Twelve months. Dozens of shows. Hundreds of thousands of footsteps.
2025 wasn\u2019t just a year \u2014 it was a rhythm. A cycle of lights, laughter, music, and quiet nights spent cleaning the echoes of it all away.<\/p>\n
From the very first shift in January to the final Cirque show in December, Leeds Arena became more than just a workplace. It became a timeline of moments \u2014 each event, song, and shift forming part of a year that was as unpredictable as it was unforgettable.<\/p>\n
January kicked things off in full sparkle with the BBC Strictly Come Dancing Live Tour<\/span><\/span><\/strong>. Sequins, spray tan, and a tidal wave of applause set the tone for the months ahead. By February, the lights dimmed to something heavier \u2014 one night that will stick forever: Pantera<\/span><\/span><\/strong>, February 19th.<\/p>\n I didn\u2019t work the show itself \u2014 I worked after<\/em>. My brother had been there, part of the roaring crowd, and by the time the house lights went up and he left, I came in.<\/p>\n The air was thick with feedback and sweat and that unmistakable hum that follows a metal gig. It\u2019s hard to describe, but it\u2019s something you feel through your boots.<\/p>\n That night, I found a Pantera guitar pick<\/strong> on the stage floor \u2014 small, black, and full of memory. I kept it. It\u2019s now in a special place alongside the Bryan Adams<\/strong> pick I found later in the year. Two completely different artists, but both moments mean the same thing: a connection.<\/p>\n Pantera wasn\u2019t just another event. It was the one that made 2025 personal. Because I met Zakk Wylde<\/strong>, and who can say they met a legend like that while casually standing outside at 2 a.m. talking to their boss? I can.<\/p>\n April came like a burst of noise and colour: Jeff Wayne\u2019s The War of the Worlds<\/span><\/span><\/strong>, Sugababes<\/strong>, Europe\u2019s Strongest Man<\/strong>, Sean Paul<\/strong>, and even the Harlem Globetrotters<\/strong>. May kept that pace going with Clubland<\/strong>, Bryan Adams<\/strong>, and a full 12-hour Sky Sports Darts<\/span><\/span><\/strong> shift, where I learned my first lesson about how broadcasting works behind the scenes \u2014 those three-minute ad breaks<\/em> became gold for bin swaps and floor resets.<\/p>\n June, though, brought everything to a halt. By July<\/strong>, I was finally back. Still sore, but determined. August<\/strong> was slower \u2014 just three shifts: the final day of TRANSFORMERS25, a Paw Patrol Live<\/strong> show, and WWE Live<\/strong> to finish. September<\/strong> brought a mix of energy \u2014 Tom Grennan<\/strong>, Simply Red<\/strong>, and McFly vs. Busted<\/strong>, though I missed the second night through sickness. October<\/strong> slowed the pace again but stayed bright with John Bishop\u2019s 25 Years Tour<\/strong> and Marti Pellow\u2019s Love Is All Around<\/strong>. November<\/strong> hit full swing again: Peter Kay<\/strong>, Bob Dylan<\/strong>, JLS<\/strong>, Hans Zimmer<\/strong>, Mumford & Sons<\/strong>, and more. But my personal favourite of that month? Then came December<\/strong> \u2014 the final stretch. But the one that stood out wasn\u2019t just fun \u2014 it was technical. That shift was unlike any other. I wore a hard baseball cap<\/strong> the whole night, not just for the uniform, but for safety \u2014 those overhead wire cameras<\/strong> and jib cranes<\/strong> can swing fast and unpredictably.<\/p>\n To stay one step ahead, I listened to the audio feed of the live broadcast<\/strong> through an earpiece. Hearing the pundits say \u201cWe\u2019re taking a break, see you in three\u201d<\/em> was my signal to move \u2014 three minutes to sweep, empty bins, change bags, and vanish before the red lights came back on.<\/p>\n On a normal night, you might be left to work alone and at your own pace. But on a live broadcast<\/strong>, every second matters.<\/p>\n When new starters join me for their first broadcast event, they don\u2019t believe me when I say, \u201cWe only get three minutes to clear the stage before we\u2019re live again.\u201d<\/em> The year finished on December 29th and 30th<\/strong> with Cirque \u2013 Wizard of Oz<\/span><\/span><\/strong> \u2014 a bright, theatrical close to a year that had everything: music, mayhem, and moments of magic.<\/p>\n \ud83e\uddf9 56 shifts worked<\/strong> 2025 was more than just a year of shifts \u2014 it was a year of moments. And if I had to pick just one moment? That\u2019s the one that\u2019ll always stay with me.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s to 2026<\/strong> \u2014 new shows, new shifts, and a few more stories waiting to be swept up.<\/p>\n \ud83c\udfa4 2025 work: mic drop, over and out. Let\u2019s see what 2026 brings.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","class_list":["post-253","work","type-work","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/connormoizer.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/work\/253","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/connormoizer.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/work"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/connormoizer.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/work"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/connormoizer.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=253"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
Even when the music stopped, the arena shimmered like it still had energy to burn.<\/p>\n#1 \u2013 Pantera (February 19th) \u2014 The Night That Stuck<\/strong><\/h2>\n
My brother and I, one leaving the crowd, one entering the clean-up. Same place, same night \u2014 different worlds, same memory.<\/p>\nSpring \u2013 The Season of Everything<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Every night felt different \u2014 family crowds one day, pyros and sweat the next.<\/p>\n
A bike crash<\/strong>, a fractured elbow, and weeks of recovery meant no shifts, no noise, no lights. But it also brought perspective.<\/p>\nSummer \u2013 Recovery, Reflection, and Return<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Leeds Beckett University Graduations<\/span><\/span><\/strong> were the perfect way to ease in \u2014 calm, quiet, structured. Then came TRANSFORMERS25<\/span><\/span><\/strong>, a huge youth Christian event that closed the month with energy and hope.<\/p>\n
Small but solid steps back to full rhythm.<\/p>\nAutumn \u2013 The Noise Returns<\/strong><\/h2>\n
The Great British Pub of the Year Awards<\/strong> and a Digital Careers Fair<\/strong> added a corporate twist, showing once again how flexible the arena can be.<\/p>\n
After months of movement, it was a breather \u2014 a gentle reminder that even quiet months matter.<\/p>\n
Comedy, classics, and chaos \u2014 all rolled into one.<\/p>\n
Hans Zimmer.<\/strong> Hearing Pirates of the Caribbean<\/em> echo through the empty arena long after the crowd left was something special.<\/p>\nWinter \u2013 Lights, Broadcasts, and Goodbyes<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Private Christmas parties for Jet2<\/strong> and the Arena staff<\/strong>, music nights with Wolf Alice<\/strong>, D-Block Europe<\/strong>, Pete Tong<\/strong>, Madness<\/strong>, and Jools Holland<\/strong>, and a round of laughter with Jimmy Carr<\/strong>.<\/p>\n
December 20th<\/strong>, BBC Boxing Night<\/span><\/span><\/strong>, broadcast live on BBC Three<\/strong> and iPlayer<\/strong>.<\/p>\n
Working a live TV broadcast meant no ad breaks, no second chances<\/em>. You had to be invisible but efficient \u2014 always just outside the camera\u2019s view.<\/p>\n
Then they see me moving across the floor with purpose \u2014 bags in hand, clock ticking \u2014 and they finally get it. It\u2019s organised chaos at its finest.<\/p>\nA Year in Numbers<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\u23f1\ufe0f 24,000 minutes cleaned<\/strong> (including one 12-hour Sky Sports shift)
\ud83c\udfb6 Over 40 different shows and events<\/strong>
\ud83c\udfc6 1 broken elbow, 2 guitar picks, countless stories<\/strong><\/p>\nFinal Thoughts<\/strong><\/h2>\n
From standing under confetti at 2 a.m. to dodging live TV cameras, from missing a month through injury to coming back stronger \u2014 it\u2019s been one long, messy, brilliant ride.<\/p>\n
February 19th \u2014 Pantera.<\/strong>
My brother walking out as I walked in. A single night, shared in two completely different ways.<\/p>\n