first direct bank arena — Attraction in Leeds

Attended for the first time on the 13th May 2025 to see Sean Paul and Ashanti. I had purchased premium tickets at £165 per person to be seated in the Gallery. The ticket included a welcome drink in the lounge (and no waiting outside in the long queues), table service via a code at your seat or from an individual waitress for that area and bathrooms very close to the seating area that you didn't need to queue for which was great.

The issue was visibility (the row standing in front of this seating area isn't actually a problem though the arena when selling these tickets do warn you that this may be an issue). The issue is vision. These seats look to the side of the stage and you cannot directly see who is on the stage at any time- it could have been anyone! There are no floating screens in this arena which I found really odd, so I never actually got a proper look at the artists on stage, which usually even if you are not in a front seat is made possible by the use of other screens. I wouldn't purchase this type of ticket again- there are probably cheaper tickets in the centre of the arena where you'll at least manage to get a glimpse of your favorite artist.

First direct- sort out the visuals!

In addition- buyer beware- there are lots of touts outside the arena selling upgrades for you to use the lounge instead of waiting outside. They were charging £20 for this upgrade and when I said that I had already purchased a premium ticket they told me they were independent of my arena ticket seller and I would still need to purchase this add on to wait inside. I checked with the actual assistants at the door and they clarified that I had already paid for this service on my premium ticket. Had I listened to the upgrade touts, I would have paid an additional £20...

We had purchased the VIP experience and it was good. However, for the price, I feel like they could have offered more -maybe food wise or prepared something interesting for the children. We were offered a choice of either margherita or peperoni pizza (SMALL pizzas, not even warm, in cardboard boxes). There was also a choice of hot drinks (paper cups, instant coffee, hot water flasks). And a voucher for a drink of choice. The show (Disney- the 100 years of wonder) was brilliant. We got to see Mickey and Minnie, the Toy Story characters, Moana, Encanto, Frozen... it was quite a spectacle. We have thoroughly enjoyed it. The seats were small (I am six foot) and my knees were hitting the metal rail/fence. The parking (none at the venue) was across the street at the Merrion Shopping Centre. This was ok, we found a space. However, the parking attendant warned us it would be a wait getting out of the place as everyone tries to get out at the same time after the show finishes. I thought he was exaggerating- was I wrong! We have literally spent 45 minutes trying to leave the parking place. I have never seen anything like that , ever. We paid £11 for the stay. The VIP experience was just under £190 for us two. Plus ,all the merchandise which was extremely expensive. £15 for popcorn, £33 for a flashing lollipop glowing stick! I had to be strict and say no to that. She did get an LED 'Disney on Ice' cup which was £16. And I thought Peppa Pig world was expensive. For the experience, it is definitely worth visiting but the prices are astronomical. And be prepared to wait 45 minutes to get out of the...

We went to see Simply Red in September. We paid £175 per head for the North Gallery. It was a mixed bag. The photos are what you see from where it is. If you have the choice between the back few rows that are high up and the gallery, take the latter. If the cost difference isn't huge. The view of the stage is unobstructed, but if you want to see the artist up close, you may want to avoid this. The description of it sells it as more of a suite or corporate box. It's not, you'll pass those on the way. It's essentially a self-contained, tiny corridor with around 15 barstools, each with limited space to move or dance. There is a dedicated waitress service, and she was lovely, although you receive one token each for a complimentary drink. I had a Diet Coke, which half-filled the glass. I inquired and was told they only served 330ml bottles of Coke, hence it was half full. It didn't look good and didn't sit well with us. Subsequently, 2 alcoholic drinks and the Coke cost me £23. The toilets are immediately outside, so instantly accessible. The kitchen apparently closed at 20:30 - it may not always be so - which seemed a bit like the DC. For about 10 - 15 max people, at least offer cold snacks or sandwiches. Maybe they do, but if so, we weren't told. The external entrance to the VIP area is clearly visible and well signposted, with a dedicated lift providing direct access upstairs. If the cost wasn't significantly higher than the high rows, we would use it again. Obviously, that's an individual judgement call. On the other hand, we felt somewhat short changed. There was certainly no wow factor....