Inside the huge operation to stage David Byrne’s three-night residency at O2 Apollo Manchester

At the start of March the iconic O2 Apollo Manchester hosted a much anticipated three-night run of the legendary David Byrne as part of his world tour. Here we go inside the huge operation to stage these shows in the Grade II listed building.

The audience on all three nights were absorbed by the presentation of David Byrne’s new album and the brilliant design of the show – which included a touring band comprised of 13 musicians, singers, and dancers. 

Behind the scenes, meanwhile, there was a significant operational and technical undertaking. These shows were an arena-level production – 44 local crew and 12 local riggers assisted the seven-truck tour with additional hires to meet the technical and power requirements of the production, including facilitating a generator truck adjacent to the venue.

The tour worked closely with the venue ensuring any necessary rigging adaptions were agreed and signed off and any queries ironed out in good time prior to their three-day residency.  This enabled the tour’s spectacular curved video wall and full-width stage floor – spanning the entire proscenium arch – to be utilised to its full potential.

These spectacular shows were the result of effective collaboration and communication as well as the tireless work of the venue, the touring team and Live Nation representatives – three days of work that were expertly pulled off in this historic Grade II listed building. 

Mel, General Manager, O2 Apollo Manchester, said: “These shows proved that ambitious levels of production can be realised at our iconic venue. The size of the stage set up for our Grade II listed building was enormous and it was a challenge we fully embraced and enjoyed. It was a demonstration of truly brilliant operational teamwork, where the entire team are greater than the sum of their parts. We are extremely proud to have staged something truly memorable for everyone involved – the artist, their crew, production and technical teams and of course the audiences – and we are so grateful to the promoter for trusting us with such a performance. Our ability to innovate, adapt and embrace these challenges is what makes O2 Apollo Manchester one of the best venues in the UK.”