated in Block 108, which is single-handedly the best and worst disabled viewing platform in the AO Arena - in my opinion. There are two levels to the viewing area and there aren't any fixed seats. The beauty of not having any fixed seats is that whole groups can sit together, regardless of whether one or more of the group uses a mobility aid. However, the frustrating thing about this set-up, is that there are no reserved seats, making it a first-come, first-served situation.
We arrived early to give ourselves the best chance of getting a space on the lower platform, which has the best view! We landed great seats, with us being at the end of the row, beside the steps down to the floor. This meant we could come and go during the show without disturbing anyone. This was really helpful as three of our party are Autistic, and so, having the option to leave the concert quickly if any of us needed a moment, was incredible.
Image Description: Billie Eilish is standing on a small raised stage, on a machine similar to a cherry picker. The stage is towards the back of the floor, closer to our seats in Block 108. There is a blue waterfall on the screens at the back of the main stage and a sea of phone lights can be seen amongst the crowd. This photo was taken during her performance of 'Ocean Eyes'.
Due to the set-up of Block 108, some people who arrived later and were on the raised platform were unhappy with their view. A member of the arena staff approached us to ask if we'd be willing to swap with them, which made me feel uncomfortable as we were put on the spot in front of the other guests. For some reason, we were the only group on the lower platform to be asked to move, and knowing we had a better view, I wasn't keen to swap. Having previously arrived later and had to sit on the raised platform, I'd never come across this before and so the whole thing took me by surprise. Being put in that situation by the arena staff was frustrating because at all other non-reserved seating gigs I've been to (of course this situation was somewhat reserved), it's first-come, first-served and you make do with the space available when you arrive.
The whole issue was resolved pretty quickly, with the staff member telling us that the other guests were being moved to a different area. He apologised for putting us in an awkward position and told us to forget he ever asked, but it did leave me thinking about things. I think Block 108's Accessible Viewing area needs to be reviewed, in order to avoid situations like these. Whether that be that guests either book the upper/lower viewing area, or some sort of spot allocation system is introduced, it needs to be looked at again.
Bathrooms
There are two types of accessible-bathroom at the AO arena: the wheelchair-accessible cubicles in the standard men's and women's toilets, and the RADAR-locked bathrooms. A couple of arena staff members advised me that the RADAR locked bathrooms are better, as they are cleaner and more spacious.
Image Description:
Top Left/Image 1: The bathroom has a mirror and a baby changing table. The mirror is opposite the toilet with a small hand towel bin in front of it.
Top Right/Image 2: The toilet is accessible from the right (as you're facing it), with a drop-down rail on the right. There is a pink sanitary towel bin against the wall to the side of the toilet, in the corner.
Bottom Left/Image 3: There is a grab bar fitted to the wall on the left of the toilet; above it is the toilet roll dispenser. The red emergency cord is hanging down the side of the toilet roll dispenser. The small sink can be seen on the wall adjacent to the toilet, a little in front.
Bottom Right/Image 4: The sink is a small crescent, with a soap dispenser fitted just above it. There are two vertical grab bars fitted above the sink.
I only used the RADAR-locked bathroom, as having previously used the accessible cubicles in the general toilets in the bathrooms, I can confirm they're usually pretty gross. The staff were really helpful and walked me to the bathroom, as I wasn't sure where it was. They also lent me a RADAR key as I'd forgotten to put mine in my bag. With regards to space, I found there was enough room to fit me in my power-chair, and my caregiver in the bathroom comfortably.
Final Thoughts
Seeing Billie Eilish play live was definitely a bucket list gig for me, so getting to experience the concert with my friends and family by my side, was really special. As an Autistic person, it was empowering to see a neurodivergent person on stage, following her dreams and doing it her own way. If there was one thing I'd change, it'd be that the merch wasn't so expensive - I think £90 for a hoodie is a ridiculous price to ask people to pay. But on the whole, this concert felt like a really safe and inclusive environment, where everybody was free to express themselves how they wanted. I think any artist who can create that sort of atmosphere in a room of thousands, should be commended. What an amazing community of fans Billie has.
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