Christopher BarrettEmirates Old Trafford’s major events in 2022 were worth more than £27 million to the local economy, according to research carried out by Marketing Manchester.
Manchester’s 26,000-capacity Emirates Old Trafford’s 2022 events have included international cricket, domestic T20 and The Hundred matches, and four sold-out concerts. Collectively the events attracted an attendance of around 325,000 people.
Marketing Manchester, a not-for-profit agency charged with promoting Greater Manchester internationally, has worked with the venue team to evaluate a range of economic-related impacts associated with staging major sporting and entertainment events.
It said figures have been calculated using the eventIMPACTS Toolkit and based on the number of visitors to Emirates Old Trafford’s highest attended events throughout 2022.
Next year, the home of Lancashire Cricket is set to host the England v Australia Fourth Ashes Test Match and a further international fixture against New Zealand (IT20), while the LV County Championship, Royal London One Day Cup, Vitality T20 Blast and The Hundred will be among the domestic cricket competitions at the venue.
It is also expected to see the completion of a redevelopment project that includes a 100-room hotel extension to the current Hilton Garden Inn, a new restaurant, lower tier stand and concourse, and a new conference and events space that is scheduled to open ahead of the Ashes Test Match in July.
Lancashire Cricket CEO Daniel Gidney said, “This summer saw an incredible run of events that delivered record-breaking numbers for the venue and it’s really pleasing to see the broader impact that this success is having in the local business community. 2023 is going to be even bigger and better, on and off the pitch. With an Ashes Test Match, the Arctic Monkeys plus the completion of the next phase of Emirates Old Trafford’s redevelopment, these are really exciting times for the venue and the cricket club.
Pictured (left to right): Steve Davies (director of operations), Michael Hewson (head of commercial operations), Angela Hodson (sales director), and Liz Cooper (partnerships director).