Two of Manchester's major venues are to be sold as part of a new deal involving one of the country's largest theatre owners.
The Manchester Opera House and Palace Theatre are being purchased from Live Nation by the Ambassador Theatre Group (ATG), which currently owns some if the West End's top venues including the Piccadilly and Duke of York theatres.
According to reports, the deal is worth over £92 million and is part of ATG's attempts to buy the majority of the 17 venues put up for sale by Live Nation in June so it could concentrate on its music business.
London-based ATG was launched by Howard Panter and Rosemary Squire in 1992 and will become the largest theatre operator in Britain with the purchase of the Manchester Opera House and Palace Theatre, which will be added to a portfolio including Liverpool venue the Empire.
Meanwhile, the BT Convention Centre, which hosts events ranging from medical symposiums to congresses, recently became a part of the Hotel Booking Agents Association.
