First look at Virgin’s newly renovated Red Room at the O2 – what to 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 at the 02 where you can use points or Avios to comfortably watch a concert in a private box. The Virgin Red Room joins the Qatar suite, The NinetyThird, which we wrote about here, and the Marriott Bonvoy suite, which has now moved further along the side of the arena. 

What is the new Red Room like?

The Virgin Red Room is an exclusive space for Virgin Red members that opened earlier this summer and has now been renovated in typical Virgin style with lots of red. I had visited the Virgin Red room at the Manchester Arena, but this suite had quite a different vibe. The Red Room in Manchester was quite “glitzy” and had a wall of Virgin memorabilia and a glitter wall to take your photo by. At the O2, it felt a lot more luxurious and more of a relaxing space. 

Virgin says that they took inspiration for the suite from the sophistication of a members’ club or secret bar. There are more comfy seats, a curved banquette-style sofa that stretches around the suite, and the usual bar stools to watch the show from. The tables are crafted from recycled CDs and records and, of course, pay homage to Virgin’s heritage in music. 

There is also a bar, and I found the barman excellent. He regularly visited the seats during the show to collect glasses and was helpful in suggesting drink choices as well.

Unlike the Red Room at Manchester it does not have a cloakroom or toilets. However, there are toilets just for the suites, just outside the box. 

In front of the suite are three rows of arena seats which are much better than a regular arena seat with their padding and drinks holders. It was definitely a very comfortable way to watch the concert.

The suite is at the back, right in the centre, one level down from Qatar’s suite. Therefore, the view was great here being front on to the stage. If you attend a concert where they use a second stage, like they did at the Justin Timberlake show I attended, then you really get a great view of this stage. The sound was also great from the suite. 

What does the experience include?

The evening starts in Turning Left for Less style with access to the VIP entry lanes. If you arrive early I’d recommend checking out the American Express lounge for some food and drinks before the suite opens. The American Express lounge is situated right by the VIP entry lane as you leave security. Card members can purchase food and drinks here and enjoy a relaxing space before the concert.

Your entry to the Virgin Red rooms includes two complimentary drinks per person and a dedicated bar attendant. Food and drinks are also available to purchase, with the menu including a range of bites, from souvlaki to loaded fries. 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 succulent. The food comes in boxes, and the drinks have to be in plastic if you want to take them into the arena seats, but within the suite, you can have proper glass. 

Here is the full menu with prices:

How to get entry and what shows you can see

Anyone can sign up to Virgin Red for free to start earning 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 collect with Virgin Red’s 200+ partners, from train travel with Virgin Trains Ticketing to everyday spending with John Lewis & Partners, ASOS and M&S to name just a few.

Virgin Points are the same as you collect through Virgin Flying Club and are held in a singular balance with your Flying Club points. However, to redeem for experiences like cruises and the Red Room you also need to have a Virgin Red account. I am a big fan of Virgin Red as I love the sheer range of things you can redeem from and have used them for cruises and concert tickets. These are a great way to redeem points for something special without needing to spend any more cash, unlike plane tickets, which require the taxes and charges to be paid when you redeem. 

 If you have not yet joined Virgin Red, just download the app to sign up.

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

Upcoming shows at The O2 in the Virgin Red Room include: