After a number of gigs at Manchester’s Co-op Live being cancelled, postponed, rescheduled or moved elsewhere, the new arena has revealed more details regarding the shows (past and future ones) taking place at the venue. Following the cancellation of the opening act, A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, at Co-op Live on May 1, the arena has “decided to take a short pause to events” to fully ensure the safety and security of fans and artists visiting the venue.
Co-op Live said: “This time will allow for an independent inspection of all elements of the arena ceiling. We have worked with promoters to limit the impact on fans, keeping as many shows as possible in Manchester.” Ticket holders for each event will be contacted by their point of purchase, and refunds will be available if preferred.
Co-op Live was due to open to the public on April 23, with Bolton comedian Peter Kay as the first act, and has since postponed multiple gigs at the UK’s largest and most sustainable venue. It is understood that “a venue-related technical issue” has resulted in Co-op Live gigs having to be postponed or rescheduled, or even some moved to Manchester’s AO Arena.
One of the acts affected by the pause to Co-op Live events is Take That, which had five gigs scheduled at the venue. Taking to social media to announce the news, Take That said: “Given the ongoing technical issues around the opening of the Co-Op Live Arena we have taken the difficult decision to move our May shows to the AO Arena where we have enjoyed many great nights over the years. This is not a decision we have taken lightly, but we wanted to give our fans as much notice as possible.
“We’re mindful many of you will already have travel and accommodation plans in place, so we have chosen this option to minimise inconvenience to as many people as possible. Our dates in June in Manchester remain unaffected.”
All the Co-op Live gigs postponed or rescheduled and moved to a different venue
The following events at Co-op Live have been affected by the venue.
Peter Kay – April 23 & 24, 2024
Postponed and date change.
Friday 23rd and Saturday 24th May at Co-op Live.
The Black Keys – April 27, 2024
Postponed and date change.
Wednesday 15th May at Co-op Live.
A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie – May 1, 2024
Venue and date change.
Saturday 4th May now at AO Arena
Olivia Rodrigo – May 3 & 4, 2024
Postponed – new dates to be announced.
Keane – May 5, 2024
Postponed and date change.
Saturday 19th October at Co-op Live.
Take That – May 7, 8, 10, 11 & 12, 2024
Venue change and one date change. Note, Take That’s June dates remain unaffected.
Tuesday 7th May now at AO Arena
Wednesday 8th May date change to Thursday 9th May at AO Arena
Friday 10th May now at AO Arena
Saturday 11th May now at AO Arena
Sunday 12th May now at AO Arena
According to Co-op Live, “At this time, we do not expect further impact on our opening season. We are aware our actions have frustrated and angered ticket holders. We know you’ve incurred significant disruption, and are finding a way to help make it right.
“We are taking the pause to think about the best ways to do that. Our naming rights partner, the Co-op Group, has also expressed the importance of ensuring that the significant impact on ticketholders is recognised and addressed, with more detail to follow soon.”
Tim Leiweke, Chairman and CEO of Oak View Group, added: “As many of you will know, it’s not been the smooth start we had planned for, and I know that has caused a huge amount of disruption and frustration to thousands of people. On behalf of all of us at Oak View Group, I’d like to express my sincere apologies to all those that have been affected.
“We understand that there is work to be done to rebuild your trust in us. This starts now and at the request of the naming rights partner, The Co-op Group, we will be addressing impact on affected ticket holders, details of which will be shared soon.
“I’d like to reiterate my sincerest apologies to everyone that has been affected by the delays around the opening of Co-op Live. The team here is working incredibly hard to get the building up and running, and we look forward to welcoming you to the arena from 14 May 2024.”
Further news regarding whether the following week’s gigs at Co-op Live including Elbow, The Black Keys, Eric Clapton and Barry Manilow will be postponed or go ahead is yet to be confirmed.