Co-op Live countdown is on with Manchester’s newest arena opening doors in a month - ending a four-year wait

In February 2020 global venue development, advisory and investment company Oak View Group (OVG) confirmed plans for a new music venue in Manchester. It was to hold 23,500 people, and be a ‘music-first’ arena looking ahead to the future. 

The initial research into the feasibility of a new arena in Manchester, and one that would become the biggest in Europe when built, can be traced back further. In August 2019 OVG began talks with City Football Group (Owners of Manchester City FC) about the potential to build the arena.  

Just a month later, the world went into lockdown as Covid-19 spread, changing the way we lived our lives for months. The arts and entertainment industry was hit hard by the lockdown, with live gigs being outlawed for months at a time during the lifting and enforcing of restrictions. 

On the other side of the pandemic, live music was able to struggle through and now we can all get back to watching the acts we love the most. As we approach the fourth anniversary of the lockdown, Manchester has another, far more positive landmark to look forward to. 

Co-op Live opens its doors on April 23, yet it isn’t a band or artist taking to the stage first. Bolton comedian Peter Kay is booked in for back-to-back nights, but after this the events will come thick and fast. 

Some of the names set to make an appearance at Co-op Live in 2024 include Nicki Minaj, Olivia Rodrigo, and Liam Gallagher. Acts who are making their way up the music ladder such as Noah Kahan and Sleep Token will also bring their tunes to that corner of Manchester, with metal icons Slipknot currently due to be the last act of 2024. 

The process of getting to weeks from opening has had its ups and downs, with the licensing hearing being the most recent but likely last hiccup before opening. The venue was locked in some heated debate with AO Arena representatives, but now it feels as though a mutuality has formed and both venues will move forward knowing they are key parts of Manchester’s lifestyle and culture scene. 

When plans were first confirmed in February 2020, Tim Leiweke, co-founder and Chief Executive of Oak View Group, outlined why they wanted to bring the arena to Manchester. He described having a vision to develop the Eastlands area where Co-op Live now sits. 

He said: “We came to Manchester knowing that we needed to develop our proposals in a way that support the needs and priorities of the entire city and deliver a venue that would enable Manchester to thrive in an evolving entertainment market. Through extensive community and city centre consultations, we have understood the local priorities and vision that is transforming Eastlands, along with the ambitions that underpin Manchester’s development as a thriving place to live and visit.”

The presence of two large arenas just a couple of miles from each other should at least reduce the chances of Manchester missing out on the big tours. There’s a big opening year ahead for Co-op Live, and dozens of acts have already confirmed dates at the venue. How soon it can stamp its authority on the UK music arena scene will be found out in short order, but judging by the calibre of some of the acts announced so far - including the MTV Europe Music Awards - it seems to be off to a good start.