about us

Academy Music Group (AMG) is the UK’s leading owner and operator of nationwide live music and club venues, including South London’s award winning concert venue, O2 Academy Brixton (London) and O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire (London).

In June 2006, Academy Music Group won The Sunday Times’ Profit Track ‘One To Watch’ award, honoured for its profit growth and success as one of Britain’s top private companies.

Its shareholders include Live Nation, Metropolis Music and SJM Concerts, who are responsible for promoting many international acts on the touring circuit, as well as collectively owning and promoting some of the biggest outdoor music events, including the annual V Festival.

At the start of 2009, AMG and Live Nation welcomed a strategic partnership with O2, to enhance the music experience for fans visiting its venues and boost support for future music talent.

In June 2011, The Guardian announced ‘The Music Power 100’ as part of their ‘Music Loves Summer’ series, with the late AMG CEO John Northcote  making the prestigious list, as well as SJM's Simon Moran, MCD's Denis Desmond, Live Nation's Paul Latham and Metropolis Music's Bob Angus. Chosen by an expert panel, 'The Music Power 100' was compiled to identify  the people exercising the greatest influence over the UK's pop and rock listening habits, navigating the currents of influence within the UK music industry.

venues

AMG venues are famous for offering unrivalled live events and are now an integral part of the UK’s live music scene in several regional cities, as well as owning and operating four venues in the Capital; which range from a capacity of 250 to up to 5,000.

AMG invests heavily in its venues, from front of house facilities for customers, to emerging technologies for in-house production and backstage amenities to benefit artists and touring personnel.

AMG has a promoting division, Academy Events, the fourth largest promoter in the UK.

AMG venues can be found in Birmingham (since November 2000 and September 2008), Bristol (October 2001), Glasgow (March 2003 and March 2009)), Liverpool (September 2003), Islington (London) (September 2003), Newcastle (October 2005), Oxford (September 2007), Sheffield (April 2008), Leeds (October 2008), Bournemouth (September 2009) and Leicester (2010), and of course, its heritage venues, O2 Academy Brixton and O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire in London. 


AMG also has additional management agreements with three Students’ Union venues, namely Guild of Students, Liverpool, the University of Hertfordshire and The Old Fire Station, Bournemouth as well as operating O2 Academy Leicester on campus at the University of Leicester Students' Union.

AMG venues attract over 3.5 million customers per annum. It currently owns and operates 14 sites, featuring multiple venues in several cities, and will host some 4,000 events across its venue estate in 2012.