The Philippine Arena in Manila – said to be world’s largest indoor arena – is now open to the public.

The 50,000 seat arena, designed by London-based sports architects Populous, was commissioned by Iglesia Ni Cristo (the Church of Christ) as a gift to the local community. It has been completed in time for the Church’s Centennial Celebration on 27 July 2015.

The AUD $200m (US $187m, €140m, £110m) project, which began in 2011, is situated on a green field site just outside of Manila. It has been created to cater for major entertainment events rather than sport, a growing trend in the Asian arena market.

The director of the project, Populous senior principal Andrew James, said: “We [Populous] worked to achieve a tight, compact and shallow seating bowl… high in the centre and dropping down at the flanks… enabling spectators to be able to see the speaker on the stage and meant they would be very aware of the other 50,000 people in the arena, helping create atmosphere”.

James also commented that the stadium was an example of a "new breed of mega arenas". This trend is part of an ongoing theme of offering large scale concerts to huge audiences, with a focus on entertainment rather than professional sport – which is currently in its infancy in the Philippines. The arena also boasts the space for a further 50,000 people outside its structure, covering a total site area of 383,703sq m (38.37 ha).