First look at Virgin’s newly refurbished Red Room at the O2 Arena – what can you expect when you redeem Virgin Points for concerts?

Last night I visited the new Virgin Red Room at The 02, where you can watch concerts in the comfort of a suite when you redeem your Virgin Points for 02 events.

This is now the third suite in the 02 where you can comfortably watch a concert in a private box in exchange for points or Avios. The Virgin Red Room joins the Qatar Suite “The NinetyThird”, which we wrote about here, and the Marriott Bonvoy Suite, which has now been moved further to the side of the arena.

What does the new Red Room look like?

The Virgin Red Room is an exclusive room for Virgin Red members that opened earlier this summer and has now been refurbished in typical Virgin style with lots of red. I had visited the Virgin Red Room at Manchester Arena but this suite had a very different feel. The Red Room in Manchester was quite ‘glitzy’ and had a wall of Virgin memorabilia and a glitter wall that you could have your photo taken in front of. It felt much more luxurious and relaxing at the O2.

Virgin says they were inspired by the elegance of a members’ club or secret bar when designing the suite. There’s more comfortable seating, a curved banquet-style sofa that wraps around the suite and the usual bar stools from which to watch the show. The tables are made from recycled CDs and records and are, of course, a nod to Virgin’s musical heritage.

There is also a bar and I found the barman to be excellent. He regularly came to the seats during the show to collect glasses and was also helpful with drink suggestions.

Unlike the Red Room in Manchester, there are no cloakrooms or toilets here. However, there are toilets for the suites only, directly outside the box.

In front of the suite there are three rows of arena seats, which are much better than normal arena seats with their padding and cup holders. This meant that you could definitely watch the concert very comfortably.

The suite is right at the back, right in the middle, one floor below Qatar’s suite, so the view of the stage from here at the front was great. If you go to a concert that uses a second stage, like the Justin Timberlake show I was at, you really get a great view of that stage. The sound was great from the suite too.

What does the experience include?

The evening begins in Turning Left for Less style with access to the VIP entrances. If you arrive early, I recommend stopping by the American Express Lounge for a bite to eat and a drink before the suite opens. The American Express Lounge is located right next to the VIP entrance as you exit security. Cardholders can purchase food and drinks here and relax in a relaxed atmosphere before the concert.

Your entry to the Virgin Red rooms includes two complimentary drinks per person and a dedicated bartender. Food and drinks are also available for purchase. The menu includes a range of snacks from souvlaki to chips. I saw some of the food last night and tried one of the chicken tenders dishes. The portion was generous and the chicken was good quality and juicy. The food is served in boxes and drinks must be in plastic if you want to take them to the arena seats, but in the suite you can have proper glasses.

Here is the full menu with prices:

How to get in and what shows you can see

Anyone can sign up to Virgin Red for free to earn Virgin Points on their everyday purchases and unlock access to the Virgin Red Room. Tickets start from 30,000 Virgin Points for two guests, which members can earn at over 200 Virgin Red partners, from rail travel with Virgin Trains Ticketing to everyday spending at John Lewis & Partners, ASOS and M&S, to name a few.

Virgin Points are the same points you earn through Virgin Flying Club and are held in a single balance with your Flying Club points. However, to redeem them for experiences like cruises and the Red Room, you’ll also need a Virgin Red account. I’m a huge fan of Virgin Red as I love the sheer variety of things you can redeem and have used them for cruises and concert tickets. It’s a great way to redeem points for something special without having to spend more cash, unlike airline tickets which require paying taxes and fees when redeeming.

If you are not yet a member of Virgin Red, simply download the app to sign up.

You can now book Virgin Red Room gigs with Virgin Points for shows through to the end of 2024. I saw Peter Kay’s last show at the Red Room in Manchester and I recommend grabbing some tickets before they sell out as it was a fantastic show.

Upcoming shows at the Virgin Red Room at the O2 Arena include: