Manchester will be the site of Harry’s first venture into the business world.
Plans for the UK’s biggest arena were approved in September this year, and multi-award winning musician Harry Styles is investing in the project, which is based in his very own hometown of Manchester. Styles has long since wowed audiences with his own singing voice and now he is helping to create a venue where other musicians can do the same. (Featured image: @harrystyles, Facebook)
The new Co-op Live is the project of Oak View Group, and it will be the largest venue in the UK, hoping to open in 2023. The Oak View Group is over the moon to be working with Styles, whose 2019 album Fine Line was a roaring success. The company’s President of Business Development, Francesca Bodie had this to say about the collaboration: “At OVG our vision is driven by a unique view that puts fans and artists first in every decision we make. There’s no artist in the world right now better placed than Harry to advise us on delivering a first-class experience for visitors and artists at Co-op Live.”
The project is just as important to Styles, who says that he is “incredibly proud and excited to be partnering with OVG on their plans for Co-op Live.” His love for Manchester is clear: “Manchester is an incredible city, filled with incredible people, and I couldn’t be happier being involved in this project. It very much feels like coming home. I was drawn to this project on every level, from the opportunities it brings to the contribution it will make to the city, and most importantly, that it will allow even more live music to thrive in Manchester. It’s just another sign that this amazing city continues to grow.”
The city is, after all, Styles’ home-town. Amazingly, his first job as a teenager was delivering newspapers for a local Co-op store. Harry’s experience in the music industry will certainly come in handy, as he plans on playing an active part in the development of the venue. It’s set to have the largest standing floor capacity in the UK and the aim is to make the venue accessible to artists and fans.
Co-op Live will be regenerate 3,500 jobs, representing a £350m private investment in Manchester. This will be welcome news to Mancunians worried about the impact that the pandemic is having on the local economy. Building the venue will also provide an extra 1,000 jobs, which will be brilliant for the city. Manchester’s Etihad Campus will be the site of this new arena and it has been designed to be the most sustainable arena in the whole of Europe, generating £1m every year for good causes in Manchester and the UK as a whole.