When it opens this weekend, Manchester’s new Co-Op Live will be the biggest indoor arena in the UK.
A brand new venue costing £365 million has been built near Manchester City’s Etihad football stadium. Manchester City’s Etihad football stadium, has a capacity of 23,500 as it looks to give the North a venue on the level of The O2 in London.
The arena has received investment from a local and very famous pop star Harry Styles, even though only a small financial partner, and he’s also given advice on certain design features.
This evening (Saturday, April 20) the venue will host a test event with Rick Astley, a local, before the official opening by Peter Kay on Tuesday.
From then on, Manchester can look forward to a lineup of top stars getting on the stage.
The venue has been constructed by City Football Group, which is owned by billionaire Sheikh Mansour, who is a deputy prime minister of the UAE and a royal.
Oakview Music Group have also played a big role, with the organization co-founded by music mogul Irving Azoff, whose business partner and son Jeff manages the likes of U2 and Harry Styles himself.
Other supporters include SJM and Gaiety, and the venue aims to build on securing this year’s MTV Europe Music Awards with other large events.
Co-op Live’s executive director and general manager Gary Roden told the BBC: ‘There’s no reason why the Brits can’t come up north.’
It’s a modern space, with modern suites and even an in-house gym for artists, while Harry himself advised against having advertising boards to let performers focus on enjoying the moment.
‘That costs us money not to have advertising in here,’ Gary added. ‘But that’s a decision that we’ve made in order to maximize the connection between artist and fan.’
The shape of the venue is also unique, with the floor – which has the capacity for 9,200 standing spectators – being shorter but wider than more arenas around the world.
Manchester’s longstanding AO Arena – which has been in operation under a range of names for almost 30 years – has launched its own £50 million renovation to increase its capacity by 2,000 to 23,000.
Who will perform at Co-Op Live?
After Rick Astley’s test run and legendary comic Peter Kay’s two night stint next week, the arena has already secured a huge lineup.
The Black Keys, Olivia Rodrigo, Keane, Take That, Elbow and Eric Clapton are all set for big shows, while Barry Manilow has signed on for an exclusive arena show next month.
Eagles, who are managed by Co-Op Live investor Irving Azoff, will perform a farewell residency at the Manchester venue in June, followed by shows from Pet Shop Boys, The Smashing Pumpkins, James, Liam Gallagher, The Killers, Pearl Jam and Megan Thee Stallion.
Stevie Nicks, Kings of Leon, Justin Timberlake, Niall Horan, The Jonas Brothers, Charlie XCX, Slipknot, Sleep Token, Simply Red and Jason Manford also appear on a diverse bill.
How to buy tickets for events at Co-Op Live
Tickets for most shows announced from now until September are available to book on the Co-Op Live website, which takes you to Ticketmaster.
There look to still tickets available for most shows, with the full listings available here.
