The venue attracts over a million customers each year for concerts and family shows, making it one of the world's busiest indoor arenas, and was named 'International Venue Of The Year' in 2002 in the 'Pollstar' awards, and was nominated in the same category from 2002 to 2009. When 14,151 people watched Manchester Giants play London Leopards, it set a British record for attendance at a basketball match. Attendance records were set in 1997 when 17,425 people watched Manchester Storm play Sheffield Steelers, a record for an ice hockey match in Europe at that time.

On the opening night, 15,000 spectators watched Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean perform. In September 2020, the arena was rebranded as the AO Arena as part of a five year sponsorship deal by the online electricals retailer AO.

In July 2013, the arena was renamed Phones 4u Arena after the mobile phone company Phones 4u, but this deal ended in January 2015 after Phones 4u went out of business, renaming the arena back to Manchester Arena. In December 2011, the newspaper ended its 13 year sponsorship, and the arena was renamed Manchester Arena in January 2012. In July 1998, it was renamed the Manchester Evening News Arena, or just the MEN Arena, when it was sponsored by the Manchester Evening News newspaper. The arena opened in July 1995, sponsored by NYNEX CableComms as NYNEX Arena. Although built as an American style sports arena, it has been more successful hosting large music events. Construction cost £52 million of which £35.5m was provided by government grants and £2.5m from the European Regional Development Fund. The arena was constructed as part of the city's unsuccessful bid for the 2000 Summer Olympics. Background The arena during sponsorship by Manchester Evening News Phones 4u Arena logo used from 2013 to 2015 Once complete, the increase in capacity will retain the indoor arena's place as the largest in the city after the 23,500-seat Co-op Live Arena opens. The arena's capacity will increase to 24,000, and new public entrances and custom lounges will be opened. Other European indoor venues built to the same concept include the Lanxess Arena ( Cologne, Germany), Arena Zagreb ( Zagreb, Croatia), Spaladium Arena ( Split, Croatia), Kombank Arena ( Belgrade, Serbia), O2 Arena ( Prague, Czech Republic), and the Barclaycard Arena ( Hamburg, Germany).Ī three-year £50 million re-development started in 2022. (London's The O2, formerly the Millennium Dome, also has 360-degree seating, but only on its lower tier, whereas Manchester's arena features it on both tiers). The arena is the only indoor venue in the UK to be built following a layout of 360-degree seating. The upper parts of the building are clad in purple-grey with green glass. Reinforced concrete is used to increase sound insulation. Following the bombing, the foyer underwent renovation.Ī large truss measuring 105 metres (344 ft) spans the roof. The former multiplex cinema, which opened in 1996, closed after just four years and is now a call centre. It originally hosted a seven-screen multiplex cinema, a multi-purpose arena and multi-storey parking. The original plans included a glass tower which was not built. The arena is sited in air rights space over the Manchester Victoria railway station and was constructed without disrupting use of the station. Arena design Steps leading to southern entrance from Hunts Bank Panorama of the arena, facing the main stageįirst proposed during the regeneration of Manchester city centre during the 1980s, the structure was designed by DLA Ellerbe Beckett, Ove Arup & Partners, and Austin-Smith:Lord. The arena was reopened on 9 September with a special benefit concert headlined by Manchester-born singer Noel Gallagher. Shows and events that were scheduled to take place at the arena were either moved to alternative venues, or cancelled completely.

The arena was temporarily closed following a terror attack on, in which suicide bomber Salman Abedi killed 22 people, and injured 500 more, at the end of an Ariana Grande concert during her Dangerous Woman Tour. The arena was a key part of Manchester's bids to host the Olympic Games in 19 and was eventually used for the 2002 Commonwealth Games. The arena is one of the world's busiest indoor arenas, hosting music and sporting events such as boxing and swimming.

The arena has the highest seating capacity of any indoor venue in the United Kingdom, and the fifth-largest in Europe with a capacity of 21,000. Manchester Arena (currently known as AO Arena for sponsorship reasons), is an indoor arena in Manchester, England, immediately north of the city centre and partly above Manchester Victoria station in air rights space. Exterior of the arena in 2019, seen from the north

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