FINA World Swimming Championships at the M.E.N. Arena until 13th April

The FINA championships are Manchester's biggest sporting event since the 2002 Commonwealth Games.

John Knight, General Manager of the Manchester Evening News Arena says: "Everyone is intrigued by the thought of a world class swimming event in the building where they"ve become used to seeing the likes of Madonna, U2 and The Rolling Stones. The event will be another milestone in the history of the arena."

Great Big Events - the people behind the sports presentation for the Olympic Games in Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004, the Commonwealth Games in Manchester and Melbourne and the Rugby World Cup 2003 - are being employed to set new standards of style and presentation for major swimming championships.

This promises to be like no other swim meet with two huge temporary pools being built in the M.E.N. Arena. Project Director Peter Knowles said that "two pools means two million litres of water. Now imagine that in a concert venue. It will be quite something and with the ability to do all sorts of amazing things with lighting and sound, this event will be very different to any other swimming championships."

650 athletes from 120 different countries will be in Manchester for the 5 day event which will be the first world swimming championships of its kind to ever be staged in the UK. The eyes of the world will be on Manchester as some of the planet's finest swimmers use the Championships to hone their skills for the Olympic Games in Beijing just a few months. Commercial Director for British Swimming, Katie Brazier pointed out that "it will provide our athletes with the opportunity to compete against the world on home soil with the advantages this brings, a chance for our coaches to experience the pressure of the international stage and give us the opportunity to increase the knowledge and expertise of our officials and volunteers."

The events will be televised and tickets are available for individual days or for the season.