LONDON — From New Order to The Smiths, Oasis to The 1975, Buzzcocks to Take That, the list of famous acts to come out of Manchester, England, is long and glorious. This month, another major chapter in the northern UK city's famous music scene begins with the opening of the 23,500-capacity Co-op Live — the UK's largest and most sustainable entertainment arena.
“We want this venue to be recognized as the next generation in arena facilities that sets the benchmark for progress. The buzz about this building, once it opens, I think will resonate a lot,” says the GM Gary Roden as it sits in a temporary office trailer next to the venue shortly after the shoot Advertising sign on a behind-the-scenes tour.
Due to open its doors on April 23 with the first of two back-to-back shows by British comedian Peter Kay, Co-op Live is the first major project outside the United States by Oak View Group (OVG), the global management and development giant based in Denver. co-founded in 2015 by Tim Leiweke and Irving Azoff, which operates more than 400 buildings worldwide.
In the past 16 months, OVG has built and opened seven new arenas, including Climate Change Arena in Seattle, UBS Arena in New York and Acrisure Arena in Palm Springs, California. Arenas are also under development in Brazil, Nigeria, Canada and Wales. OVG COO Francesca Bodi (who is Leiweke's daughter) says that starting the company's international expansion in the UK was a “natural and purposeful step” because of the country's position as “one of the world's greatest cultural destinations”.
Bodi says Advertising sign that Manchester was chosen because of its “phenomenal musical heritage and community”, as well as OVG finding the “perfect” location to build a new facility in the Eastlands area of the city, next to the Etihad Stadium – the home of the Premier League capacity 53,400 people and owner of the UEFA Champions League football team Manchester City. “We've built a great foundation in the US and are now focusing on projects further afield where we can provide state-of-the-art spaces in places that are in desperate need of something new,” he says.
Manchester City's parent company, City Football Group (which is majority-owned by Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates), is an equal partner and investor in a joint venture with OVG in Co-op Live, which cost £365m (462m dollars). for construction and was designed by Populous, the global design firm behind Las Vegas' Sphere owned by Madison Square Garden. Construction was done by local firm BAM Construction, while naming rights were awarded to Manchester-based Co-op Group in a 15-year sponsorship deal reported to be worth just under £100 million ($127 million).
Co-op Live's investors also include multi-Grammy award-winning pop star Harry Styles, who grew up in the small Cheshire village of Holmes Chapel, about 30 miles outside Manchester, and advised on aspects of the venue's design.
“To have an artist of this scale investing in our building and advising us along the way is a very fortunate position,” says Roden. “Tim Leiweke and his team spoke to him early in the process about what an artist needs from a building. “What matters to you?” And rightly so, what artists care most about is their fans and their fans' experience.”
Make your point if you have backstage tickets.
Courtesy of Oak View Group
To that end, every aspect of Co-op Live has been designed with the audience and the performer in mind, says OVG. That means a full commercial blackout inside the “immersion bowl” during shows, comfortable tiered seating that OVG says brings fans 23 meters (75 feet) closer to the stage than similarly sized arenas (complete with pockets for drinks at each seat). world-class audio and visual technology and the largest floor space of any indoor venue in the UK (30,677 sq ft in standard final stage mode and 35,520 sq ft when the main stage is in the round), capable of accommodating up to 9,200 people.
The venue also features 32 bars and restaurants, including several luxurious VIP lounges and premium dining options, as well as its own private nightclub. The first thing general admission ticket holders will see upon entering Co-op Live is 'The Street' – a huge indoor food and drink market with a 22m (72ft) long bar designed as the ' heartbeat”. of the building.
“Everything is built around this idea: 'How do we give the fan the best experience they've ever had coming to an indoor arena?' Roden says. He is confident that the legacy issues for many music fans visiting large arena venues “where you find your seat, drink a terribly warm beer, eat a burger that tastes like cardboard and stand in line for 30 minutes for the bathroom” will not apply to Co-op Live.
Sustainability is another key element in the building's design, with Co-op Live being the UK's first and only 100% electric arena, powered by a combination of renewable electricity and a football pitch with solar panels. . Meanwhile, the site's rectangular flat roof will harvest Manchester's famous abundance of rainfall, which will then be used to water its plants and flush its toilets.
Air source heat pumps, reusable cups, food sourced from nearby vendors and a zero waste to landfill commitment are among the other environmental initiatives OVG hopes will make Co-op Live the most sustainable arena in Europe. This commitment extends beyond the walls of the building with a neighboring mile-long pedestrian walkway upgraded with lighting installations and road traffic points for musicians to encourage local visitors to walk to the venue rather than drive. Around Co-op Live, a 'biodiversity ring' of lush vegetation has been planted to provide a natural habitat for wildlife and attract bees.
“The Street” – an indoor food and drink market with a long (72ft) bar.
Courtesy of Oak View Group
OVG says Co-op Live will bring in between 750,000 and 1 million new ticket sales each year, creating more than 1,000 jobs and contributing £1.5 billion ($1.9 billion) to the local economy over the next 20 years. But not everyone is happy with his arrival.
During the planning process, ASM Global, owners of Manchester's existing AO Arena — a busy venue located in the heart of the city, which opened in 1995 and regularly operates in Advertising signThe year-end list of Top 10 Venues, grossing $76.1 million in 2023 from 102 shows, according to Billboard Boxscore — strongly opposed OVG's plans to build the rival facility. He argued that Greater Manchester, which has a population of 2.8 million across the city and surrounding towns and boroughs, is not big enough to support two separate 20,000-plus arenas.
Last year, the AO Arena underwent a major £50 million ($63 million) upgrade, increasing its total capacity from 21,000 to 23,000, expanding the floor space by 100% and opening new VIP bars and restaurants, before Co-op Live opens. (The UK's top venue is London's 20,000-capacity The O2, which took in $219.5 million last year, making it the world's second-highest-grossing arena behind Madison Square Garden, according to Billboard figures Boxscore).
“We wouldn't have put the shovel in the ground if we didn't think the Manchester market could take two arenas,” says Roden. “The aim is not to bring the same number of shows that were already coming to Manchester. Our goal is to bring more shows to the city and for international artists to stay here longer.”
The bookings suggest the strategy works with multiple gigs at Co-op Live scheduled for the Eagles (five nights), Take That (seven nights), Liam Gallagher (four nights), Olivia Rodrigo (two nights) and Nicki Minaj ( two nights). ) in 2024. Other upcoming shows include Kid Cudi, Slipknot, The Black Keys, Eric Clapton, Pet Shop Boys, Jonas Brothers, Pearl Jam, Justin Timberlake, Noah Kahan and Megan Thee Stallion. In November, the MTV European Music Awards (EMAs) will take place at the venue, marking the first time the event has been held in Manchester.
“The moment we hear that first chord come out of an amp and hear the fans react to it is going to be something to see and I can't wait for people to experience it,” says Roden, looking ahead to opening week. . “We believe we have created a world-class facility that showcases Manchester not only to the UK and European market but globally.”
“In many ways, Co-op Live embodies what OVG is all about,” adds Bodie. “Creating venues that set new industry standards and develop amazing experiences for fans and artists.”
