Manchester Arena 25th Anniversary

Johnny James, Managing Editor

Visit now

Manchester Arena 25th Anniversary

17 July 2020

Always double check opening hours with the venue before making a special visit.

Manchester Arena 25th Anniversary
Manchester Arena
Book now

To mark their 25th anniversary, Manchester Arena are streaming a showreel of performances that have left a lasting mark on the city’s largest venue in the last quarter-century.

Presented with Future Agency, the pre-recorded streamed event will place an emphasis on local acts, with performances by Everything Everything, Badly Drawn Boy, The Charlatans, Clint Boon, and The Slow Readers Club to be included in the montage. Elsewhere, we’ll see Alice Cooper, Dionne Bromfield, Emeli Sande, The Hoosiers, Kelli-Leigh, Kodaline, Lionel Richie, Pixie Lott and more grace the arena stage.

A great way for people to get together and celebrate a milestone in the venue’s history, and to raise vital funds for four great charities.

The event will “go live” across the arena’s social media channels at 8pm on Friday 17th July. You can tune in for free, but there’ll be an opportunity to donate to four local charities during the course of the evening: The Booth Centre, The Christie, Forever Manchester and Nordoff Robbins. Each charity will receive 25% of the money raised on the night.

It may not be the Manchester Arena 25th Anniversary celebration that the team originally had in mind, but in this period of pause, it seems a great way for people to get together and celebrate a milestone in the venue’s history, and to raise vital funds for four great charities.

Where to go near Manchester Arena 25th Anniversary

Manchester
Gallery
Bridge 5 Mill

Bridge 5 Mill is a sustainable event space and community hub on Beswick Street in Ancoats, hosting independent cultural projects and ethical supper clubs.

1853 gallery 1
Manchester
Gallery
1853 Studios

1853 Studios and Gallery is a Creative Studios and community of creative professionals occupying the 3rd floors of Osborne Mill, Oldham.

Deansgate
Restaurant
Podium

Podium delivers high-end, seasonal dishes, largely geared around produce and ideas from the British Isles, but with a few deft twists and turns.

Tai Wu
Manchester
Restaurant
Tai Wu

Long-standing, trend-swerving Chinese restaurant on Manchester’s Upper Brook Street, with a reputation for authentic dim sum and traditional Cantonese cuisine.

Manchester
Food hall
BAB Korean Food

A highlight of Manchester’s K-Food space, Bab Korean Food serves up authentic, well-made dishes at the Kargo MKT food hall in MediaCity.

Dimitri's
Castlefield
Restaurant
Dimitri’s

Longstanding Greek taverna Dimtri’s delivers traditional, fuss-free Greek food, aimed at everyone from courting couples to multi-generational families in Manchester.

Kong's NQ
Manchester
Restaurant
Kong’s NQ

Kong’s isn’t like other chicken shops. This much-loved Northern Quarter restaurant is all about high-grade ingredients and expert preparation.

Castlefield
Restaurant
Trading Route

Trading Route serves up time-honoured Sunday grub, in a modern Manchester setting. Worth a visit for the expertly-curated soundtrack alone.

Side view of mixed race business colleagues sitting and watching presentation with audience and clapping hands
Theatre
Burnley Youth Theatre

Burnley Youth Theatre is a vibrant youth arts organisation based at our purpose built venue in Burnley, Pennine Lancashire.

Bar pub 3
Leeds
Restaurant
Arcadia Ale House

Arcadia Ale house is a sports bar located in the Headingly area of Leeds with a range of drinks offers throughout the week.

What's on: Music

SILVERWINGKILLER - Press Image
Music
SILVERWINGKILLER at The White Hotel

A key name in a local music scene increasingly coming to national attention, SILVERWINGKILLER bring their maximalist electronic punk to The White Hotel.

From £11.50
Abel Selaocoe_Spring 2026_credit Phil Sharp_sq
Until
MusicManchester
Inspirational Artists at RNCM

The RNCM launches its second Inspirational Artists series, spotlighting a huge range of touring musicians and ensembles, each bringing something unique to the stage.

From £12.50
Until
MusicCity Centre
The Hallé 2025-26 Season

The Hallé invites audiences to a year of classical masterpieces, world premieres and appearances by some electrifying artists and composers.

From £17

Culture Guides

Food and Drink in the North

There’s been lamb, there’s been champagne, there’s been okra. Look at what you could have eaten, then plan the next few weeks accordingly.

Hofesh Shechter - Theatre of Dreams at Lowry
Theatre

Dark comedy, visceral dance theatre, Fringe hits and open-air performances on a railway viaduct - try something new this season.

Exhibitions

From post-it-sized art to commissions that fill entire gallery walls, five exhibitions ask what the overlooked reveals.

Mermaid Chunky by Simon Pizzey.
Music

From manifesto-wielding DJs to bands blurring gigs with performance art, our music guide is newly stocked with artists who see live music as a place for risk.

Emily Lloyd-Saini as Grace in Space and Harrie Hayes as Lieutenant Strong in Horrible Science
Family things to do in the North

Whether you’re after storybook theatre, museum wanderings or illusion-bending play spaces, there’s plenty to keep curiosity ticking through winter and beyond.

A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night
Cinema in the North

There's no shortage of great films out at the moment, whether you're looking for the latest blockbuster, that hot arthouse flick fresh from Cannes or a cosy classic.