Manchester Evening News Arena The Manchester Evening News Arena or M . E . N . Arena ( commonly referred to as just The M . E . N . or simply Manchester Arena ) is a large indoor arena in Manchester , England . It is currently sponsored by the Manchester Evening News and has a capacity of 3 , 000 to a maximum capacity of 23 , 000 depending on the event being staged , making it one of the largest indoor arenas in Europe . It was opened in 1995 , and was initially sponsored by NYNEX ( a British cable television provider , as opposed to 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 name had disappeared as a result of a merger with Mercury Communications in 1997 . The M . E . N . Arena is one of the world ' s busiest indoor arenas and concert venue . 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 , Australia in 2000 ) . The M . E . N . 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 in one tier , whereas the M . E . N . arena features it on both tiers ) . The M . E . N . ' s seating capacity is one of Europe ' s most dynamic for an indoor venue . It is often chosen by touring acts because its design and layout makes the venue ideal for any type of performance . One day the arena could host an ice rink , the next day a concert , the next day a basketball match . The seating is split into an upper tier ( bowl ) and a lower tier , separated by 35 hospitality suites . History . The Manchester Evening News arena was constructed as part of Manchester ' s unsuccessful bid for the 2000 Summer Olympics Games . It cost £52 million to build with £35 . 5M from government grants and £2 . 5M from the European Economic Development Fund . The structure was designed by DLA Ellerbe Beckett , Ove Group , and Austin - Smith : Lord . The arena was opened on 15 July 1995 . On the opening night , 15 , 000 spectators watched Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean 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 Steelers , a record for an ice hockey match in Europe . Arena success . The M . E . N . Arena has attracted a huge number of customers since opening its doors in 1995 , as it is Europe ' s largest concert venue . The opening event held there was a performance by Torvill and Dean , 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 Garden and London ' s Wembley Arena . ( 2007 figures ) The Arena has also been named the ' World ' s Busiest Arena ' of the last 5 years ( 2001 - 2007 ) based solely on ticket sales for concerts , attracting five and a half million customers to concerts . The MEN Arena was voted Europe ' s Favorite Arena ' at the TIP Awards for 2008 voted for by the numerous touring companies that bring the shows to the venue . Despite its success , the venue is criticized by some locals . It is seen by some as a soulless concrete bowl , with heavily overpriced merchandise , food and drink . In 2007 the Arena was named ' World ' s Busiest Arena ' for concerts for a record 5th time , the top ten venues in 2007 were : Today , it plays host to many worldwide performing artists including some of the biggest stars in the world of music . Over 250 events take place at the arena annually including comedy acts , live music and tours , sporting events , and occasionally musicals . In 2008 The MEN Arena was named world ' s 3rd busiest arena behind London ' s O2 Arena and New York ' s Madison Square Garden . In 2009 The MEN Arena was named world ' s 2nd busiest arena behind London ' s O2 Arena and in front of Sportpaleis in Belgium and New York ' s Madison Square Garden . Sports . The M . E . N . Arena has been the home of three sports teams : the Manchester Storm and Manchester Phoenix ice hockey teams , and the Manchester Giants basketball team . However , with limited success , as the arena is not currently the home of any sports teams . However the arena is regularly used for one - off sports events such as boxing and football masters .