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  • Writer's pictureHayley Bessell

Eurovision host city profile for Aussies: Manchester



The basics:


Arena name: AO Arena Manchester

Arena capacity: 21,000

Nearest airport: Manchester Airport, about 20 minutes on a train from the city centre.

Total hotels: 163 (according to hotelmap.com)


Major events they have held:


Parklife Festival held yearly (15,000 people), 2002 Commonwealth Games, 2018 Roller Derby World Cup.


Where could the village be?


Piccadilly Gardens or Albert Square

Piccadilly Gardens

Public transport including getting to the arena:


AO Arena is located in the city centre next to the Manchester Victoria train station. There area also has trams and buses close to the arena.

How to fly there from Australia:


Manchester is another large UK airport that takes several flights from Australia with good connections. These include Emirates (1 stop via Dubai), Qatar (1 stop via Doha), British Airways (2 stops via Singapore and London), and Singapore/Swiss (2 stops via Singapore and Zurich).


How to get there from London:


If you wanted to fly into London first, trains between London (Euston Station) and Manchester take just over 2 hours.



Top things to do or see:



1. City tours - there are loads to choose from - canal cruises, an Old Trafford tour, beer walking tours, food walking tours, Coronation Street tour and Hop On Hop Off bus tours.

2. Etihad Stadium - you probably don't have to be a football lover to be impressed by this massive stadium.

3. Manchester Cathedral is over 600 years old and has beautiful stained glass windows.


4. The John Rylands Library is one of the world's finest collections of rare books and manuscripts.


5. Manchester Art Gallery - time for a bit of culture. Enjoy art from many different eras including a vast collection of 19th century art works.


And finally, does Manchester have one of the famous Australian themed bars the Walkabout?


Yes! And it is located in the city centre.


Walkabout Manchester

Do you want Manchester to host Eurovision 2023?

  • Yes, it's my first choice!

  • Yes, they aren't my first choice but I'd be happy with it

  • Not sure

  • No, not for me


Check out the profiles on each host city below:



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