Manchester looks to increase Aviva Studios capacity by 2,000
The addition of an external staircase will allow the events venue to increase the maximum number of people it can accommodate at one time from 5,000 to 7,000.
Manchester City Council has applied for planning permission to erect an external staircase that will allow attendees to exit level two of Aviva Studios onto the grade two listed viaduct that abuts the south of the site, and down on to Water Street.
The black, steel staircase will broaden the scope of events that can be hosted at the 140,000 sq ft Aviva Studios, allowing the 5,000-capacity Warehouse element and the 2,000-capacity Hall element to be used together to their full capacity.
The staircase will only be used during events requiring an additional exit for attendees and will otherwise be closed off to the public.
Other potential exit routes from level two out onto the public highway network, such as through land owned by the Science and Industry Museum and Network Rail, were considered but discounted.
The chosen route down the planned stairs “doesn’t involve use of any third-party land and minimises additional crowd management requirements”, according to a design and access statement prepared by Ryder.
To learn more about the scheme, search for reference number PLA-2026-000487 on Manchester City Council’s planning portal.
Completing in 2023, Aviva Studios cost £240m to build, more than double the initial estimate for the project.
Some £93m of the total came directly from Manchester City Council. The majority – £106m – of the remaining £154m has come from various national pots: £78.1m Treasury funding, £7m Arts Lottery, and £21m via the Kickstart Capital Cultural Recovery Fund administered by Arts Council England.
The remaining £39.3m came from external fundraising.
I am sure this addition will add to the beauty of this very expensive building….
By Anonymous
Tell me you didn’t do your due diligence at the planning and design phase without telling me you didn’t do your due diligence at the planning and design phase.
By T.D.Smith
The Aviva Studios is a great addition to Manchesters cultural offering, I aways enjoy seeing performances and exhibitions at the venue. Anything which increases the capacity should be welcomed.
By Anonymous
More than £48,000 per seat, eye watering, and then not enough seats, staggering! £20,000 per seat at MUFC’s New Trafford Stadium suddenly looks reasonable!
By Tony Connor
Hopefully this will improve the rather sluggish exit time from the main hall which is actually slower than leaving the 20,000+ capacity Co-op Arena.
By Anonymous
Is this MCC throwing more money at what was clearly a very poor design?
Was it a huge surprise to them when it was finished to find that it had been built with 2,000 in surplus capacity but not the circulation space?
By Anonymous
Fine, get it done. Factory International (Aviva) is great!
By Looks good, good idea
This is a great venue and in my opinion an architectural gem.
By Anonymous
Even more money for the Castlefield Community Centre but still no word, let alone a venue, on the proposed exiling of ENO to Manchester.
By Cynical Bystander
Great venue. Not everyone in this city loves drinking, football and clubbing. The Ai Wei Wei exhibition was great. I say bring more arts and culture to Manchester.
By Anonymous