The American Oak View Group have revealed its plans for an arena at the Etihad Campus in East Manchester.
Next to Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium, the 23,500 all-seater arena would be able to host around 120 major events a year.The new venue would play host to concerts, sporting events and conferences.The designs would include room for 10,000 standing spectators as well as flexible seating.
It would create around 10,000 jobs during construction and at least another 1,000 once the venue is up and running.
It would make Manchester home to the largest arena in the UK and one of the largest in Europe.
Since August 2019, OVG, with the support of City Football Group, have been undertaking feasibility studies, along with extensive community consultations. This ongoing process is refining proposals that will respond to local priorities and support the growth of East Manchester as a thriving community and world-leading sporting and leisure destination.
OVG is also committed to establishing a charitable programme for the new arena, which will deliver ongoing benefits to the local community.
An energy-efficient design, low carbon technologies, and waste reduction measures would make it one of the most sustainable venues in the UK, in line with Manchester’s Zero Carbon 2038 strategy.
Tim Leiweke, co-founder and Chief Executive of Oak View Group, said:
“We came to Manchester knowing that we needed to develop our proposals in a way that would support the needs and priorities of the entire city and deliver a venue that would enable Manchester to thrive in an evolving entertainment market.
“Through extensive community and city centre consultations, we have understood the local priorities and vision that is transforming Eastlands, along with the ambitions that underpin Manchester’s development as a thriving place to live and visit.
“Our new venue would attract a wider range of the world’s most exciting events and create thousands of skilled jobs, genuine community opportunities, and significant economic benefits. It would place Manchester on the global entertainment map for decades to come.
“We appreciate the significance of our proposals for the entire city. We will present our full analysis of the Manchester opportunity along with our plans and are committed to engaging in dialogue and scrutiny throughout the planning process to ensure a second arena is a win-win for the city.”
OVG plans to submit a planning application in the coming weeks. Subject to successful planning approval, it is envisaged the venue would take three years to build, with the first events planned to be held in 2023.
