Manchester Arena
Exterior of the arena in 2019, seen from the north | |
| Former names | NYNEX Arena (1995–1998) Manchester Evening News Arena (1998–2011) Phones 4u Arena (2013–2015) Manchester Arena (2012–2013, 2015–2020) |
|---|---|
| Address | Victoria Station Manchester M3 1AR |
| Location | Manchester, England |
| Coordinates | 53°29′17″N 2°14′38″W / 53.48806°N 2.24389°W |
| Owner | Mansford |
| Operator | ASM Global |
| Capacity | 21,000 |
| Public transit | Manchester Victoria |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | March 1993 |
| Opened | 15 July 1995 |
| Closed | 22 May 2017 |
| Reopened | 9 September 2017 |
| Construction cost | £52 million (£134 million in 2023 pounds) |
| Architect | DLA Design, Austin-Smith:Lord and Ellerbe Becket |
| Structural engineer | Ove Arup & Partners |
| Tenants | |
| Manchester Giants (BBL) (1995–2001) Manchester Storm (BISL, BJL) (1995–2002) Manchester Phoenix (EIHL) (2003–2004) | |
| Website | |
| Venue Website | |
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 railway station in air rights space. With a capacity of 21,000 it is the second largest indoor arena in the UK after Co-op Live and fifth largest in Europe.
The arena is one of the world's busiest indoor arenas, hosting music and sporting events such as boxing and swimming. The arena was a key part of Manchester's bids to host the Olympic Games in 1996 and 2000 and was eventually used for the 2002 Commonwealth Games.
On 22 May 2017, the arena's foyer was the scene of a terrorist attack carried out by a suicide bomber, in which 22 people were killed and 1,017 injured following an Ariana Grande concert.