Co-op Live is currently under construction next to the Etihad Stadium in east Manchester - and is on track to be completed to host its first events in April next year. When it opens, it will be the ‘largest’ and ‘most sustainable’ indoor entertainment arena in the UK.
Today, a major construction milestone was celebrated, with guests stepping foot inside the landmark venue for the first time. As part of the ‘topping out’ ceremony - the final stage of roof construction - guests including partners, venue stakeholders, media, as well as the construction and subcontractor team, were invited to sign the final acoustically treated roof cassette, lifted into place to top out the structure, with their signatures becoming part of the permanent structure.
The 23,500-capacity arena on the banks of the Ashton Canal, is being built by BAM Construct UK and is being led by a joint venture between City Football Group and Los Angeles-based Oak View Group. Pop star Harry Styles was also announced as an investor in October 2020. The venue, which was originally slated to open in December this year, will host around 120 events a year, and feature 32 bars, restaurants and lounges, including locally sourced and sustainable food and drink.
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Led by a keynote welcome from joint-venture partner Oak View Group CEO, Tim Leiweke, the event also included speeches from City Football Group CEO, Ferran Soriano; naming-rights partner Co-op Director of Marketing Communications, Amanda Jennings; BAM Construct UK Executive Director, James Wimpenny; and Greater Manchester Mayor, Andy Burnham.
“In the last decade, Manchester has slipped from a top three global concert markets, and is now no longer even in the top ten,” Tim Leiweke, Oak View Group CEO, told the audience. “That is not a reflection of the music or audiences of Manchester, which are stronger than ever. It is a reflection on investment in cultural infrastructure.
“Co-op Live will put Manchester back where it deserves to be, as a global entertainment powerhouse.”
Gary Roden, Co-op Live Executive Director and General Manager, added: “I have no doubt this venue is going to be one of the world’s best live entertainment experiences, and we can’t wait to announce the iconic artists who will play our stage very soon.”
Also in attendance, Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham admitted to having stage fright whilst stepping up to the podium inside the 'smart bowl'. “Look at the size of this place, this is going to make us the music capital of Europe,” he said.
“Obviously, we’ll have venues of all sizes, right from the smallest to this place, the largest in the country, one of the best and biggest in Europe, it’s going to put Manchester in a dominating position on the music map. People in this city region and beyond will come here for decades to come.
“What I like so much about it is that it won't just have the biggest names and the biggest acts in the world here on stage, but instead space is being created in the concourses and in the venue to put on the new and emerging acts from the region. I have a Mayor's Artists of the month, where I pick out up-and-coming Manchester bands and acts and give them a profile and we have an agreement here that some of them will play on those stages.”
Co-op Live will also be one of the most socially responsible arenas in Europe and has a target to be net carbon neutral by 2038, be 100% electrical and have almost 90,000 sqm of solar panels and produce no food waste. “This will be the first carbon neutral, green, sustainable arena in Europe and the UK,” Tim Leiweke told the Manchester Evening News.
“90% of the food is going to come from the region, we are going to use the canal, the tram and public transport to get people here. It’s hugely important to get people out of cars, and look at how we recycle water and trash, as well as what we do with food at the end of the night and give it back to the food banks.”
Co-op Live will feature a 'smart bowl' which took inspiration from conversations with Bruce Springsteen and Harry Styles, and will feature no corporate branding and will be lined by suites at the edges of level two which will include soundproof black curtains to maximise the impact of shows' sound and lighting.
The arena will also include the largest floor space of any indoor venue, a "significantly lower" ceiling, and tiered seating. The venue was given the go-ahead in 2020 and has a 15-year naming rights deal with the Co-op.
Commenting on what the venue will mean for Manchester, Tim Leiweke, added: “How is it that Manchester isn't one of the top music markets in the world? It’s not the market, or the people, it’s the building, we have to go and build the best arena in the world and the UK in order to give Manchester, the place people are going to want to come to, to experience live music. The artist experience, the music experience, the live experience, it has to be exceptional, and I don’t think it is today.
“When I built the 02, I was always in love with Manchester. We actually owned what was the MEN arena for a minute back in the day when I was running AEG, and I was fascinated by the city, because a lot like my company, we’re blue collar, we’re hard working, we’re down to earth.
"And from the day I started my company seven years ago, I had a map in my office and I put a pin in Manchester and said I am going to build an arena there, and we got very lucky and blessed that Manchester City Football Club and Harry Styles jumped in and became partners as that made it a lot easier.”
The construction of the venue alone has already generated more than 3,350 jobs, with 2,000 further roles set to be filled ahead of the venue’s opening, and Leiweke says its reach will extend far beyond that with Co-op Live donating at least £1m a year to help the Co-op Foundation deliver on its new youth-led strategy and Co-op’s vision of ‘Co-operating for a fairer world’. This collective effort will be known as ‘Gigs that Give Back’ emphasising the venue and partnership’s commitment to making a positive impact.
“We have the foundation so we’re going to put a lot of money back into the community that way, but we also want this to be an influencer to the growth of music," added Leiweke. “When I sit here and look at what Manchester has done for me, because I’ve been in the live music business for over 30 years, and I sit here and say well they gave us some of the greatest bands in the world, everyone knows Oasis and Take That are from here, Harry Styles is from the region, and one of my favourite bands, 10cc.
“We have to figure out how to spur kids on and make them want to be musicians, this building above being one of the greatest arenas ever built can be a catalyst and a platform for kids to be inspired to be in the industry."
Co-op Live will open its doors in April 2024. Artist announcements across opening season are expected in the coming months.
