Manchester Arena

event arena in Manchester, England

Key facts

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
Owner: Mansford
Operator: ASM Global
Capacity: 23,000
Public transit: Manchester Victoria
Groundbreaking: March 1993 ( 1993-03 )
Opened: 15 July 1995 ( 1995-07-15 )
Closed: 22 May 2017
Reopened: 9 September 2017
Construction cost: £ 52 million, (£112 million in 2025 pounds )

Article

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 23,000 it is the second largest indoor arena in the UK after Co-op Live and third 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.