The
Manchester Evening News Arena (the
M.E.N. Arena or the
Manchester Arena) is an indoor arena situated in
ManchesterManchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, England. It is adjacent to
Manchester Victoria stationManchester Victoria station in Manchester, England is the city's second largest mainline railway station. It is also a Metrolink station, one of eight within the City Zone...
near
Corporation StreetCorporation Street is one of the major streets which bisects Manchester city centre. The street starts where Cross Street meets the junction of Market Street and ends at the junction of Dantzic Street...
. It is sponsored by the
Manchester Evening NewsThe Manchester Evening News is a regional daily newspaper covering Greater Manchester in the United Kingdom. It is published every day except Sunday and is owned by Trinity Mirror plc following its sale by Guardian Media Group in early 2010. It has an average daily circulation of 90,973 copies...
.
The MEN arena is
the largest indoor arena in Europe with a capacity of 21,000, ahead of the 20,000
O2 ArenaThe O2 Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena located in the centre of The O2, a large entertainment complex on the Greenwich peninsula in London, England.With a capacity of up to 20,000 depending on the event, it is second largest...
in London and is one of the world's busiest indoor arenas hosting music and sporting events such as boxing and swimming. It is Manchester's primary, all-year round concert venue ahead of Manchester Central, the
Etihad StadiumThe City of Manchester Stadium in Manchester, England – also known as the Etihad Stadium for sponsorship purposes– is the home ground of...
and Old Trafford Cricket Ground.
Opening in 1995, the arena was built to coincide with Manchester's two bids to host the Olympic games in 1996 and 2000 (which were won by Atlanta in 1996 and Sydney in 2000) and was eventually used for the
2002 Commonwealth GamesThe 2002 Commonwealth Games were held in Manchester, England from 25 July to 4 August 2002. The XVII Commonwealth Games was the largest multi-sport event ever to be held in the UK, eclipsing London's 1948 Summer Olympics in numbers of teams and athletes participating.After the 1996 Manchester...
.
Manchester Evening News will end its thirteen-year naming sponsorship at the end of 2011, when the venue will revert to the name of
Manchester Arena as a new sponsor naming partner is sought.
History
The Manchester Evening News Arena was constructed as part of Manchester's unsuccessful bid for the
2000 Summer OlympicsThe Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
. Construction cost £52 million of which £35.5m was provided by government grants and £2.5m from the
European Regional Development FundThe European Regional Development Fund is a fund allocated by the European Union.-History:During the 1960s, the European Commission occasionally tried to establish a regional fund. Only Italy ever supported this, however, and nothing came of it. Britain made it an issue for their accession in...
. Manchester aimed to build an arena capable of hosting large music events to replace older venues such as the
Free Trade HallThe Free Trade Hall, Peter Street, Manchester, was a public hall constructed in 1853–6 on St Peter's Fields, the site of the Peterloo Massacre and is now a hotel. The hall was built to commemorate the repeal of the Corn Laws in 1846. The architect was Edward Walters The hall subsequently was...
and the GMEX Centre.
On the opening night, 15,000 spectators watched
Jayne TorvillJayne Torvill, OBE is a British ice dancer. With Christopher Dean, she won a gold medal at the 1984 Winter Olympics and a bronze medal at the 1994 Winter Olympics.-Early life:...
and
Christopher DeanChristopher Colin Dean, OBE is a famous British ice dancer who won a gold medal at the 1984 Winter Olympics with his skating partner Jayne Torvill...
perform; the crowd was a record for an ice event. Attendance records were set in 1997 when 17,425 people watched Manchester Storm play
Sheffield SteelersThe Sheffield Steelers are a British ice hockey club, from Sheffield, England. They were formed in 1991 and play their home games at the Sheffield Arena. They are currently members of the Elite Ice Hockey League...
, a record for an ice hockey match in Europe. When 14,151 people watched
Manchester GiantsManchester Giants was a team in the British Basketball League from 1990 to 2001.During its existence, the team won the Trophy in 1999 and the BBL Championship in 2000. The tenure of coach Nick Nurse, which included these two seasons, was the most successful period in the club's history...
play
London LeopardsThe BA London Leopards is a British basketball team who competes in the English Basketball League Division 1. The team was established in 1997 as Ware Fire, but following the demise and eventual closure of the former British Basketball League franchise Essex Leopards in 2003, a supporters group...
, it set a British record for attendance at a basketball match.
The arena was opened in 1995, and initially sponsored by NYNEX CableComms (a British cable television provider, part of the NYNEX Corporation, a telephone service provider in the United States) as the
NYNEX Arena. The arena took its current name in 1998 after the NYNEX brand merged with Cable & Wireless Communications in 1997.
Arena design
The structure was designed by DLA Ellerbe Beckett, Ove Group, and
Austin-Smith:LordAustin-Smith:Lord is a British architectural firm, established in 1949.Currently in voluntary administration following staff redundancies in November 2011.-Selected designs:*Riverfront Arts Centre*Avril Robarts LRC*Catalyst...
. A large truss measuring 105 metres spans the roof. The arena is clad in
reinforced concreteReinforced concrete is concrete in which reinforcement bars , reinforcement grids, plates or fibers have been incorporated to strengthen the concrete in tension. It was invented by French gardener Joseph Monier in 1849 and patented in 1867. The term Ferro Concrete refers only to concrete that is...
to increase sound insulation.
The
Manchester Evening News Arena (the
M.E.N. Arena or the
Manchester Arena) is an indoor arena situated in
ManchesterManchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, England. It is adjacent to
Manchester Victoria stationManchester Victoria station in Manchester, England is the city's second largest mainline railway station. It is also a Metrolink station, one of eight within the City Zone...
near
Corporation StreetCorporation Street is one of the major streets which bisects Manchester city centre. The street starts where Cross Street meets the junction of Market Street and ends at the junction of Dantzic Street...
. It is sponsored by the
Manchester Evening NewsThe Manchester Evening News is a regional daily newspaper covering Greater Manchester in the United Kingdom. It is published every day except Sunday and is owned by Trinity Mirror plc following its sale by Guardian Media Group in early 2010. It has an average daily circulation of 90,973 copies...
.
The MEN arena is
the largest indoor arena in Europe with a capacity of 21,000, ahead of the 20,000
O2 ArenaThe O2 Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena located in the centre of The O2, a large entertainment complex on the Greenwich peninsula in London, England.With a capacity of up to 20,000 depending on the event, it is second largest...
in London and is one of the world's busiest indoor arenas hosting music and sporting events such as boxing and swimming. It is Manchester's primary, all-year round concert venue ahead of Manchester Central, the
Etihad StadiumThe City of Manchester Stadium in Manchester, England – also known as the Etihad Stadium for sponsorship purposes– is the home ground of...
and Old Trafford Cricket Ground.
Opening in 1995, the arena was built to coincide with Manchester's two bids to host the Olympic games in 1996 and 2000 (which were won by Atlanta in 1996 and Sydney in 2000) and was eventually used for the
2002 Commonwealth GamesThe 2002 Commonwealth Games were held in Manchester, England from 25 July to 4 August 2002. The XVII Commonwealth Games was the largest multi-sport event ever to be held in the UK, eclipsing London's 1948 Summer Olympics in numbers of teams and athletes participating.After the 1996 Manchester...
.
Manchester Evening News will end its thirteen-year naming sponsorship at the end of 2011, when the venue will revert to the name of
Manchester Arena as a new sponsor naming partner is sought.
History
The Manchester Evening News Arena was constructed as part of Manchester's unsuccessful bid for the
2000 Summer OlympicsThe Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
. Construction cost £52 million of which £35.5m was provided by government grants and £2.5m from the
European Regional Development FundThe European Regional Development Fund is a fund allocated by the European Union.-History:During the 1960s, the European Commission occasionally tried to establish a regional fund. Only Italy ever supported this, however, and nothing came of it. Britain made it an issue for their accession in...
. Manchester aimed to build an arena capable of hosting large music events to replace older venues such as the
Free Trade HallThe Free Trade Hall, Peter Street, Manchester, was a public hall constructed in 1853–6 on St Peter's Fields, the site of the Peterloo Massacre and is now a hotel. The hall was built to commemorate the repeal of the Corn Laws in 1846. The architect was Edward Walters The hall subsequently was...
and the GMEX Centre.
On the opening night, 15,000 spectators watched
Jayne TorvillJayne Torvill, OBE is a British ice dancer. With Christopher Dean, she won a gold medal at the 1984 Winter Olympics and a bronze medal at the 1994 Winter Olympics.-Early life:...
and
Christopher DeanChristopher Colin Dean, OBE is a famous British ice dancer who won a gold medal at the 1984 Winter Olympics with his skating partner Jayne Torvill...
perform; the crowd was a record for an ice event. Attendance records were set in 1997 when 17,425 people watched Manchester Storm play
Sheffield SteelersThe Sheffield Steelers are a British ice hockey club, from Sheffield, England. They were formed in 1991 and play their home games at the Sheffield Arena. They are currently members of the Elite Ice Hockey League...
, a record for an ice hockey match in Europe. When 14,151 people watched
Manchester GiantsManchester Giants was a team in the British Basketball League from 1990 to 2001.During its existence, the team won the Trophy in 1999 and the BBL Championship in 2000. The tenure of coach Nick Nurse, which included these two seasons, was the most successful period in the club's history...
play
London LeopardsThe BA London Leopards is a British basketball team who competes in the English Basketball League Division 1. The team was established in 1997 as Ware Fire, but following the demise and eventual closure of the former British Basketball League franchise Essex Leopards in 2003, a supporters group...
, it set a British record for attendance at a basketball match.
The arena was opened in 1995, and initially sponsored by NYNEX CableComms (a British cable television provider, part of the NYNEX Corporation, a telephone service provider in the United States) as the
NYNEX Arena. The arena took its current name in 1998 after the NYNEX brand merged with Cable & Wireless Communications in 1997.
Arena design
The structure was designed by DLA Ellerbe Beckett, Ove Group, and
Austin-Smith:LordAustin-Smith:Lord is a British architectural firm, established in 1949.Currently in voluntary administration following staff redundancies in November 2011.-Selected designs:*Riverfront Arts Centre*Avril Robarts LRC*Catalyst...
. A large truss measuring 105 metres spans the roof. The arena is clad in
reinforced concreteReinforced concrete is concrete in which reinforcement bars , reinforcement grids, plates or fibers have been incorporated to strengthen the concrete in tension. It was invented by French gardener Joseph Monier in 1849 and patented in 1867. The term Ferro Concrete refers only to concrete that is...
to increase sound insulation.
The
Manchester Evening News Arena (the
M.E.N. Arena or the
Manchester Arena) is an indoor arena situated in
ManchesterManchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, England. It is adjacent to
Manchester Victoria stationManchester Victoria station in Manchester, England is the city's second largest mainline railway station. It is also a Metrolink station, one of eight within the City Zone...
near
Corporation StreetCorporation Street is one of the major streets which bisects Manchester city centre. The street starts where Cross Street meets the junction of Market Street and ends at the junction of Dantzic Street...
. It is sponsored by the
Manchester Evening NewsThe Manchester Evening News is a regional daily newspaper covering Greater Manchester in the United Kingdom. It is published every day except Sunday and is owned by Trinity Mirror plc following its sale by Guardian Media Group in early 2010. It has an average daily circulation of 90,973 copies...
.
The MEN arena is
the largest indoor arena in Europe with a capacity of 21,000, ahead of the 20,000
O2 ArenaThe O2 Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena located in the centre of The O2, a large entertainment complex on the Greenwich peninsula in London, England.With a capacity of up to 20,000 depending on the event, it is second largest...
in London and is one of the world's busiest indoor arenas hosting music and sporting events such as boxing and swimming. It is Manchester's primary, all-year round concert venue ahead of Manchester Central, the
Etihad StadiumThe City of Manchester Stadium in Manchester, England – also known as the Etihad Stadium for sponsorship purposes– is the home ground of...
and Old Trafford Cricket Ground.
Opening in 1995, the arena was built to coincide with Manchester's two bids to host the Olympic games in 1996 and 2000 (which were won by Atlanta in 1996 and Sydney in 2000) and was eventually used for the
2002 Commonwealth GamesThe 2002 Commonwealth Games were held in Manchester, England from 25 July to 4 August 2002. The XVII Commonwealth Games was the largest multi-sport event ever to be held in the UK, eclipsing London's 1948 Summer Olympics in numbers of teams and athletes participating.After the 1996 Manchester...
.
Manchester Evening News will end its thirteen-year naming sponsorship at the end of 2011, when the venue will revert to the name of
Manchester Arena as a new sponsor naming partner is sought.
History
The Manchester Evening News Arena was constructed as part of Manchester's unsuccessful bid for the
2000 Summer OlympicsThe Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
. Construction cost £52 million of which £35.5m was provided by government grants and £2.5m from the
European Regional Development FundThe European Regional Development Fund is a fund allocated by the European Union.-History:During the 1960s, the European Commission occasionally tried to establish a regional fund. Only Italy ever supported this, however, and nothing came of it. Britain made it an issue for their accession in...
. Manchester aimed to build an arena capable of hosting large music events to replace older venues such as the
Free Trade HallThe Free Trade Hall, Peter Street, Manchester, was a public hall constructed in 1853–6 on St Peter's Fields, the site of the Peterloo Massacre and is now a hotel. The hall was built to commemorate the repeal of the Corn Laws in 1846. The architect was Edward Walters The hall subsequently was...
and the GMEX Centre.
On the opening night, 15,000 spectators watched
Jayne TorvillJayne Torvill, OBE is a British ice dancer. With Christopher Dean, she won a gold medal at the 1984 Winter Olympics and a bronze medal at the 1994 Winter Olympics.-Early life:...
and
Christopher DeanChristopher Colin Dean, OBE is a famous British ice dancer who won a gold medal at the 1984 Winter Olympics with his skating partner Jayne Torvill...
perform; the crowd was a record for an ice event. Attendance records were set in 1997 when 17,425 people watched Manchester Storm play
Sheffield SteelersThe Sheffield Steelers are a British ice hockey club, from Sheffield, England. They were formed in 1991 and play their home games at the Sheffield Arena. They are currently members of the Elite Ice Hockey League...
, a record for an ice hockey match in Europe. When 14,151 people watched
Manchester GiantsManchester Giants was a team in the British Basketball League from 1990 to 2001.During its existence, the team won the Trophy in 1999 and the BBL Championship in 2000. The tenure of coach Nick Nurse, which included these two seasons, was the most successful period in the club's history...
play
London LeopardsThe BA London Leopards is a British basketball team who competes in the English Basketball League Division 1. The team was established in 1997 as Ware Fire, but following the demise and eventual closure of the former British Basketball League franchise Essex Leopards in 2003, a supporters group...
, it set a British record for attendance at a basketball match.
The arena was opened in 1995, and initially sponsored by NYNEX CableComms (a British cable television provider, part of the NYNEX Corporation, a telephone service provider in the United States) as the
NYNEX Arena. The arena took its current name in 1998 after the NYNEX brand merged with Cable & Wireless Communications in 1997.
Arena design
The structure was designed by DLA Ellerbe Beckett, Ove Group, and
Austin-Smith:LordAustin-Smith:Lord is a British architectural firm, established in 1949.Currently in voluntary administration following staff redundancies in November 2011.-Selected designs:*Riverfront Arts Centre*Avril Robarts LRC*Catalyst...
. A large truss measuring 105 metres spans the roof. The arena is clad in
reinforced concreteReinforced concrete is concrete in which reinforcement bars , reinforcement grids, plates or fibers have been incorporated to strengthen the concrete in tension. It was invented by French gardener Joseph Monier in 1849 and patented in 1867. The term Ferro Concrete refers only to concrete that is...
to increase sound insulation.{{cite news|The arena was opened on 15 July 1995.
The arena was one of the first indoor venues in Europe to be built following the traditionally American sports arena layout of 360 degree seating, and is the only arena in the UK to have this feature (London's O2 Arena also has 360 degrees seating, but only on its lower tier, whereas the M.E.N. Arena features it on both tiers). Other European indoor venues built to the same concept include the Lanxess Arena in
CologneCologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
, Arena Zagreb in
ZagrebZagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
, Spaladium Arena in
SplitSplit is a Mediterranean city on the eastern shores of the Adriatic Sea, centered around the ancient Roman Palace of the Emperor Diocletian and its wide port bay. With a population of 178,192 citizens, and a metropolitan area numbering up to 467,899, Split is by far the largest Dalmatian city and...
,
Belgrade ArenaThe Belgrade Arena is an indoor arena located in Novi Beograd, Belgrade. It is designed as a universal hall for sport, cultural events and other programs. With a total space that covers 48,000 square metres, and an official total capacity of 19,982 seats , it is one of the largest indoor arenas in...
in
BelgradeBelgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
, O2 Arena in
PraguePrague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
, and O2 World Hamburg in
Hamburg-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
.
Size
'World's Busiest Arena' - 2007
| Venue |
2007 Ticket sales for concerts/shows |
| Manchester Evening News Arena, Manchester, UK |
1,245,196 |
Madison Square GardenMadison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
, New York City, USA |
1,230,433 |
O2 ArenaThe O2 Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena located in the centre of The O2, a large entertainment complex on the Greenwich peninsula in London, England.With a capacity of up to 20,000 depending on the event, it is second largest...
, London, UK |
1,209,376 |
Wembley ArenaWembley Arena is an indoor arena, at Wembley, in the London Borough of Brent. The building is opposite Wembley Stadium.-History:...
, London, UK |
901,778 |
Air Canada CentreThe Air Canada Centre is a multi-purpose indoor sporting arena located on Bay Street in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada.The arena is popularly known as the ACC or the Hangar ....
, Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
670,255 |
| HP Pavilion, San Jose, California, USA |
666,587 |
Bell CentreThe Bell Centre , formerly known as the Molson Centre , is a sports and entertainment complex in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It opened on March 16, 1996 after nearly three years under construction...
, Montréal, Québec, Canada |
620,403 |
Philips ArenaPhilips Arena is an indoor arena in Atlanta, Georgia.Completed in 1999 to replace The Omni, at a cost of $213.5 million, it is home to the Atlanta Hawks, of the National Basketball Association, and the Atlanta Dream, of the Women's National Basketball Association...
, Atlanta, Georgia, USA |
564,258 |
American Airlines CenterThe American Airlines Center is a multi-purpose arena, located in the Victory Park neighborhood, near downtown Dallas, Texas.It is home to the Dallas Mavericks of the NBA, and the Dallas Stars of the NHL....
, Dallas, Texas, USA |
539,030 |
| Time Warner Cable Arena, Charlotte, NC, USA |
527,694 |
The M.E.N. Arena has attracted a huge number of customers since opening its doors on 15 July 1995, as it is Europe's largest concert venue. The opening event held there was a performance by
Torvill and DeanTorvill and Dean are British ice dancers and former British-, European-, Olympic- and World champions...
, as part of their farewell tour. The venue attracts over a million customers each year for concerts and family shows alone, making the venue one of the world's busiest indoor arenas, in regard to this the M.E.N. Arena was named "International Venue Of The Year" in 2002 by concert industry insiders in the 'Pollstar' awards, and was nominated in the same category in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009. The M.E.N. Arena was also named "Busiest Arena Venue In The World", based on ticket sales for concerts in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007 beating competition from other indoor arena's including New York's
Madison Square GardenMadison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
and London's
Wembley ArenaWembley Arena is an indoor arena, at Wembley, in the London Borough of Brent. The building is opposite Wembley Stadium.-History:...
. (2007 figures) The Arena has also been named the 'World's Busiest Arena' from 2001 until 2007 based solely on ticket sales for concerts, attracting five and a half million customers to concerts. The M.E.N. Arena was voted 'Europe's Favourite Arena' at the TIP Awards for 2008 voted for by the numerous touring companies that bring the shows to the venue.
In 2008, the M.E.N. Arena was named world's third busiest arena behind London's O2 Arena and New York's Madison Square Garden. In 2009, the MEN Arena was named world's second busiest arena behind London's O2 Arena and in front of Antwerp's Sportpaleis in Belgium and New York's Madison Square Garden. Although coming second place to London's O2 Arena the M.E.N. Arena had its busiest year in its history with over 1,500,000 people attending concerts and family shows at the venue. The arena hosts over 250 events annually including comedy acts, live music and tours, sporting events, and occasionally musicals.
Music
The arena has hosted music concerts since opening in 1995 and is the arena's primary source of visitors.
Janet JacksonJanet Damita Jo Jackson is an American recording artist and actress. Known for a series of sonically innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows, television and film roles, she has been a prominent figure in popular culture for over 25 years...
was scheduled to perform during her
All for You TourThe All for You Tour was a worldwide concert tour in 2001 by American pop/R&B singer Janet Jackson in support of her multi-platinum album All for You...
on 5 December 2001, but the show was cancelled, due to the 11 September 2001 attacks.
Kylie MinogueKylie Ann Minogue, OBE - often known simply as Kylie - is an Australian singer, recording artist, songwriter, and actress. After beginning her career as a child actress on Australian television, she achieved recognition through her role in the television soap opera Neighbours, before commencing...
did a special webcast of her KylieFever2002 tour back in 2002 on
MSNMSN is a collection of Internet sites and services provided by Microsoft. The Microsoft Network debuted as an online service and Internet service provider on August 24, 1995, to coincide with the release of the Windows 95 operating system.The range of services offered by MSN has changed since its...
for fans around the world to view.
The venue was used to record
WestlifeWestlife are an Irish boy band established on 3 July 1998. They are to disband in 2012. The group's line-up was Nicky Byrne, Kian Egan, Mark Feehily, Shane Filan, and Brian McFadden . The group are the only act in British and Irish history to have their first seven singles peak at number one...
's
Greatest Hits TourThe Unbreakable Tour is a concert tour of the Irish pop band Westlife which covered the UK and Europe in 2003. There were 62 tour dates, including a few outside concerts including their coming home concerts in their home towns of Dublin and Sligo...
DVD on 14 April 2003.
P!nkAlecia Beth Moore , better known by her stage name Pink , is an American singer-songwriter, musician and actress....
's performance, during her
Try This TourThe Try This Tour was the second concert tour by American singer-songwriter, Pink tour in support of her third studio album, Try This. The tour visited Europe and Oceania.-About the show:...
on 26 March 2004, was filmed & later released as a DVD, titled
Pink: Live in EuropePink: Live in Europe is the first live music DVD from Pink, released in 2006. It was shot during the European leg of the 2004 Try This Tour. The setlist more or less was in chronological order...
.
McFlyMcFly are an English pop rock band who first found fame in 2004. The band consists of Tom Fletcher , Danny Jones , Dougie Poynter and Harry Judd . They were signed to the Island Records label from their 2004 launch until December 2007, before creating their own label, Super Records...
recorded their Wonderland Tour at the arena in 2005. The DVD was one of their 3 number one music DVD's.
RihannaRobyn Rihanna Fenty , better known as simply Rihanna, is a Barbadian recording artist. Born in Saint Michael, Barbados, Rihanna moved to the United States at the age of 16 to pursue a recording career under the guidance of record producer Evan Rogers...
's performance, during the Good Girl Gone Bad Tour on 6 December 2007, was filmed & later released as a DVD, titled
Good Girl Gone Bad LiveGood Girl Gone Bad Live is the first music DVD and Blu-Ray release video from Rhythm and Blues singer Rihanna. It was released on 13 June 2008 in Europe. The DVD includes the show from the MEN Arena in Manchester, England, filmed during the Good Girl Gone Bad Tour on the 6 December 2007...
. The
Spice GirlsThe Spice Girls were a British pop girl group formed in 1994. The group consisted of Victoria Beckham , Melanie Brown, Emma Bunton, Melanie Chisholm and Geri Halliwell. They were signed to Virgin Records and released their debut single, "Wannabe" in 1996, which hit number-one in more than 30...
performed 3 shows during the Return of the Spice GirlsTour on 23/24/26 January 2008, the three last European shows of the whole tour. On 13–14 June 2008,
BoyzoneBoyzone are an Irish boy band comprising Keith Duffy, Mikey Graham, Ronan Keating,Shane Lynch, and formerly Stephen Gately. Boyzone have 19 singles in the top 40 UK charts and 21 singles in the Ire charts. The group currently have 6 UK number one singles and 9 number one singles in Ireland with 12...
filmed their reunion tour,
Back Again ... No Matter What DVD here.
The record for the fastest sell-out at the arena is held by
MadonnaMadonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
when she brought her
Sticky & Sweet TourThe Sticky & Sweet Tour was the eighth worldwide concert tour by American singer Madonna to promote her eleventh studio album, Hard Candy. It began in August 2008 and was Madonna's first tour from her new recording and business deal with Live Nation. The tour was announced in February 2008, with...
to Manchester on July 7, 2009. All 13,457 tickets that were on sale sold out in under a minute. Originally, Madonna was to perform two back-to-back shows at the arena, but the July 8 show was cancelled.
On 15 July 2010, the M.E.N. Arena celebrated its 15th birthday with a multi-artist gig, presented by Real Radio (North West). An audience of nearly 10,000 was entertained by headline acts Scouting for Girls, Pixie Lott, The Script, Alexandra Burke, The Hoosiers, The Saturdays, Gabriella Cilmi, Taio Cruz, Craig David, Beverley Knight, Olly Murs, Amy McDonald, The Baseballs and Fyfe Dangerfield. Former M.E.N Arena steward Peter Kay was a surprise guest on the night which was hosted by Real Radio breakfast presenters Ditchy and Salty.
In November 2011, the arena hosted
Children in Need Rocks ManchesterChildren in Need Rocks Manchester is a charity music concert held at the MEN Arena in Manchester, England. The concert was organised by Take That singer and The X Factor judge Gary Barlow as one of a series of events to raise money for Children in Need 2011...
as part of
Children in Need 2011Children in Need 2011 is a campaign held in the United Kingdom to raise money for Children in Need. 2011 marked the 31st anniversary of the appeal which culminated in a live broadcast on BBC One which began on the evening of Friday 18th November and ran until the early hours of Saturday 19th...
.
Sports
The M.E.N. Arena has been the home of three sports teams: the
Manchester StormThe Manchester Storm were an ice hockey team from Manchester, England. The team formed in 1995, playing their home games at the then newly built Nynex Arena . Storm won the British Hockey League Division One in their first season, watched by an average crowd of 6,342...
and
Manchester PhoenixManchester Phoenix are a professional ice hockey team from Altrincham, Greater Manchester, England. The club was formed in 2003 as a result of the efforts of supporters group Friends of Manchester Ice Hockey to bring top-level ice hockey back to Manchester after Manchester Storm folded in...
ice hockeyIce hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
teams, and the
Manchester GiantsManchester Giants was a team in the British Basketball League from 1990 to 2001.During its existence, the team won the Trophy in 1999 and the BBL Championship in 2000. The tenure of coach Nick Nurse, which included these two seasons, was the most successful period in the club's history...
basketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
team. However, with limited success, as the arena is not currently the home of any sports teams the venue is often promoted as a 'world class concert facility', However the arena is regularly used for one-off sports events such as boxing and football masters.
Many popular boxers have had bouts in the arena, such as
Amir KhanAmir Iqbal Khan , is a British Pakistani professional boxer who is currently the unified WBA & IBF light welterweight champion....
, Jermaine Johnson,
Ricky HattonRichard John Hatton MBE, more commonly known as Ricky "the Hitman" Hatton, , is a former British professional boxer, and currently a promoter....
,
Joe CalzagheJoseph William Calzaghe, CBE, MBE is a Welsh former professional boxer. He is the former WBO, WBA, WBC, IBF, The Ring & British super middleweight champion and The Ring light heavyweight champion....
,
Mike TysonMichael Gerard "Mike" Tyson is a retired American boxer. Tyson is a former undisputed heavyweight champion of the world and holds the record as the youngest boxer to win the WBC, WBA and IBF world heavyweight titles, he was 20 years, 4 months and 22 days old...
, and more recently
David HayeDavid Deron Haye is a retired English professional boxer,Haye is the former WBA heavyweight champion. He is also the former unified world cruiserweight champion, holding the WBA, WBC, WBO, and The Ring cruiserweight titles, and also the former European cruiserweight champion.- Amateur :Haye...
. Hatton (a Manchester native) became a regular and favourite of the M.E.N. Arena.
WWE has hosted multiple events at the Arena over the years. It first hosted WWF Mayhem in Manchester in 1998 drawing over 19,600 people (a European record for an indoor WWF/WWE event). The arena also hosted
No MercyNo Mercy was a pay-per-view produced by the World Wrestling Federation exclusively for the United Kingdom. It took place on May 16, 1999 at the Manchester Evening News Arena in Manchester, England...
in 1999. On 26 October 2002 it hosted the
SmackDown! UK-only pay-per-view
WWE RebellionRebellion was an annual professional wrestling pay-per-view event held by World Wrestling Entertainment that was exclusively for the United Kingdom on Sky Box Office. In 2002, the pay-per-view was a SmackDown! exclusive show. It was no longer an annual event after all UK-exclusive pay-per-views...
, as it did in 2001. Also on 11 October 2004, it hosted a
RAWWWE Raw ) is a sports entertainment television program for WWE that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States...
taping, and was followed the next day by a taping of WWE
SmackDown!. RAW and
SmackDown! returned to the M.E.N. Arena on 13 and 14 November 2006 and returned for live tapings of RAW and Smackdown on 10 and 11 November 2008 respectively.
Total Nonstop Action WrestlingTotal Nonstop Action Wrestling is a privately held professional wrestling promotion founded by Jeff Jarrett and Jerry Jarrett. The company broadcasts its events on television and the Internet fifty two weeks a year with over a million weekly viewers on its primary television program, Impact...
(TNA), made their first appearance at the arena in January 2009 and again in January 2010.
The M.E.N. Arena has also hosted
mixed martial artsMixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
events.
UFC 70UFC 70: Nations Collide was the second UFC event held in the United Kingdom, and the first in Manchester on Saturday, April 21, 2007. The first UFC event in the UK was UFC 38: Brawl at the Hall on July 13, 2002. UFC 70 was also only the seventh UFC event held outside the United States, and the...
on 21 April 2007, and
UFC 105UFC 105: Couture vs. Vera was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on November 14, 2009 in Manchester, England at the Manchester Evening News Arena...
on 14 November 2009 for which set the European record for largest UFC event outside the USA with 16,000 people in attendance. The World Taekwondo Qualification Event for the Beijing Olympic Games was held at the Arena on 28–30 September 2007; at this event 103 countries competed for 24 places at the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008. Also in April 2008, the arena hosted the
FINA Short Course World Swimming ChampionshipsThe 9th FINA Swimming World Championships were held at the Manchester Evening News Arena, in Manchester, England April 9 – April 13 2008....
, the first time it has been held in the UK. For this occasion, the arena was transformed into a 17,250-seat swimming event venue. Two 25 m swimming pools were constructed into the floor of the arena and the pools were completed within 18 days.
The arena was also used by Manchester United when they won the Champions League Final in 1999. The 2008 UEFA Champions League Final was also shown in the arena on a
big screenLarge-screen television technology developed rapidly in the late 1990s and 2000s. Various thin screen technologies are being developed, but only the liquid crystal display , plasma display and Digital Light Processing were released on the public market...
in front of 7000 spectators.{{Citation needed|date=July 2011}}
Monster truck racing events have also been staged at the arena in the past. To allow for the arena floor space to be extended for such events, the front section of seating in the lower tier (from around row H forward) can be removed.
A meeting of
Premier League DartsThe 888.com Premier League Darts is a darts tournament which launched on January 20, 2005 on Sky Sports, and is currently the world's largest indoor sports event. The league is now played weekly from February to May, having originally started as a fortnightly fixture...
from the PDC
Professional Darts CorporationThe Professional Darts Corporation is a professional darts organization, established in the United Kingdom during 1992, when a group of leading professional players split from the British Darts Organisation to form what was initially called the World Darts Council...
takes place once a year at the arena, and has done since 2008.
In May 2011, the arena hosted a basketball game between the
Atlanta DreamThe Atlanta Dream is a professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2008 WNBA season began. The team is owned by Dream Too LLC, which is composed of two Atlanta...
(
WNBAThe Women's National Basketball Association is a women's professional basketball league in the United States. It currently is composed of twelve teams. The league was founded on April 24, 1996 as the women's counterpart to the National Basketball Association...
) and the Great Britain Women's Basketball team, billed as "WNBA Live". This was the first time a WNBA team had played in Europe.
In July 2012 the MEN Arena will host international basketball as Great Britain play USA in the build up to the Olympics.
Technical facts
- Lower tier fixed seated capacity – 10,762
- Upper tier fixed seated capacity – 8,870
- Large theatre setup – 7,600
- Small theatre setup – 3,500
- Ice hockey and gymnastics – up to 17,643
- FINA
Fina may refer to:*Fina, a character in the Skies of Arcadia video game*FINA, the International Swimming Federation*FINA, the North American Forum on Integration...
Swimming championships 2008 – 17,250
- Basketball – up to 20,500
- Professional Wrestling – 14,000 to 18,500
- Boxing – up to 21,000
- Side stage – up to 11,150 (fully seated)
- Conventional end-stage concerts – 13,500–15,800 (fully seated)
- Conventional end-stage concerts – up to 19,350 (floor standing){{Citation needed|date=October 2007}}
- In the round concerts – up to 20,400 (fully seated)
- In the round concerts – up to 21,000 (floor standing)
- 30 hospitality business suites (seats up to 12 guests)
- 8 top floor suites known as 'The White house' (each seats between 6 and 15 guests—located in the white sports commentators boxes when not in use)
- 4 party suites (seats up to 25 guests)
- The arena has its own 1,500 capacity car park
- The arena is the European flagship venue of SMG
- Like Madison Square Garden in New York City, Philips Arena
Philips Arena is an indoor arena in Atlanta, Georgia.Completed in 1999 to replace The Omni, at a cost of $213.5 million, it is home to the Atlanta Hawks, of the National Basketball Association, and the Atlanta Dream, of the Women's National Basketball Association...
in Atlanta, and TD Banknorth GardenTD Garden is a multi-purpose arena in Boston, Massachusetts. It is named after its sponsor, TD Bank, N.A. and is often simply referred to by local Bostonians as, The Garden, The Fleet Center, or the traditional Boston Garden...
in Boston, The M.E.N. Arena is situated beside/above a main railway station (Victoria StationManchester Victoria station in Manchester, England is the city's second largest mainline railway station. It is also a Metrolink station, one of eight within the City Zone...
). This means that people can get a train to the venue instead of driving.
- The M.E.N. Arena did claim to have the world's largest indoor video scoreboard when the venue opened in 1995. The videowall has since been deactivated, although it remains in situ mounted in the arena roof. It has been replaced with an LED Ribbonboard, which is mounted on the video scoreboards exterior.
Visitor transport information
The venue adjoins
Victoria train stationManchester Victoria station in Manchester, England is the city's second largest mainline railway station. It is also a Metrolink station, one of eight within the City Zone...
. This therefore provides good access to the arena from train lines calling here. A Metrolink tram stop is also located in the train station. This provides services to Bury in one direction and the city centre, onwards to Altrincham and Eccles, in the other. NB Those travelling from Eccles will have to change either at Cornbrook or St Peter's Square.
Visitors travelling by train to Manchester Piccadilly can either walk to the arena or catch a Metrolink tram from Piccadilly to Victoria. A number of bus routes always run to the area of the arena.
The arena has its own large car park nearby but by its nature endures delays upon departure after the event, as everyone tries to exit at the same time. Other smaller car parks are located around the city centre. On-street parking can be found in the area and on the various streets around the main Deansgate street area.
External links
{{Commons category}}
{{Indoor arenas UK}}
{{Elite Ice Hockey League Venues}}
{{Manchester B&S}}