Latest news with #Ovo
Time Out
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Cirque de Soleil is coming to London's Royal Albert Hall in 2026: dates, prices and how to get tickets
It will shock almost nobody to learn that Cirque du Soleil is returning to the Royal Albert Hall in 2026: pandemic aside, the esteemed neo circus troupe has made the grand Victorian performance venue its home at the start of the year for three decades now. Here's everything you need to know about its 2026 run. Which show will Cirque du Soleil be bringing to London in 2026? That would be Ovo, its insect-themed odyssey, last performed at this address in 2018. Our review from back then commented that it combined a somewhat bewildering comic story about flies with jaw-dropping feats of acrobatics: in other words, classic Cirque du Soleil. When is Cirque duo Soleil at the Royal Albert Hall in 2026? Officially it's January 9 to February 1, and has been described as a 'limited four week run'. Historically every single Cirque show for at least the last decade has extended its run into March at some point in the autumn. No guarantee this one will, but you'd be mad to bet against it. When do tickets go on sale? A general on sale begins Friday 18 July, but tickets are on sale to members now – membership is just a case of signing up for free. As above, there is a very good chance there will be an extension and that the tickets for this will go on sale in the autumn. How much do tickets cost? Tickets cost between £44 and an eye-watering £324, although the really high prices include food and hospitality (the best seats are around £140. Is Cirque du Soleil suitable for kids? It's extremely family friendly and indeed little ones may appreciate the humour more than some adults. The official advice is aged six-plus, though all ages are permitted. Cirque du Soleil's Ovo is at the Royal Albert Hall, Jan 9-Feb 1 2026.
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Former Virgin Money chief Gadhia to chair energy supplier Ovo
A former boss of Virgin Money boss is joining Britain's fourth-biggest home energy supplier as it explores options including a merger with one of its biggest rivals. Sky News has learnt that Dame Jayne-Anne Gadhia, who now holds a string of chairmanships, will become independent chair of Ovo as part of a boardroom shake-up at its parent company. Sources said her appointment would be announced later on Thursday, alongside those of Miguel Gaspar Silva and Andy Cox to the board of Kaluza, Ovo Group's technology arm. Money blog: Top chef reveals thing he hates about customers As part of the overhaul, Justin King, the former J Sainsbury chief, is stepping down as group chairman, insiders said. Dame Jayne-Anne's appointment comes at a crucial time for Ovo, which Sky News revealed this month is in the early stages of merger talks with Scottish Power. It is also separately running a process with potential investors to secure an additional £300m of financial backing. In a statement released to Sky News, Ovo said Dame Jayne-Anne's "understanding of consumer markets and regulatory frameworks will be instrumental in guiding OVO's continued evolution and navigating the dynamic energy landscape". The Kaluza board appointments are designed to help the Ovo-controlled division accelerate its international expansion. Last weekend, Sky News revealed that Kraken Technologies, which is owned by rival Octopus Energy, is being prepared for a demerger, which could value it at about £10bn. Kaluza recently bought Beige Technologies, an Australian energy software specialist, in order to strengthen its presence in the Asia-Pacific region. Founded by Stephen Fitzpatrick, the entrepreneur who now owns London's Kensington Roof Gardens, Ovo's shareholders include the private equity firm Mayfair Equity Partners, Morgan Stanley Investment Management and Mitsubishi Corporation, the Japanese Mr Fitzpatrick, who launched Ovo in 2009, the company positioned itself as a challenger brand offering superior service to the industry's established transformational moment came in 2020, when it bought the retail supply arm of SSE, transforming it overnight into one of Britain's leading energy companies. Read more from Sky News:Its growth has not been without difficulties, however, particularly in relation to its challenged relationship with Ofgem and a torrent of customer complaints about group is now run by David Buttress, who was briefly Boris Johnson's cost-of-living tsar after leaving the top job at Just Eat, as its chief to Ovo's longer-term valuation will be the performance of Kaluza, which was set up to license software to other energy suppliers and provides customers with smart electric vehicle charging and heat pumps, as well as intelligent energy solutions to commercial announced last year that AGL Energy, one of Australia's biggest energy suppliers, had bought a 20% stake in Kaluza at a $500m (£395m) valuation. The British energy company has also entered the electric vehicle car charging sector under the brand Charge Anywhere, adding tens of thousands of public charging points across the UK.
Sky News
10-07-2025
- Business
- Sky News
Former Virgin Money chief Gadhia to chair energy supplier Ovo
A former boss of Virgin Money boss is joining Britain's fourth-biggest home energy supplier as it explores options including a merger with one of its biggest rivals. Sky News has learnt that Dame Jayne-Anne Gadhia, who now holds a string of chairmanships, will become independent chair of Ovo as part of a boardroom shake-up at its parent company. Sources said her appointment would be announced later on Thursday, alongside those of Miguel Gaspar Silva and Andy Cox to the board of Kaluza, Ovo Group's technology arm. As part of the overhaul, Justin King, the former J Sainsbury chief, is stepping down as group chairman, insiders said. Dame Jayne-Anne's appointment comes at a crucial time for Ovo, which Sky News revealed this month is in the early stages of merger talks with Scottish Power. It is also separately running a process with potential investors to secure an additional £300m of financial backing. In a statement released to Sky News, Ovo said Dame Jayne-Anne's "understanding of consumer markets and regulatory frameworks will be instrumental in guiding OVO's continued evolution and navigating the dynamic energy landscape". The Kaluza board appointments are designed to help the Ovo-controlled division accelerate its international expansion. Last weekend, Sky News revealed that Kraken Technologies, which is owned by rival Octopus Energy, is being prepared for a demerger, which could value it at about £10bn. Kaluza recently bought Beige Technologies, an Australian energy software specialist, in order to strengthen its presence in the Asia-Pacific region. Founded by Stephen Fitzpatrick, the entrepreneur who now owns London's Kensington Roof Gardens, Ovo's shareholders include the private equity firm Mayfair Equity Partners, Morgan Stanley Investment Management and Mitsubishi Corporation, the Japanese conglomerate. Under Mr Fitzpatrick, who launched Ovo in 2009, the company positioned itself as a challenger brand offering superior service to the industry's established players. Ovo's transformational moment came in 2020, when it bought the retail supply arm of SSE, transforming it overnight into one of Britain's leading energy companies. Warning a pub a day to close this year Its growth has not been without difficulties, however, particularly in relation to its challenged relationship with Ofgem and a torrent of customer complaints about overcharging. The group is now run by David Buttress, who was briefly Boris Johnson's cost-of-living tsar after leaving the top job at Just Eat, as its chief executive. Key to Ovo's longer-term valuation will be the performance of Kaluza, which was set up to license software to other energy suppliers and provides customers with smart electric vehicle charging and heat pumps, as well as intelligent energy solutions to commercial customers. Ovo announced last year that AGL Energy, one of Australia's biggest energy suppliers, had bought a 20% stake in Kaluza at a $500m (£395m) valuation. The British energy company has also entered the electric vehicle car charging sector under the brand Charge Anywhere, adding tens of thousands of public charging points across the UK.
Yahoo
29-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Scottish Power plots Ovo merger to create Britain's third-largest energy supplier
The Spanish owner of Scottish Power has held talks about a merger with Ovo to create Britain's third-largest energy supplier. Iberdrola has been in preliminary discussions with Ovo about a tie-up to combine the two companies' 6.4m customers, Sky News reported, potentially creating a new business to rival British Gas and Octopus, the UK's two largest gas and electricity suppliers. Ovo was launched in 2009 as a challenger to the traditional 'big six' and became Britain's fourth-largest energy provider in 2020 when it acquired SSE for £500m. The business now has 4m customers, although it has faced criticism for customer service failings and overcharging households in recent years, which have led to fines from Ofgem, the regulator. Scottish Power was bought by Spanish energy giant Iberdrola in 2007 for £11bn, but customer numbers have declined in recent years. It now serves 2.4m households, according to the latest data. Any potential tie-up would involve Ovo's shareholders and Iberdrola retaining stakes in the combined group, with the Spanish company potentially putting more cash into the business. No announcement is believed to be imminent and one source suggested that a deal between the two was unlikely. However, if successful, it would become the third-largest household energy supplier in the UK. Speculation of a potential merger comes after Ovo hired bankers at Rothschild last year to raise hundreds of millions of pounds in new investment. Ovo's shareholders, including the Japanese conglomerate Mitsubishi and the investment funds Mayfair Equity Partners and Morgan Stanley Investment Management, are willing to raise cash either through a sale or by bringing in a new backer. Stephen Fitzpatrick, the company's founder, also remains a significant shareholder but is no longer involved in running day-to-day operations. The company has brought in Justin King, the former Sainsbury's chief, to chair the company and David Buttress, the former Just Eat boss who served as Boris Johnson's cost of living tsar, as its chief executive. Meanwhile, Scottish Power's owners have increasingly focused on its renewables business in recent years, turning it into one of Britain's biggest wind power providers. Scottish Power and Ovo declined to comment. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Telegraph
29-06-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Scottish Power plots Ovo merger to create Britain's third-largest energy supplier
The Spanish owner of Scottish Power has held talks about a merger with Ovo to create Britain's third-largest energy supplier. Iberdrola has been in preliminary discussions with Ovo about a tie-up to combine the two companies' 6.4m customers, Sky News reported, potentially creating a new business to rival British Gas and Octopus, the UK's two largest gas and electricity suppliers. Ovo was launched in 2009 as a challenger to the traditional 'big six' and became Britain's fourth-largest energy provider in 2020 when it acquired SSE for £500m. The business now has 4m customers, although it has faced criticism for customer service failings and overcharging households in recent years, which have led to fines from Ofgem, the regulator. Scottish Power was bought by Spanish energy giant Iberdrola in 2007 for £11bn, but customer numbers have declined in recent years. It now serves 2.4m households, according to the latest data. Any potential tie-up would involve Ovo's shareholders and Iberdrola retaining stakes in the combined group, with the Spanish company potentially putting more cash into the business. No announcement is believed to be imminent and one source suggested that a deal between the two was unlikely. However, if successful, it would become the third-largest household energy supplier in the UK. Speculation of a potential merger comes after Ovo hired bankers at Rothschild last year to raise hundreds of millions of pounds in new investment. Ovo's shareholders, including the Japanese conglomerate Mitsubishi and the investment funds Mayfair Equity Partners and Morgan Stanley Investment Management, are willing to raise cash either through a sale or by bringing in a new backer. Stephen Fitzpatrick, the company's founder, also remains a significant shareholder but is no longer involved in running day-to-day operations. The company has brought in Justin King, the former Sainsbury's chief, to chair the company and David Buttress, the former Just Eat boss who served as Boris Johnson's cost of living tsar, as its chief executive. Meanwhile, Scottish Power's owners have increasingly focused on its renewables business in recent years, turning it into one of Britain's biggest wind power providers.
