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_May19.jpg) 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 (2015–2020) |
|---|---|
| Address | Victoria Station Manchester M3 1AR[1] |
| Location | Manchester, England, UK |
| 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[nb 1] |
| Reopened | 9 September 2017[2] |
| Construction cost | £52 million (£134 million in 2024 pounds[3]) |
| 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) | |
| 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 station in air rights space. Prior to the opening of Co-op Live, the arena had the highest seating capacity of any indoor venue in the United Kingdom, and is the third-largest in Europe with a capacity of 21,000.
The arena is one of the world's busiest indoor arenas, hosting music and sporting events such as boxing and swimming.[4] 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.
The arena was temporarily closed following a terror attack on 22 May 2017, 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. Shows and events that were scheduled to take place at the arena were either moved to alternative venues, or cancelled completely. The arena was reopened on 9 September with a special benefit concert headlined by Manchester-born singer Noel Gallagher.[5]
- ^ "Contact The AO Arena Manchester". ao-arena.com. Archived from the original on 31 October 2020. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
- ^ "Manchester Arena: Noel Gallagher to headline reopening concert". BBC News. 16 August 2017. Archived from the original on 16 August 2017. Retrieved 20 July 2018.
- ^ UK Retail Price Index inflation figures are based on data from Clark, Gregory (2017). "The Annual RPI and Average Earnings for Britain, 1209 to Present (New Series)". MeasuringWorth. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
- ^ "Manchester Evening News arena". smg-europe.com. Archived from the original on 10 February 2009. Retrieved on 28 March 2008.
- ^ Shepherd, Jack (10 September 2017). "We Are Manchester: Tearful Noel Gallagher reopens Manchester Arena, performs 'Don't Look Back in Anger'". The Independent. Archived from the original on 17 February 2023. Retrieved 17 February 2023.
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