Manchester Arena facts for kids
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Exterior of the arena in 2019, seen from the north
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| Former names | NYNEX Arena (1995–1998) Manchester Evening News Arena (1998–2011) Phones 4u Arena (2013–2015) Manchester Arena (2015–2020) |
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| Address | Victoria Station Manchester M3 1AR |
| Location | Manchester, England |
| Coordinates | 53°29′17″N 2°14′38″W / 53.48806°N 2.24389°W |
| Public transit |   Manchester Victoria |
| Owner | Mansford |
| Operator | ASM Global |
| Capacity | 21,000 |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | March 1993 |
| Opened | 15 July 1995 |
| Closed | 22 May 2017 |
| Reopened | 9 September 2017 |
| Construction cost | £52 million (£76.3 million in 2025 pounds ) |
| Architect | DLA Design, Austin-Smith:Lord and Ellerbe Becket |
| Structural engineer | Arup Group Limited |
| Tenants | |
| Manchester Giants (BBL) (1995–2001) Manchester Storm (BISL, BJL) (1995–2002) Manchester Phoenix (EIHL) (2003–2004) |
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The Manchester Arena (also known as AO Arena) is a huge indoor stadium in Manchester, England. It's located just north of the city centre, right above Manchester Victoria station. This arena is the biggest indoor venue in the United Kingdom. It can hold up to 21,000 people!
The AO Arena is one of the busiest indoor stadiums in the world. It hosts many exciting events, like music concerts, boxing matches, and even swimming competitions. The arena was an important part of Manchester's attempts to host the Olympic Games in 1996 and 2000. It was later used for the 2002 Commonwealth Games.
The arena was temporarily closed after a sad event on 22 May 2017. It reopened on 9 September 2017 with a special concert. This concert featured Manchester-born singer Noel Gallagher and other artists.
Contents
Building the Arena: Design and Features
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The idea for the arena came about in the 1980s. It was part of a plan to make Manchester city centre better. The arena was designed by several companies, including DLA Ellerbe Beckett and Arup Group Limited.
A cool fact about the arena is that it was built right over the Manchester Victoria station. This means it was constructed without stopping the trains! The building has a huge roof, with a main support beam that is 105 meters (344 feet) long. The walls are made with strong concrete to keep sounds from escaping. The outside of the building is purple-grey with green glass. The arena first opened its doors on 15 July 1995.
The Manchester Arena is special because it's the only indoor venue in the UK with 360-degree seating on both its upper and lower levels. This means people can sit all around the stage or event area. Other arenas in Europe, like the Lanxess Arena in Germany, have a similar design.
A big project started in 2022 to make the arena even better. This £50 million plan will increase the arena's capacity to 24,000 people. It will also add new entrances and special lounges. Once finished, it will still be one of the largest indoor arenas in the city.
Arena History: Names and Big Events
The arena was built because Manchester wanted to host the 2000 Summer Olympics. It cost £52 million to build. Even though it was designed for sports, it became very popular for music concerts.
When it first opened in July 1995, it was called the NYNEX Arena. This was because of a sponsorship deal with NYNEX CableComms. In July 1998, its name changed to the Manchester Evening News Arena, or MEN Arena, after the local newspaper.
In 2011, the newspaper stopped its sponsorship, and the arena was simply called Manchester Arena. Then, in 2013, it became the Phones 4u Arena for a short time. This deal ended in 2015, and it went back to being the Manchester Arena. Finally, in September 2020, it was renamed the AO Arena because of a new sponsorship deal with AO, an online electronics store.
On its opening night, 15,000 people watched Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean perform ice skating. This was a record for an ice event! The arena also set records for ice hockey and basketball attendance in Europe and Britain.
The arena is very busy, attracting over a million visitors each year for concerts and family shows. It has won awards like "International Venue Of The Year" and was named the "World's Busiest Arena" for several years based on ticket sales. It was also voted 'Europe's Favourite Arena' in 2008.
In 1999, a celebration was held at the arena for Manchester United's football team. They had just won the UEFA Champions League and became the first English team to win three major trophies in one season!
The arena hosts over 250 events every year. These include comedy shows, live music, sports, and sometimes even musicals.
Exciting Events at the Arena
Music Concerts
Since opening in 1995, the AO Arena has been a top spot for music concerts. Many famous artists and bands have performed here.
Take That, a pop group from Manchester, holds the record for the most performances, with 46 shows! In 2019, the arena was even temporarily renamed after them during their tour. Westlife used to hold the record with 33 performances.
Many global superstars have graced the stage:
- Spice Girls performed multiple sold-out shows in 1998, 1999, and 2008.
- Janet Jackson performed in 1998.
- Britney Spears has had several sold-out shows since 2000, including her "Piece of Me Tour" in 2018.
- U2 performed in 2001 and 2018.
- Kylie Minogue has performed more than 30 times, playing to over 400,000 fans!
- Rihanna performed her first concert in England here in 2007.
- Madonna performed in 2004, 2009, and 2015.
- Whitney Houston held her last concerts ever here in 2010.
- Beyoncé has performed five different tours at the arena, with some shows selling out incredibly fast!
- Katy Perry performed in 2014 and 2018.
- Taylor Swift performed in 2015.
- Adele performed four sold-out shows in 2016.
- Ariana Grande performed here on 22 May 2017.
- Metallica played to nearly 20,000 people in 2017.
- Mariah Carey brought her Christmas show in 2017.
- South Korean girl group Blackpink had their first UK arena concert here in 2019.
- Christina Aguilera performed in 2019.
- Dua Lipa performed in 2022.
- Little Mix performed three shows in 2022.
- Panic! at the Disco had their farewell concert here in 2023.
- Celine Dion has performed multiple times since 1996.
Sports Events
The arena used to be home to three sports teams: the Manchester Storm and Manchester Phoenix ice hockey teams, and the Manchester Giants basketball team. Now, it's mostly used for special, one-off sporting events.
Many famous boxers have fought in the arena, including Amir Khan, Ricky Hatton, Joe Calzaghe, and Mike Tyson. WWE (professional wrestling) has also held many live shows and TV tapings here.
The arena has hosted exciting mixed martial arts (MMA) events, including several UFC events. In 2009, it set a European record for the largest UFC event outside the US! It also hosted the World Taekwondo Qualification Event for the Beijing Olympic Games in 2007. In 2008, the arena was transformed to host the FINA Short Course World Swimming Championships. They built two swimming pools in just 18 days!
Monster truck racing events have also taken place here, requiring changes to the arena floor. Since 2008, it has hosted a week of the Premier League Darts.
In 2012, the arena hosted a basketball game between the Great Britain men's team and the United States men's team before the 2012 Summer Olympics. In 2018, it hosted the revamped Dancing on Ice tour.
In 2018, a boxing match between YouTubers KSI and Logan Paul was held here. They returned in 2023 for another big boxing event.
Comedy Shows
The first stand-up comedy show was by Peter Kay in 2003. He actually worked at the arena when it first opened in 1995! His performance was even filmed for a DVD. In 2005, Lee Evans set a world record for performing to the biggest audience of 10,108 people. Peter Kay also set a record for the venue by performing 20 consecutive nights.
Other Events
In 1998, the game show Ice Warriors was filmed on the arena's ice rink. In 2011, the arena hosted the world premiere of Batman Live, a stage show with theatrical and circus elements.
The arena also hosts the annual convention for Jehovah's Witnesses. In 2014, it hosted Ant & Dec's Takeaway on Tour: Live, which attracted over 120,000 people in two days! The American league Monster Jam also visited the venue in 2005 and 2019.
Reopening After the Attack
After the sad event in May 2017, the arena was closed for several months. Many scheduled concerts were either cancelled or moved to other places. On 9 September 2017, the arena officially reopened with a special concert called "We Are Manchester." This event featured Noel Gallagher and other artists from the North West. It was broadcast live on local radio stations.
Getting There: Transport
| Manchester Metrolink |
Victoria |
| National Rail |
The arena is connected to Manchester Victoria station. You can get there by train using Northern and TransPennine Express services, or by Metrolink tram. There is also a car park at the arena with plenty of spaces.
See also
In Spanish: Manchester Arena para niños
- List of Commonwealth Games venues
- Manchester Central Convention Complex
- City of Manchester Stadium
- Old Trafford Cricket Ground
- List of indoor arenas by capacity
