WHAT'S ON AT THE AO ARENA, MANCHESTER
What's On at the AO Arena, Manchester
The AO Arena Manchester, also known as Manchester Arena, opened in 1995. It’s one of the busiest venues in the world and one of the largest in Europe. Its capacity of 23’000 attracts over a million visitors each year, hosting the biggest names in live entertainment, music artists, comedians, musical theatre concerts, dance shows, sports, and circus.
AO Arena’s premier international artists include U2, Madonna, Pavarotti, Ariana Grande, Lady Gaga, Celine Dion, Lionel Richie, and Beyonce and Manchester’s rich heritage include Take That, Oasis, Elbow, James, Simply Red and Peter Kay’s record-breaking residency.
AO Arena hosted Commonwealth Games and international boxing with Mike Tyson, David Haye, Joe Calzaghe, local champs Ricky Hatton, Amir Khan, Anthony Crolla. Events and productions coming up include Peter Kay, Les Mis Arena Spectacular, Ball & Boe, and Gabrielle. See what's on at the AO Arena Manchester below and book tickets online.
The AO Arena Manchester, also known as Manchester Arena, opened in 1995. It’s one of the busiest venues in the world and one of the largest in Europe. Its capacity of 23’000 attracts over a million visitors each year, hosting the biggest names in live entertainment, music artists, comedians, musical theatre concerts, dance shows, sports, and circus.
AO Arena’s premier international artists include U2, Madonna, Pavarotti, Ariana Grande, Lady Gaga, Celine Dion, Lionel Richie, and Beyonce and Manchester’s rich heritage include Take That, Oasis, Elbow, James, Simply Red and Peter Kay’s record-breaking residency.
AO Arena hosted Commonwealth Games and international boxing with Mike Tyson, David Haye, Joe Calzaghe, local champs Ricky Hatton, Amir Khan, Anthony Crolla. Events and productions coming up include Peter Kay, Les Mis Arena Spectacular, Ball & Boe, and Gabrielle. See what's on at the AO Arena Manchester below and book tickets online.
Most Popular Shows and Events at AO Arena, Manchester
What's On at the AO Arena, Manchester
Michael Ball & Alfie Boe
AO Arena, Manchester
Friday 4 April 2025
Actor and singer Michael Ball and tenor Alfie Boe met, somewhat appropriately, in a production of Kismet at the London Coliseum in 2007. The duo's instant camaraderie and professional mutual admiration proved to be the start of a long-stand...Peter Kay
AO Arena, Manchester
Saturday 5 April - Saturday 20 September 2025
One of Britain's best loved comedians, Peter Kay is finally returning to stand-up comedy with his first live tour in twelve years - a tour which still officially ranks in the Guinness Book of World Records as the biggest selling comedy tour...Ustad Rahat Fateh Ali Khan
AO Arena, Manchester
Sunday 6 April 2025
Popular legendary Qawwal & Playback singer, Ustad Rahat Fateh Ali Khan returns to the UK. The Pakistani maestro quotes, "UK is my second home and the love I get from my audiences is very special". This time I have prepared for a unique sho...Premier League Darts
Gabrielle
AO Arena, Manchester
Saturday 12 April 2025
 One of the UK's most successful singer-songwriters, multi-Platinum selling London R&B star Gabrielle spent three weeks at no.1 with her debut single "Dreams" in 1993. Her distinctive vocal gift - one that flourishes with equal measures o...GHOST
AO Arena
Tuesday 15 April 2025
 The Swedish masked soft metal titans led by the demonic anti-pope Papa Emeritus return to the stage. GHOST have amassed arena-worthy followings and billions of streams all over the globe, thanks to their theatrical stage presence and pen...Sean Paul + Ashanti
AO Arena
Sunday 20 April 2025
Jamaican superstar Sean Paul is joined by special guest Ashanti for his latest European tour. The Dancehall legend, Grammy Award winner and much loved international hit maker is undeniably one of the most instantly recognisable and popular ...The Original Harlem Globetrotters
AO Arena, Manchester
Wednesday 23 April 2025
The Harlem Globetrotters 2024 World Tour is coming with a game like never before! Your favourite Globetrotter stars are bringing out their amazing basketball skill, outrageous athleticism and a non-stop LOL good time. Join the Globetrotters...Paul Smith
AO Arena, Manchester
Friday 25 - Saturday 26 April 2025
Liverpool comedian Paul Smith, who is best known for the many viral social media clips of his lightning quick audience interaction, is back with his biggest and funniest tour show yet, "Pablo". The show features hysterics from start to fi...Torvill & Dean
AO Arena, Manchester
Friday 2 - Sunday 4 May 2025
World-renowned figure skating duo Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean, best known as simply Torvill & Dean, are world-famous figure skaters and former British, World, European and Olympic champions. In 2024, they announced their retirement ...Kevin Hart
AO Arena
Wednesday 7 May 2025
 Emmy and GRAMMY-nominated comedian Kevin Hart has confirmed the next leg of his stand-up comedy tour "Acting My Age."  Born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where he launched his career as a comedian during an amateur night at ...Bryan Adams
AO Arena, Manchester
Friday 9 May 2025
For most people, a No.1 hit like (Everything I Do) I Do It For You would define their entire career. For Canadian rocker Bryan Adams, it's possibly not even his most popular song. Pre-worldwide chart domination with the theme song from R...Clubland
AO Arena, Manchester
Saturday 10 May 2025
The return of the legendary dance brand Clubland... back in UK arenas with a stella line-up. CASCADA / DARREN STYLES / FLIP N FILL v ULTRABEAT / KAREN PARRY / KELLY LLORENNAÂ / VENGABOYS / Hosted by KEYES & FINCHY. Re-live the classic tunes...Twenty One Pilots
AO Arena, Manchester
Sunday 11 May 2025
Grammy Award-winning Ohio electopop duo Twenty One Pilots are best known for their Platinum-selling UK hits "Stressed Out", "Heathens" and "Ride". The duo are most frequently labelled as alternative hip hop, borrowing from a wide variety o...Kylie Minogue
AO Arena, Manchester
Monday 19 - Tuesday 20 May 2025
Kylie will bring her highly anticipated 'Tension Tour' to the UK. The tour which will see the global icon perform in cities across the globe and is set to be Kylie's biggest tour since 2011. Opening in Kylie's home country, Australia, the w...
Olly Murs
AO Arena, Manchester
Friday 23 May 2025
Fresh from his nationwide tour as special guest to Take That earlier this year, Olly Murs has announced a massive UK Arena tour for next Spring. Get ready to party with a set that features all the hits and more! Blue will be special guests ...The Lumineers
AO Arena, Manchester
Sunday 25 May 2025
Denver-based band The Lumineers were founded by New Jersey natives Wesley Schultz and Jeremiah Fraites. Schultz grew up taking drawing classes with Fraites' older brother Joshua, who died of a drug overdose in 2002. Playing music together w...La Discothèque
AO Arena, Manchester
Friday 6 June 2025
 La Discotheque returns home to Manchester for a dazzling, decadent live show featuring some of their nearest and dearest! Picture the spirit and electric vibe of NYC's iconic Paradise Garage, seamlessly fused with the glittering hedonis...Nelly & St. Lunatics + Eve + Fabolous
AO Arena
Saturday 7 June 2025
Having emerged in the early 2000s, GRAMMY award-winning rapper and entrepreneur Nelly is revered for his role in ushering in the popularity of country-rap to the mainstream, becoming the fourth best selling US rapper of all time, with over ...Kool & The Gang
AO Arena
Friday 11 July 2025
Kool & the Gang, officially launched in 1969, after performing for five years under various band titles, has influenced the music of three generations and, at the age of 49, the band has become true recording industry legends. Thanks to ico...Lynyrd Skynyrd
AO Arena
Tuesday 15 July 2025
1970's Florida Rock'n'roll legends Lynyrd Skynyrd are set to make their triumphant return to the United Kingdom in 2025 for their first UK visit since 2019, bringing the unmistakable sounds of one of rock's most iconic acts back to Britis...PAW Patrol Live
AO Arena, Manchester
Sunday 20 July 2025
Nickelodeon and VStar Entertainment Group present PAW Patrol Live! "The Great Pirate Adventure." This action-packed, music-filled production is based on the top-rated animated preschool series PAW Patrol, produced by Spin Master Entertainme...Deacon Blue
AO Arena
Wednesday 1 October 2025
The name is inspired by Steely Dan. The music is influenced by the integrity of Bruce Springsteen, channelled through a Scottish upbringing. The band is Deacon Blue. They may be serious about creating timeless songs, but are never afraid to...Darius Rucker (Hootie & the Blowfish)
AO Arena
Friday 3 October 2025
With ten #1 Country hits that span over 10 years, including the 4 million-selling hit single "Wagon Wheel", multi-Platinum smash "Alright" and "Don't Think I Don't Think About It", Hootie & the Blowfish vocalist and Nashville superstar Dari...Parkway Drive
AO Arena, Manchester
Monday 6 October 2025
Parkway Drive has spent the past decade at the forefront of heavy music worldwide. The five-piece metal band from Byron Bay, Australia formed in 2002. Parkway Drive has released five studio albums including Killing with a Smile (2005), Hori...Katy Perry
AO Arena
Wednesday 8 October 2025
One the best-selling music artists of all time, Katy Perry delivers a spectacular career-spanning run of live shows, including all the hits from across her multi-million selling albums, including multi-Platinum chart toppers like "Roar", "F...ONE OK ROCK
AO Arena, Manchester
Monday 13 October 2025
Japanese rockers One OK Rock bring their world tour to Europe. With numerous number 1 albums in their own country and success on the US Billboard Rock Charts, they play varied styles of music, with songs ranging from alternative rock and em...Busted Vs McFly
AO Arena, Manchester
Friday 17 October - Wednesday 5 November 2025
Pop rock legends Busted and McFly have announced a joint UK tour. Speaking of the tour, McFly threw down the gauntlet and commented: "Busted gate-crashed our show and challenged us to a VS tour next year. They're old men now, and we are gon...Disturbed
AO Arena
Friday 24 October 2025
Emerging out of Chicago in 1994 with an insidious, infectious, and inimitable vision without comparison, Disturbed have quietly dominated hard rock on their own terms. They make the kind of heavy metal music that pushes you to hold on tight...Marti Pellow
AO Arena, Manchester
Saturday 25 October 2025
Scottish singer Marti Pellow is back. The BRIT and Ivor Novello award-winning singer-songwriter was the lead singer of the Scottish pop group, Wet Wet Wet, from their formation in 1982 until their split in 1997, and then again when they re...
FIVE
AO Arena
Friday 7 November 2025
They were one of the most successful and iconic boy bands of all time - topping charts across the globe and selling more than 20 million records worldwide. After 25 years apart, the multi-platinum selling band Five are finally back together...Volbeat
AO Arena
Saturday 8 November 2025
Danish rock trio VOLBEATÂ has topped the album charts all across Europe, graced the UK Top 10 and scored no less than ten #1 songs on the Billboard Mainstream Rock airplay chart in the USA, the most ever for a band based outside North Ameri...Bastille
AO Arena, Manchester
Friday 14 November 2025
Originally the solo project of London-based singer/songwriter Dan Smith, UK chart-topping act Bastille combine glossy '80s synth textures and arena-friendly choruses into dramatic yet earnest, brooding yet joyful songs, like their UK no.2 h...The Offspring
AO Arena, Manchester
Sunday 16 November 2025
Californian quartet The Offspring were uniquely positioned to take advantage of the grunge boom of the early to mid '90s. Though usually labeled as a punk band, over the course of their self-titled 1989 debut and 1993's Ignition, Dexter Hol...
HAUSER
AO Arena, Manchester
Saturday 29 November 2025
Instrumentalist and founding member of 2CELLOS known simply as HAUSER is bringing his 'Rebel Is Back Tour' to the UK. HAUSER is celebrated for his renditions of classical, pop and rock music, with an eclectic style pairing cello pyrotechnic...Madness
AO Arena, Manchester
Friday 5 December 2025
Madness may have been at the forefront of the late '70s ska revival, but the band quickly moved beyond the constraints of two-tone. By the time the '80s were in full swing, their embrace of everything from Motown to pure pop had made them o...Pete Tong - Ibiza Classics
AO Arena, Manchester
Saturday 6 December 2025
 DJ, broadcaster and global dance music legend Pete Tong has announced the return of his critically acclaimed Ibiza Classics show featuring long-time collaborator Jules Buckley and The Essential Orchestra. Ibiza Classics debuted in 2015, ...Jimmy Carr
AO Arena
Tuesday 16 December 2025
Star of the UK's most streamed Netflix comedy special of 2021, Jimmy is back on the road with a brand new show, Laughs Funny. Jimmy's show contains jokes about all kinds of terrible things. Terrible things that might have affected you or pe...Cirque Wicked Wizard of Oz
AO Arena
Tuesday 23 December 2025
Panto meets Cirque with a cast of 60 and spectacular aerial stunts and amazing special effects in this international class arena show as The World's Biggest Productions present a brand-new, breath-taking, Cirque staging... of the Wicked Wiz...How to get to the AO Arena, Manchester
AO Arena Frequently Asked Questions
Victoria Station Approach, Hunts Bank, Manchester, M3 1AR
There are a number of car parks close to the AO Arena. Their official parking partners are citipark and operate the onsite carpark.
Manchester Victoria Station is the nearest train station to AO Arena Manchester. It is located directly opposite the arena. It also hosts a tram stop. Manchester Piccadilly train station is approximately a 1 mile walk, taking around 20 minutes.
The AO Arena in Manchester has a seating capacity of around 21'000. Seating plans can vary for each event. Click here for a map of the venue.
AO Arena tickets are mostly e-tickets so simply go into your account to retrieve. For further help, please contact the AO Arena directly. Click here for more details.
If you would like to buy a ticket in person at the AO Arena box office, they are at Resolution Points across the AO Arena (Trinity Way Tunnel, Hunts Bank Entrance and City Rooms Entrance.)
Resolution Points are only open on event days and will open one hour before each event, closing 15 minutes after the main act has gone on stage. Alternatively, you can see what's on and book online here.
AO Arena do not list show-end times both for security reasons and due to the nature of live events as running times can vary. As a guide, the venue curfew for evening events is 11pm, unless otherwise stated.
Door times are published on each event page.
Please click here for more information regarding the AO Arena's accessibility information.
Whether you have positive or negative feedback you would like to feedback to the AO Arena, please click here for more information.
If you have lost an item during a visit to the AO Arena Manchester, click here and fill out their form with as much information as possible.
With loads of great places to eat in Manchester and decent pre-theatre menus, you should check out our Manchester Restaurant site here!
Manchester is full of great bars and pubs and some decent ones close to the venue. Check out our Manchester Bar site here!
Either use the map at the side of the FAQ section as it has all types of accomodation or click here for hotels in Manchester
If you need the AO Arena customer services for more help, click here
Please note that ManchesterTheatres.com isn't the venue itself. We promote what's on at the AO Arena and all other venues in Manchester and the local region. Feel free to contact us if you need more help though and we'll do our best to support you.
Most Popular Shows and Events at AO Arena, Manchester
