After some delays, Co-op Live in Manchester has confirmed that it will officially be opening its doors to the public this week, with all gigs now going ahead. The £365m arena, which was due to open in April, “decided to take a short pause to events” to fully ensure the safety and security of fans and artists visiting the venue.
However, after a successful inspection, the venue is “thrilled” to be opening its doors on May 14, which will see Bury-born rock band Elbow famed for songs like Grounds for Divorce and One Day Like This, take to the stage. The UK’s largest and most sustainable live entertainment venue will then proceed with all scheduled events including The Black Keys, Eric Clapton and Barry Manilow this week.
A spokesperson for Co-op Live said: “Co-op Live is thrilled to be gearing up to open our doors on 14 May 2024 for an opening performance by Manchester’s elbow and to proceed with all scheduled events.”
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 venue. It is understood that “a venue-related technical issue” resulted in Co-op Live gigs having to be postponed or rescheduled, or even some moved to Manchester’s AO Arena including all five Take That shows.
In a statement, Manchester City Council said: “The Council has received documentation that confirms that the venue has carried out the necessary investigations following the incident with their air ducting that provides reassurance that they have considered their duties under Health and Safety law.”
In response to gigs having to be postponed, Tim Leiweke, Chairman and CEO of Oak View Group, said: “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.”
Last week, Co-op Live announced that rapper Travis Scott would be bringing his sold-out show to the venue this summer. More big names which were recently added to the Manchester arena’s programme include Billie Eilish, Janet Jackson and Craig David.
Co-op Live will be opening its doors tomorrow (May 14) with a performance from Elbow.