The Co-Op Live Arena in Manchester has had a turbulent two weeks, with a series of events causing the venue to remain closed. The arena, which has a capacity of 23,500 people and is set to be the UK’s largest indoor arena, was scheduled to open with comedian Peter Kay on April 23 and 24, but technical issues caused his gigs to be moved to the end of April, following a test event featuring Rick Astley on April 22. However, these shows were also postponed for the second time; they are now expected to take place on May 23 and 24.
A number of other acts had their shows postponed or moved as a result of the venue’s issues, including The Black Keys and Olivia Rodrigo, who was left “so disappointed” with the cancellation. Disruption to the new arena has left staff feeling chaotic and upset, with one member stating that “[t]he root cause of all the problems is coming from the building, not the operations”. Although the building is not ready, it is being continually presented as being so, leading to the last-minute cancellation of a Boogie Wit Da Hoodie gig after a piece of ventilation equipment fell from the ceiling during a sound check.
The cancelled shows have left ticket holders and fans frustrated and angry, with some branding the venue “Manchester’s own Fyre Festival”. In a statement, the Co-Op group, which does not own or run the Co-Op Live Arena, clarified its position and apologised for the opening problems, confirming that it was taking a pause to carry out an independent inspection of all elements of the arena ceiling. The company also confirmed that it was trying to find ways to help make such cancellations right for ticket holders.
Last week, it was confirmed that Gary Roden, the boss of the new arena, had resigned following the series of issues. Roden had come under scrutiny for comments he made about grassroots music venues and his dismissal of calls for a £1 ticket levy on arena-sized gigs and above. The CEO of the Music Venue Trust, Mark Davyd, stated that Roden’s remarks were “disrespectful and disingenuous” and were particularly ill-judged given the issues faced by his own venue
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