What’s inside the Virgin Red Room VIP box at The O2?

As we’ve covered a few times in recent months, Virgin Red has swapped its box at the AO Arena in Manchester for a box at The O2 in London.

Tickets for every event at The O2 are now available for redemption via the Virgin Red app, and you can currently book up to the end of December.

The typical price is 30,000 to 50,000 Virgin Points per pair – but what do you get? Virgin Red held a press event in the newly refurbished Virgin Red Room so we could find out.

Suite tickets come with access to the VIP entry lane at The O2. I have never had to queue, but this is primarily because – if you’re in a suite – you tend to arrive disproportionately early to socialise with your hosts. I was there at 7pm on Monday for a show which started at 9pm.

In theory a lot of people can use the VIP lane, including all suite guests – which is a lot of people – plus anyone with a pass for the American Express Lounge and anyone going to The NinetyThird private club.

The first thing to note is that the suite is dead centre, in the second tier. You have an identical view (well, you are 15 feet lower) to the view you’d get if you’d paid £18,000 per year to be a member of The NinetyThird private club, which is directly above you.

Here’s what you see:

If you’re not familiar with suites at The O2, you have a dedicated three row block of seats in front of the box:

You can either sit in the seats or you can stand in the suite. There are also a handful of bar seats which are directly behind the three rows of seats.

Here is the suite itself (this is a PR photo because I struggled to get a decent shot in the low light):

By default, suites at The O2 come with a bar at the back and some food serving stations on the left. Virgin has chosen to add a curving red sofa on the right.

In the photo below you can see the row of bar seats I mentioned:

As you probably noticed:

“Inspired by the sophistication of a members’ club or secret bar, the Virgin Red Room captures Virgin’s modern aesthetic and adventurous spirit. The design effortlessly incorporates familiar elements that reflect the brand, featuring luxurious textures, bold colours and soft lighting while creating an overall elevated experience.”

This doesn’t explain why the chairs are only suitable for 2-year olds, unless the suite is being used as a creche during the day ….

Food and drink in the Virgin Red Room

Your Virgin Red ticket comes with two free house drinks per person from the bar. Any additional drinks, or anything off the prescribed list, will be charged.

Unlike Marriott Bonvoy, which generally provides a free hot buffet in its suite, Virgin Red requires you to order food from a cash menu.

This box of three chicken tenders is £16, plus an extra £1.50 if you want BBQ sauce:

This wrap is £16.50:

The most egregious option is, I think, the loaded cheese fries at £17.50. It’s a lot to pay for a box of chips, irrespective of what is dunked on top.

A bag of popcorn or crisps is £2.95 whilst an ice cream tub is £6.60.

The net result is that, when you compare Marriott Bonvoy and Virgin Red pricing for the same concert, the Marriott redemption is often a better deal. Marriott wants fewer points (based on our standard valuations of a Marriott and Virgin point) and you’ll save around £35 between a couple on food due to Marriott’s free buffet. That said, this is a moot point unless you have both Marriott Bonvoy points and Virgin Red points in adundance.

Don’t let me put you off the Virgin Red Room though. It has a great view of the stage – the Marriott box is off-centre, the Virgin Red Room is dead centre – and the refurbishment of the suite looks good.

As we always say when discussing the suites, it isn’t the place to be if you want the full ‘standing, sweaty, pint of beer poured over your head’ concert experience. Given the average age of a Virgin Red member (46) and the average age of a HfP reader (about the same, we have more 55+ readers than under 35), that’s probably not where you want to be anyway ….

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How to earn Virgin Points from UK credit cards (September 2024)

As a reminder, there are various ways of earning Virgin Points from UK credit cards.  Many cards also have generous sign-up bonuses.

You can choose from two official Virgin Atlantic credit cards (apply here, the Reward+ card has a bonus of 18,000 Virgin Points and the free card has a bonus of 3,000 Virgin Points):

You can also earn Virgin Points from various American Express cards – and these have sign-up bonuses too.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold is FREE for a year and comes with 20,000 Membership Rewards points, which convert into 20,000 Virgin Points.

The Platinum Card from American Express comes with 40,000 Membership Rewards points, which convert into 40,000 Virgin Points.

Small business owners should consider the two American Express Business cards. Points convert at 1:1 into Virgin Points.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 22nd October 2024, the bonus on American Express Business Platinum is increased to up to 80,000 Membership Rewards points, worth 80,000 Virgin Points. You will receive 8 points per £1 spent for the first three months, on up to £10,000 of spending. Click here to read our full card review. Click here to apply.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 22nd October 2024, the bonus on American Express Business Gold is increased to up to 40,000 Membership Rewards points, worth 40,000 Virgin Points. You will receive 4 points per £1 spent for the first three months, on up to £10,000 of spending. The card is FREE for your first year. Click here to read our full card review. Click here to apply.

Click here to read our detailed summary of all UK credit cards which earn Virgin Points. 

(Want to earn more Virgin Points?  Click here to see our recent articles on Virgin Atlantic and Flying Club and click here for our home page with the latest news on earning and spending other airline and hotel points.)