The Manchester Evening News Arena

The Manchester Evening New Arena (MEN Arena) opened in 1995 and is the main live entertainment venue in the city. Events here range from rock and pop concerts to comedy, boxing and children’s shows.

Box Office & Tickets

The box office is open from 10 am to 6 pm Monday to Saturday. Opening times are extended until ¼ hour after the main act has gone on stage on event nights. It also opens on Sundays at midday if there is an event taking place. Personal callers do not pay a booking fee if paying by cash.

Tickets can be purchased online from Ticketmaster, the MEN Arena’s official booking agent, or See. Booking fees apply.

Capacity

The maximum capacity of the MEN Arena is 21,000, making it the biggest indoor arena in the UK and Western Europe.

The layout and capacity varies with the event being staged. For example, at a boxing match all the seats in both the upper and lower tiers can be available, but at a music concert no seats are offered behind the stage.

Other major indoor arenas in the UK and their capacities include the Echo Arena Liverpool (11,000), The O2 Arena in London (20,000), and LG Arena/NEC in Birmingham (15,700).

What’s On

Concerts and shows scheduled for 2012 include Snow Patrol, Olly Murs, X Factor Live 2012, Jason Derulo, Harlem Globetrotters, Cirque du Soleil Alegria, Diversity, Steps, Example, Jerry Seinfeld, Barry Manilow, Westlife, Pearl Jam, John Bishop, and Michael McIntyre.

A full events listing, together with ticket prices and seating plans, is available on the official MEN Arena website.

Location, Directions & Parking

The MEN Arena is situated at the northern end of Manchester city centre, next to Victoria train station.

Train & Metrolink

There’s a direct link to the MEN Arena from Victoria train and Metrolink station. Visitors arriving at Piccadilly train station can walk or catch the Metrolink tram to Victoria station.

Bus & Coach

The Shudehill Interchange is just 400 yards from the MEN Arena.

Car

The easiest way to get to the MEN Arena by car is to leave the M60 motorway at Junction 17 and follow the A56 directly to the venue.

Visitors with satellite navigation systems should note that the postcode for the MEN Arena is M3 1AR.

The official onsite MEN Arena car park is operated by NCP. It is a manned, 24-hour multi-storey car park with over 950 spaces. The entrance is on New Bridge Street (turn left from the A56 just before the arena).

Other NCP car parks within easy walking distance of the arena include those on Trinity Way (surface, 94 spaces), Park Street (surface, 87 spaces), the Manchester Transport Interchange – Shudehill (multi-storey, 777 spaces) and the High Street – Arndale (multi-storey, 1383 spaces).

For details of charges, exact locations, opening times etc. visit the NCP website and search for parking spaces using the postcode for the Manchester Evening News Arena M3 1AR.

Hotels

4 star hotels near the MEN Arena include the Park Inn by Radisson Manchester Victoria, Renaissance, and Crowne Plaza. Cheap 3 star options include Britannia Sachas and the Stay Inn. Visitors seeing luxury accommodation can stay at the 5 star Lowry.

Pubs, Bars & Restaurants

Places to eat near the MEN Arena include the Red Hot World Buffet and La Tasca on Deansgate, the restaurants at the Triangle (Zinc, Tampopo, Zizzi, and Pizza Express) and the Printworks.

Pubs and bars nearby include the Old Wellington Inn and Sinclair’s Oyster Bar on Shambles Square, The Moon Under Water and The Slug and Lettuce on Deansgate, plus the bars and pubs in the Printworks.

Reviews / Comments / Additional Information

dan

I've been to the MEN Arena twice and have never left disappointed. I think the floor seats are good. I sat in block f in the floor seats and had the perfect view. I'm going again soon and sitting in block f, but even closer than before.

Abzz

Thankyou, but i have just bought Miley Cyrus tickets for the MEN, but due to difficult circumstances i had to resell and get some closer to home. I successfully resold, but as we live about five hundred miles away from Manchester, to go up and meet the buyer would be alot, and I recently checked Ticketmaster to see if this "credit card check" was a regular thing, but it seems it's just a Miley Cyrus thing. It said that the buyer has to present the credit card it was bought with along with the tickets. Obviously, the buyer cannot do that. And some have said it's just a thing and they won't check 20,000 or however many tickets to credit cards, and what if the credit card holder cannot be there on the night? Does anyone have a helpful solution that would be appreciated. Thanks :)

Dave

I've been to 3 concerts and they've never asked to see my credit card. I suppose if you were picking the tickets up at the box office they would do. But if you've already got your ticket they don't ask. If they did the touts wouldn't be able to sell tickets outside. And there's always a lot of them.

Abzz

Can anyone tell me if they check your tickets at the door for proof that you bought them? Do they ask to see your credit card?

kel

Just got back from the Kylie show and feel like I have just melted in the Arena. Kylie was great but it was far far too hot. The kids were sweating and I had to keep taking them out for air, so we missed some of the show.
They seriously need to sort some kind of air con or if they've got it already they need to spend some money to improve it as the heat spoilt it for us all.
Prices of soft drinks were a rip off but you need to buy them as you can't take your own in. When there are 4 of you with 2 soft drinks each it's a lot of money.

Ben

Saw Kylie on 12th July and it was just fab! We booked tickets in block 114 (lower tier, row B), and in my opinion the view could not have been any more perfect! If I go here again I would always try to get this block (or indeed the one opposite (103). I would never book in the upper tier it just looked too high up! The floor seats really are not worth it, as if someone tall is in front of you then you're screwed. The upper and lower tiers however are not that great for the less mobile having steep steps with no hand rails. Also there is this funny business of people sitting down and standing up. Luckily I was in a block with lively concert goers so had a blast dancing like a looney! I did feel for some as they sat there with their arms folded - come on peeps it's Kylie! You've paid a good deal of money to sit down? Yes it does get hot but then with thousands of people and the fact that most are dancing then you just accept that, just make sure you've got a drink handy!
All in all had a great time, and the sound quality to me was great.

ChrisBirchall

Normally I would relish the thought of sharing a sauna with Kylie. Last night, however, the experience was spoiled for me and the 18,999 other people in the MEN sauna, by the heat and the diabolical sound quality.
Kylie darling: sack your sound engineer.
MEN Arena: (definitely NOT darling) Sort out your air-conditioning. Better still, knock the place down and build a proper arena geared more to customer experience than money-grabbing.
Take a lead from Liverpool's Echo Arena and Glasgow's SECC.
Biggest really doesn't mean best!

debbie

I recently saw Neil Diamond at the MEN Arena. Very good organisation and sound system excellent. Neil was fantastic! Great idea to have plastic bottles of wine.

p mcgrath

I went to see Westlife last night 04/06/08. It was a great concert if you wanted to hear it clearly from Cheetham Hill. I love loud music, but the distortion was really bad. The girl group before were clear as a bell. I think the sound mixer needs either sacking or his ears testing.

jackie whittaker

I went with my granddaughter to see Celine Dion. The show was magnificent BUT as a disabled person the arena is dangerous and not disabled friendly at all. The men in yellow are not very good either. A fight broke out behind us after someone threw beer over the man behind and over me too. The container was plastic, thank goodness as it hit me. I tried to get the staff to come and stop the fight, one man was bleeding. The staff just sat looking at what was going on. All this was due to drink. WHY sell alcohol all through a show like that. You should not serve alcohol at all it always causes trouble. This ruined the most amazing night of my life and it's a night I can never afford to repeat. All this through greed. You must make a huge profit on the tickets alone.

peter tyrrell curtis

We just went to see Celion Dion and it was an amazing performance. The only problem was we had front row seats which were really good except the stairs down are so dangerous. There was no railing so my wife had to take her shoes off and many older people were being almost carried out. I am surprised no one has been killed trying to get down them.

jude roberts

Went to see Clubland Live at the men arena and it was brilliant.

Louise

Last night (22/12/07) I went to see Take That at the Arena. They were absolutely fantastic and put on an amazing show.
The only problem was the seats in the upper tier. I had a brilliant view don't get me wrong but it was like sitting on a cliff face. If you have any kind of phobia of heights do not book for these seats as they are really horrible. I don't really have a height phobia (or so I thought) but I didn't like these seats. The problem was that the people in front are level with your feet so it feels as though you are standing on a ledge a million feet up in the air. It doesn't help that you can't see the block below either as it looks as though there is just a sheer drop to the floor. Luckily customer services changed our seats as there were some restricted viewing seats left which were in the lower tier and were actually closer and not really restricted at all. It actually turned out that the majority of our new block had all been moved from various high seats around the arena so it wasn't just us!
Like I say if you have no fear of heights the view is brilliant you can see everything but be warned it is extra high and you may develop a sudden fear of heights like I did.

paulinetunnicliffe

I went to see Take that at the Arena on Saturday night and it has to be the most spectacular pop concert I have ever been to. However, it was spoilt by loud mouthed yobs who were tripping backwards and forwards to the bar all night. Does the bar have to be open during the performance because all that happened was that they got louder and louder and more obnoctious with every drink.

Sophie

I went to see Mcfly at the MEN on Friday and they were brilliant.

baby d

The Scissor Sisters gig was fantastic. Many of the crowd went dressed up special and it was a really good atmosphere.

lisa

i am going to see beyonce on the 7th june 2007 i was wondering if u are allowed to bring camera phones or any camera only i know that at other arenas ppl do take pictures plus i need to know how to get to the seats provided as im at the top floor of manchester evening news arena

trudie

Beware of bogus car park officials when you go to the MEN arena. On your way you'll see lots of guys dressed up like official attendants trying to flag you into their car parks. They are just criminals who have taken over office car parks at night. Don't give them your money.

julie

Justin Timberlake was just awesome. Go if you can still get tickets!

Kathryn

Hi everyone - I have tickets to see Meat Loaf on the 10th of May. I'm very excited but also a nervous wreck as I have ground floor seats and I am worried about how to access them and the facilities available at the ground floor level. I have a very bad phobia heights and I am unable to walk down all of the stairs from the top of the first tier to the floor. I've been told to ask staff to point out a lift and I should be able to access the floor that way, though I am worried that the staff will see that I am not disabled and won't let me use it. Also, once on the ground floor are there toliets and food stands outside in the hallway? I will be so relieved one in my seat but the thought of having to go back up on a higher level to use the toliet has me worried as well. Any information would be so greatly appreciated.
Thanks

Daniel Hendleman

P.S Also I'd advise you to get there early as finding your seat can be pretty hectic with 19,000 people already there so get there earlier than the time suggested on your ticket enjoy! :)

Daniel Hendleman

I have to say I had never been to a concert before and I'm 16 but I went to see My Chemical Romance on the 24th of March this year and it was the best thing I've ever done! Since then I'm now going to 4 more events here. Seriously if you get the chance to go, definitely do it. Even if you don't like who will be playing there the atmosphere is immense! It's my favourite place to go! :) I'm going again on Thursday night to see Lostprophets :).

Sham

Andy Rourke's Versus Cancer concert the other night was one of the best concerts I have ever been to. Such a worthy cause. Thanks very much Andy and hope you can pull it off again next year.

sue

It's not a good idea to use the car park at the MEN arena. It is an absolute nightmare trying to get out at night. It's better to use one a little further away (e.g. Chorlton Street) and walk.