AEV welcomes Manchester United as newest member

The Association of Event Venues (AEV) has, today, revealed Manchester United Football Club has joined as its newest member, further strengthening the association’s community of leading UK venues.

Old Trafford, the world-famous home of Manchester United, is one of the UK’s most iconic sporting and events venues. The club, originally formed in 1878, moved to Old Trafford in 1910 and the stadium now offers extensive non-matchday event facilities through United Events, its dedicated events division.

The venue features 20 blank canvas suites and more than 150 meeting rooms, providing flexible space for conferences, exhibitions, AGMs, gala dinners, seminars, product launches and corporate meetings. Many spaces overlook the pitch, creating a distinctive setting for organisers looking to deliver memorable event experiences.

Old Trafford’s event spaces include suites of up to 1,390 sq. metres, with the wider stadium able to accommodate up to 8,000 hospitality guests. The venue also benefits from 5,000 complimentary parking spaces, strong transport links into Manchester city centre and international connectivity via nearby Manchester Airport, supported by more than 500 hotel rooms within walking distance.

Manchester United Football Club becomes AEV’s 54th member and the fifth new member to join in 2026. Membership provides its teams with access to AEV’s 23 working groups, networking opportunities, sector insight and member events.

Alden Arnold, head of commercial and projects, AEV, said: “We are delighted Manchester United Football Club is joining us. Old Trafford is an instantly recognisable venue with significant experience in delivering major events, and its teams will bring valuable perspective to our community.”

Marc Armstrong, chief business officer, Manchester United, commented: “We are delighted to join the AEV community as we continue to grow the profile and scale of non-matchday events at Old Trafford. The stadium is one of the most iconic venues in world sport, but beyond matchdays it is also a highly versatile and established choice for conferences, exhibitions, dinners and large-scale corporate events.

“Manchester continues to grow as a major events city, and with the combination of our facilities, location, hotel infrastructure and the unique experience of hosting events at Old Trafford, we believe the venue is exceptionally well placed to support that demand. We are looking forward to sharing our experience with other AEV members and learning from theirs.”

Arnold continued. “AEV exists to bring venues together to share knowledge, best practice and practical support across the events industry. We look forward to working with the team at Manchester United and seeing them contribute to, and benefit from, the collaboration across our working groups and annual events.”