Liverpool Arena

Event location

"Echo Arena" redirects here. For the virtual reality game, see Echo Arena.

Liverpool Arena
M&S Bank Arena

Exterior of the arena (February 2019)

Full name| M&S Bank Arena Liverpool
Former names| Echo Arena (2008–2019)
Address| 16 Monarchs Quay
Liverpool L3 4FP England
Location| King's Dock
Coordinates| 53°23′48″N 2°59′27.45″W﻿ / ﻿53.39667°N 2.9909583°W﻿ / 53.39667; -2.9909583
Owner| Liverpool City Council
Operator| ACC Liverpool Group Ltd
Capacity| 7,513 to 10,600 (all seated)
11,000 (with standing)
Construction
Broke ground| 15 May 2005 (2005-05-15)
Opened| 12 January 2008 (2008-01-12)
Expanded|

* 2012
* 2017

Construction cost| £164 million
Architect|

* WilkinsonEyre
* Sport Concepts

Project manager|

* Davis Langdon
* Gleeds

Structural engineer| BuroHappold Engineering
Services engineer| Faber Maunsell
Main contractors| Bovis Lend Lease
Website
Venue Website

Liverpool Arena, known for sponsorship reasons as the M&S Bank Arena and previously the Echo Arena, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the city centre of Liverpool, England. The venue hosts live music, comedy performances and sporting events, and forms part of Liverpool event campus ACC Liverpool – an interconnected arena, exhibition and convention centre. The venue serves a regional population of 2.5 million people and over 6.6 million across England's North West.

## Architecture and design

[edit]

Interior of the arena (June 2015)

The arena was designed by Wilkinson Eyre architects[1] and Sport Concepts. M&S Bank Arena is a flexible space offering a variety of standard and bespoke layouts. The arena has 7,513 permanent seats around three sides of a central floor suitable for hosting indoor sports events. The capacity for end-stage and in-the-round concerts is 10,600 including floor seating. With floor standing, the overall capacity of the arena is increased to 11,000. There are several corporate boxes situated around the sides of the arena.[2]

There are six dressing rooms, five team locker rooms and two promoter offices within the arena.[1] Vehicles weighing up to 38 tonnes can gain access to the basement of the arena.[1] The complex has a BREEAM rating of "very good".[1]

In September 2015, the opening of sister venue Exhibition Centre Liverpool resulted in a broader offer for standing concerts and international sporting events. This venue features 'Space by M&S Bank Arena', a flexible entertainment space for up to 7,000 standing capacity.

## History

[edit]

The venue opened its doors on 12 January 2008 as the Echo Arena Liverpool, with the official opening ceremony for the Capital of Culture. The ceremony launched a year-long celebration and signified the culmination of a decade of regeneration in the city. The show, named 'Liverpool the Musical', featured 700 performers and took 15,000 hours to organise.[3] Since opening, the arena has attracted more than 7 million visitors to over 3,800 events, as well as generating £1.6 billion in economic benefit for the Liverpool City Region.[4]

### Naming rights

[edit]

In November 2018, it was announced that the Echo Arena Liverpool would be renamed to its current title, as part of a sponsorship deal with M&S Bank. The new name took effect from 7 January 2019,[5] with the Liverpool Echo continuing as a business partner of the arena.[6][7] A complete rebranding also took place inside the venue and across the Kings Dock site, before being unveiled on 31 January 2019.[8]

### 2017 car park fire

[edit]

On the evening of 31 December 2017, a fire broke out in an adjacent multi-storey car park and as a consequence, the Liverpool International Horse Show, taking place at the arena, had to be cancelled.[9] Around 80 horses were safely evacuated from temporary stabling built on the ground floor level of the car park, and held on the arena floor and the land surrounding the building. The fire continued into the early hours of 1 January 2018. The structure had to be demolished later and cars were removed.[10][11] Virtually all of the 1,400 cars there were destroyed, but no serious harm to people or horses was reported.[9] The car park was replaced in 2019.

### Death of Eric Bristow

[edit]

On 5 April 2018, after attending a Premier League Darts event, former darts player Eric Bristow collapsed in front of the venue due to a heart attack and later died.[12]

## Events

[edit]

### Entertainment

[edit]

The arena has hosted various entertainment events, including the 2008 MTV Europe Music Awards, and concerts by artists such as Justin Bieber, Little Mix, Paul McCartney, Beyoncé, and others.[13]

The arena during the Eurovision Song Contest 2023

On 7 October 2022, the BBC and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) announced that the venue would host the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 on behalf of the previous year's winning country Ukraine, who was unable to meet the demands of hosting the event due to security concerns caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The contest consisted of two semi-finals on 9 and 11 May, and a final on 13 May 2023, and was the first time that the contest took place in Liverpool. The 2023 contest marked the record-extending ninth time it was hosted in the UK, having last done so in Birmingham in 1998.[14]

### Sports

[edit]

The arena has hosted several major sporting competitions. From 2008 to 2010, the arena was the home of the Mersey Tigers basketball team.[15] For a number of years, the Liverpool International Horse Show has been held in the arena at the end of the year. In 2021, it had to be cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[16] It is also one of the venues for Premier League Darts since its opening.

In November 2021, the arena was intended as the venue for the final of the 2021 Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup but was postponed by a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The postponement made the arena unavailable and the final game was moved to the Manchester Central Convention Complex.[17]

It has also hosted the British Gymnastics Championships annually since 2012 and hosted the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in November 2022.[18]

## Transport links

[edit]

Direct public transport to the M&S Bank Arena is by bus. James Street railway station is a short walk away and is served by the Merseyrail Wirral Line. The station is two stops away from Liverpool Lime Street mainline station.

The arena is situated opposite the portal of the now disused Wapping Tunnel, which runs from Edge Hill in the east of the city. There have been calls to reuse the 1.26 miles (2.03 km) tunnel with a station serving the arena and immediate docks on the site of the demolished Park Lane station which was at the end of the tunnel.[19]

## See also

[edit]

* List of indoor arenas in the United Kingdom

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d "Liverpool Echo Arena". Emporis. Archived from the original on 22 January 2013. Retrieved 14 June 2010.
2. ^ "BBC - Liverpool - Places - Inside the Echo Arena". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
3. ^ "Echo Arena Liverpool Opening Extravaganza". ACC Liverpool. 14 January 2008. Retrieved 6 January 2019.
4. ^ Liverpool, Echo Arena. "Facts and Figures". Echo Arena. Retrieved 6 January 2019.
5. ^ "M&S Bank Arena launches in Liverpool". M&S Bank. 7 January 2019. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
6. ^ Breslin, Maria (27 November 2018). "Liverpool's waterfront arena to get a new naming partner". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 27 November 2018.
7. ^ "Echo Arena will become the M&S Bank Arena in 2019". The Guide Liverpool. 27 November 2018. Retrieved 27 November 2018.
8. ^ "M&S Bank Arena unveils new branding". M&S Bank. 31 January 2019. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
9. ^ a b "'Ferocious' fire engulfed arena car park". BBC News. 2018. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
10. ^ "Liverpool Echo Arena car park fire destroys 1,400 vehicles". BBC News. 1 January 2018.
11. ^ "Car park fire at Liverpool's Echo Arena has destroyed all vehicles". Sky News. 1 January 2018.
12. ^ Richards, Alex (6 April 2018). "Darts legend and five-time world champion Eric Bristow dies aged 60". mirror.
13. ^ "What's on at the M&S Bank Arena". VisitLiverpool. 1 July 2022. Retrieved 12 October 2022.
14. ^ "Liverpool will host Eurovision 2023". Eurovision.tv. European Broadcasting Union (EBU). 7 October 2022. Retrieved 7 October 2022.
15. ^ Pearce, James (18 March 2008). "Basketball: Arena crowd can roar Tigers on". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
16. ^ "Cancellation of 2021/22 Voltaire Design Liverpool International Horse Show". 25 October 2021. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
17. ^ "Manchester to host World Cup finals". BBC Sport. 19 November 2021. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
18. ^ Study, World Gymnastics Case. "World Gymnastics Case Study". www.mandsbankarena.com. Retrieved 13 April 2025.
19. ^ Greer, Jamie (26 December 2023). "Disused rail tunnel could reopen as Merseytravel issues update". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 12 May 2024.

## External links

[edit]

Media related to Echo Arena Liverpool at Wikimedia Commons

* ACC Liverpool – Home to Echo Arena Liverpool and BT Convention Centre

Events and tenants

Preceded by

Olympiahalle
Munich

|  MTV Europe Music Awards
2008 | Succeeded by

Mercedes-Benz Arena
Berlin

Preceded by

SEC Centre
Glasgow

|  MOBO Awards
2010  | Succeeded by

SEC Centre
Glasgow

Preceded by

SEC Centre
Glasgow

|  MOBO Awards
2012  | Succeeded by

OVO Hydro
Glasgow

Preceded by

Olympic Park
Sydney

|  Netball World Cup
2019 | Succeeded by

International Convention Centre
Cape Town

Preceded by

PalaOlimpico
Turin

|  Eurovision Song Contest
2023 | Succeeded by

Malmö Arena
Malmö

* v
* t
* e

Arena and Convention Centre Liverpool

* ACC Liverpool
* Exhibition Centre
* M&S Bank Arena
* Wheel of Liverpool

* v
* t
* e

Buildings and structures in Liverpool, England

Skyscrapers
and highrises|

* 1 Princes Dock
* Alexandra Tower
* Beetham Tower
* The Lexington
* Municipal Buildings
* New Hall Place
* The Plaza
* Port of Liverpool Building
* Post & Echo Building
* Radio City Tower
* Royal Liver Building
* Unity Commercial
* Unity Residential
* West Tower

Notable lowrises|

* Albert Dock
* Traffic Office
* Alder Hey Children's Hospital
* Atlantic Tower
* Bank of England
* Bluecoat Chambers
* Britannia Adelphi Hotel
* Calderstones House
* Chinese Arch
* County Sessions House
* Crowne Plaza LJLA
* Cunard Building
* Empire Theatre
* Everton Water Tower
* Everyman Theatre, Liverpool
* Grand Central Hall
* Great North Western Hotel
* Hargreaves Building
* Homeopathic Hospital
* India Buildings
* International Slavery Museum
* James Parsons Building
* Liverpool Central Library
* Liverpool Cotton Exchange Building
* Liverpool Magistrates' Court
* Liverpool Playhouse
* Liverpool Town Hall
* Liverpool Women's Hospital
* The Lyceum
* Malmaison
* Mann Island Buildings
* Merseyside Maritime Museum
* Museum of Liverpool
* National Conservation Centre
* One Park West
* Oratory
* Oriel Chambers
* Philharmonic Dining Rooms
* Philharmonic Hall
* Prudential Assurance Building
* Queen Elizabeth II Law Courts
* Royal Court Theatre
* Royal Insurance Building
* Royal Liverpool University Hospital
* Speke Hall
* Stanley Dock Tobacco Warehouse
* St George's Hall
* Tate Liverpool
* Tower Buildings
* Victoria Building
* Walker Art Gallery
* Wheel of Liverpool
* White Star Building
* Woolton Hall
* World Museum Liverpool

Places of worship|

* All Saints' Church
* Al-Rahma Mosque
* Church of All Hallows
* Church of Our Lady and St Nicholas
* Church of St Agnes and St Pancras
* Church of St Clare
* German Church
* Greek Orthodox Church of St Nicholas
* Gustav Adolf Church
* Liverpool Cathedral
* Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral
* Norwegian Fishermans' Church
* Old Christ Church
* The Oratory
* Princes Road Synagogue
* St George's Church
* St John the Baptist's Church
* St Luke's Church
* St Luke's Church, Walton
* St Michael's Church
* St Peter's Church
* Toxteth Unitarian Chapel
* Ullet Road Unitarian Church
* Welsh Presbyterian Church

Transportation|

* James Street station
* Kingsway Tunnel
* Liverpool Central station
* Liverpool Coach Station
* Liverpool John Lennon Airport
* Liverpool Lime Street station
* Liverpool One bus station
* Liverpool South Parkway station
* Mersey Railway Tunnel
* Moorfields station
* Queensway Tunnel

Shopping complexes|

* Clayton Square Shopping Centre
* Lewis's Building
* Liverpool ONE
* Liverpool Shopping Park
* Metquarter
* New Mersey Shopping Park
* St Johns Shopping Centre

Sports venues
and arenas|

* Aigburth Cricket Ground
* Anfield
* Goodison Park
* Liverpool Arena
* O2 Academy Liverpool
* Walton Hall Park
* Wavertree Athletics Centre
* Hill Dickinson Stadium

Sculptures
and monuments|

* Liverpool Cenotaph
* Nelson Monument
* Steble Fountain
* Superlambanana
* Titanic Memorial
* Victoria Monument
* Wellington's Column
* Yellow Submarine

Notable demolished|

* Childwall Hall
* Concourse House
* Custom House
* The Futurist Cinema
* Liverpool Castle
* Liverpool Central High Level railway station
* Liverpool Sailors' Home
* Liverpool Overhead Railway
* Octagon Chapel
* St Peter's Church
* St John's Market
* Walton Hall

Lists|

* List of public art in Liverpool
* List of tallest buildings and structures in Liverpool
* Listed buildings in Liverpool

* Category
* Commons

* v
* t
* e

Indoor arenas in the United Kingdom

England|

| East Midlands|

* Nottingham Arena
* Derby Arena

|

London|

* The O2 Arena
* Wembley Arena
* Copper Box Arena

North East|

* Newcastle Arena

North West|

* Co-op Live
* Manchester Arena
* Manchester Central
* Liverpool Arena
* Bolton Arena

South East|

* Marshall Arena
* Brighton Centre

South West|

* Westpoint Exeter
* Bournemouth International Centre

West Midlands|

* Utilita Arena Birmingham
* bp pulse LIVE

Yorkshire and the Humber|

* Leeds Arena
* Sheffield Arena
* Connexin Live Arena

Northern Ireland|

* The SSE Arena, Belfast

Scotland|

* P&J Live
* OVO Hydro
* LiveHouse Dundee (upcoming)
* Commonwealth Arena
* Braehead Arena
* Playsport Arena

Wales|

* Cardiff International Arena

Defunct|

* Earls Court
* London Arena
* Harringay Arena
* Basketball Arena
* Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre
* Water Polo Arena
* Sports Stadium Brighton
* Granby Halls

Proposed|

* MSG Sphere London (former)
* Bristol Arena
* New Cardiff Bay Arena
* The Sage
* Edinburgh Arena

Authority control databases: Geographic |

* Structurae
* MusicBrainz place

|

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