Our new venue would place Manchester on the global entertainment map for decades to come.
– Tim Leiweke

International sports and live entertainment company Oak View Group (OVG) has announced plans to build a £350m ($456m, €402m) arena in Manchester, UK, that will be the biggest in the country and one of the biggest in Europe.

The arena is to be located in the Eastlands area of the city on the Etihad Campus, most of which belongs to City Football Group, who own Manchester City and "with the support of" whom it is said to be being developed.

The campus is home to the football club's Etihad Stadium, Academy Stadium, City Football Academy training facility and headquarters.

No information could be provided to CLAD about the architects for the scheme, but OVG says it would allow Manchester to host a broader range of music, sports and entertainment events and would support the regeneration of East Manchester.

The planned arena has been designed with a capacity of up to 23,500 and to host sporting events like ATP tennis, NBA fixtures and NHL fixtures, as well as major awards events.

It will feature a steep, tiered seating bowl intended to bring fans close to the action, "cutting-edge audio and visual technology" and additional features for both audiences and performers.

OVG also claim that an energy-efficient design, low carbon technologies and waste reduction measures would make the arena one of the most sustainable venues in the UK and that convenient transportation to and from the venue would contribute to its sustainability.

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.

He continued: "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."

Feasibility studies and community consultations have been being carried out by OVG and City Football Group since August 2019 and community engagement will continue to help refine the proposals.

OVG plan to submit a planning application in the coming weeks and that, all being well, the arena could begin hosting events in 2023 after a three-year construction process.