<P> The City of Manchester Stadium in Manchester, England, also known as the Etihad Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is the home ground of Manchester City Football Club and with a domestic football capacity of 55,097, the fourth - largest in the Premier League and eighth - largest in the United Kingdom . </P> <P> Built to host the 2002 Commonwealth Games, the stadium has since staged the 2008 UEFA Cup Final, England football internationals, rugby league matches, a boxing world title fight, the England rugby union team's last match of the 2015 Rugby World Cup and summer music concerts during the football off - season . </P> <P> The stadium, originally proposed as an athletics arena in Manchester's bid for the 2000 Summer Olympics, was converted after the 2002 Commonwealth Games from a 38,000 capacity arena to a 48,000 seat football stadium at a cost to the city council of £ 22 million and to Manchester City of £ 20 million . Manchester City F.C. agreed to lease the stadium from Manchester City Council and moved there from Maine Road in the summer of 2003 . </P> <P> The stadium was built by Laing Construction at a cost of £ 112 million and was designed and engineered by ArupSport, whose design incorporated a cable - stayed roof structure which is separated from the main stadium bowl and suspended entirely by twelve exterior masts and attached cables . The stadium design has received much praise and many accolades, including an award from the Royal Institute of British Architects in 2004 for its innovative inclusive building design and a special award in 2003 from the Institution of Structural Engineers for its unique structural design . </P>

When did man city move to the etihad