Manchester Central is celebrating 40 years as a world-leading events space, with the venue estimated to have boosted the local economy by £2.6 billion across its four-decade history.
Throughout the past 40 years, Manchester Central has hosted more than 4,100 exhibitions and events of a range of sizes, welcoming approximately 12 million visitors through its doors. In doing so, it has become a key part of the city’s cultural identity and a leading name in the exhibition and events sector.
The global success has had a huge regional impact too. It’s estimated that for every £1 spent in Manchester Central by event delegates and visitors, a further £6 is spent in the city’s culinary, accommodation and tourism space.
Together, this provides a huge uplift to Greater Manchester’s overall economic growth, with the venue responsible for annually injecting around £150 million into the local cultural ecosystem by attracting roughly half a million visitors to the city each year.
Manchester Central’s 40 year celebrations also coincide with the return of Open House venue tours. These informal, staff-led strolls allow members of the public to explore the building and its history, providing unique views of the space’s vaulted arches, clock and flexible function rooms.
Meanwhile, members of the Manchester Central team will be on hand to share stories of key cultural moments from the venue’s storied 140 year history. Formerly Manchester Central Station, the building officially debuted as the Greater Manchester Exhibition Centre (or GMEX as it became known) on 21 March 1986, opened by Queen Elizabeth II.
Throughout the next decade, it established itself as the city’s largest event space, hosting everything from exhibitions to live music. Mancunian legends like Oasis, The Smiths, Happy Mondays and New Order graced its stage alongside huge international acts like Tina Turner, U2 and Metallica. As its reputation grew, the Commonwealth Games selected the venue to host various events in its then-recently launched Exchange Building in 2002.
In 2007, the building rebranded again to become the Manchester Central Convention Complex. The following years saw this newly-renamed space continue to showcase its versatility by hosting prime-time TV shows like The X Factor and Ninja Warrior UK and welcoming large-scale conventions like MegaCon, HYROX and countless others.
Today, Manchester Central is regarded as part of the fabric of the city. It regularly plays host to sector leaders, globally-recognised conventions, key cultural events and memorable live moments.
Lori Hoinkes, chief executive of Manchester Central said: “As Manchester Central celebrates 40 years of events, these figures provide an amazing insight into the tangible impact that the venue, its various output and its overall impact have had on not just the city itself but the local economy. The past four decades have seen us play host to thousands of events from all over the globe – and we can’t wait to continue doing so for years to come.
“Our Open House tours are a great opportunity for locals, visitors, Manchester heritage fans and even those looking for a place to host their next event to get a closer look at this Manchester landmark. They’re for everyone – and we can’t wait to welcome people through our doors later this month.”
Manchester Central’s Open House 2026 public tours will take place throughout Wednesday 29 July, with slots available to book now. In the meantime, visitors are encouraged to head to social media and share their memories from the venue by using the hashtag #40YearsOfEvents.
