More than 9,000 people were thrilled by a first look at P&J Live when the north-east’s newest and biggest venue held a special preview event on Saturday.
Venue bosses said they were delighted by the response from visitors – who were also asked to test out the new facility and give their thoughts on what they found.
Louise Stewart, head of entertainment, exhibition and marketing for P&J Live, said: “The immediate feedback we received from people was simply brilliant.
“They seemed to be so excited at what they saw – particularly the arena space which we had set up as if it was hosting an all-seated concert.
“I think people were impressed by everything from the comfortable seats to the great views and from the sheer size of it to the state-of-the-art acoustics.
“And they also had fun taking selfies with the cutouts of stars like Lewis Capaldi and Michael Buble we had put on stage for them.”
Saturday’s event featured performances by local bands, fun activities for families, a Mini Oor Wullie Bucket Trail and a preview of the restaurants and bars, as well as showcases local organisations and companies.
It was also a chance to see the food and drink kiosks, with local producers, in full swing.
Ms Stewart added that visitors seemed taken aback at the scale of the venue, with its Halls A, B and C each capable of hosting major events and concerts, complementing the 15,000 capacity arena space.
On a more serious note, visitors at the preview also took part in emergency evacuations and even helped to flush all the venue’s toilets at the same time.
“This was an invaluable day for us, in terms of actually seeing how the venue performed with people in it,” Ms Stewart said.
“We will, of course, be taking a close and detailed look at all the feedback we have received. That will be vital in making any tweaks and adjustments to get the operation of P&J Live as close to perfection as we can.
“However, the main message we took away from Saturday is that people love their new P&J Live and can’t wait for the great concerts, events and exhibitions we have line-up already.
“After all, having an opening season which includes Lewis Capaldi, Liam Gallagher and Michael Buble is pretty impressive. So, too, is having events like Offshore Europe and exhibitions like BRICKLIVE.
“That is just the beginning of what we will be offering in years to come, making P&J Live one of the most prestigious and attractive venues in the whole of the UK.”
Ms Stewart added that P&J Live would not only be a world-class entertainment and conference hub, but also be a major boost to the north-east economy by attracting major events and visitors to the region.
“We are just delighted to be able to say P&J Live is open for business” she said.
First up for the venue will be the giant oil and gas exhibition Offshore Europe, which is expected to attract about 36,000 people to Aberdeen.