Co-op Live is an

indoor arena An arena is a large enclosed venue, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, Music, musical performances or Sport, sporting events. It comprises a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for specta ...

Manchester Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...

, England, sited in the

Etihad Campus Etihad Campus is an area of Sportcity, Manchester which is mostly owned and operated by Manchester City F.C., Manchester City. The campus includes the City of Manchester Stadium, Etihad Stadium, the Academy Stadium, City Football Academy (CFA) ...

next to the

City of Manchester Stadium The City of Manchester Stadium, currently known as Etihad Stadium for sponsorship reasons, and commonly shortened as The Etihad, is the home of Premier League club Manchester City F.C., Manchester City, with a domestic football capacity of 53, ...

. It opened on 14 May 2024 and is the largest indoor arena in the UK by capacity, and the third largest in the world. The venue has 32 bars, restaurants and lounges and has the largest floor space of any comparable UK arena.

Oak View Group Oak View Group, LLC (OVG) is an American professional sports and commercial real estate company based in Denver. It manages several sports venues, including Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, which was constructed under the company's supervision. ...

operates the venue in partnership with

City Football Group City Football Group Limited (CFG) is a British-based holding company that administers association football clubs. The group is owned by three organisations, of which 81% is majority-owned by Abu Dhabi United Group, 18% by the American firm Silve ...

. Further investors in the arena include singer

Harry Styles Harry Edward Styles (born 1 February 1994) is an English singer, songwriter, and actor. His showmanship, artistry, and flamboyant fashion have had a Cultural impact of Harry Styles, significant impact on popular culture. Styles's musical ca ...

. Co-op Live is the UK's first fully electric arena, and notes its strong sustainable credentials including a football pitch worth of solar panels, rainwater harvesting to flush the toilets and water the plants, intelligent building controls, reusable cups, locally sourced food and materials, and a zero waste direct to landfill policy. The venue has been commended for its sound design, with

Liam Gallagher William John Paul Gallagher (born 21 September 1972) is an English singer and songwriter. He is the lead singer and co-founder of the rock band Oasis (band), Oasis and fronted the rock band Beady Eye from 2010 to 2014, before starting a succes ...

comparing the venue to

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

's iconic

Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as the Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh and Eighth Avenue (Manhattan), Eig ...

. Opening the venue,

Elbow The elbow is the region between the upper arm and the forearm that surrounds the elbow joint. The elbow includes prominent landmarks such as the olecranon, the cubital fossa (also called the chelidon, or the elbow pit), and the lateral and t ...

frontman

Guy Garvey Guy Edward John Patrick Garvey (born 6 March 1974) is an English musician, singer, songwriter and radio presenter. He is the lead singer and lyricist of the rock band Elbow. He has a weekly show on BBC Radio 6 Music titled ''Guy Garvey's Fines ...

noted the arena's design, calling it a "feather in the cap of Manchester's music cene. In its first year of opening, Co-op Live announced 12 UK arena exclusives, including well-received performances by

Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained global fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and the piano, and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John ...

and the only UK dates on

Eagles Eagle is the common name for the golden eagle, bald eagle, and other birds of prey in the family of the Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of Genus, genera, some of which are closely related. True eagles comprise the genus ''Aquila ( ...

' farewell tour. The venue marks its first anniversary with the first of an exclusive run of

Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American Rock music, rock singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Nicknamed "the Boss", Springsteen has released 21 studio albums spanning six decades; most of his albums feature th ...

& The E Street Band performances. Co-op Live has pledged at least £1m annually to the Co-op Foundation, and having donated funds to the likes of

's chosen charity, Happy Doggo. In March 2025, Co-op Live confirmed a donation in the name of opening act Elbow to Manchester's Northern Quarter venues to help improve their sound equipment.

History

Co-op Live was first approved in September 2020, announcing BAM Construct UK as the primary contractor. At the time,

Tim Leiweke Timothy J. Leiweke (born April 21, 1957) is an American businessman who is the chief executive officer of Oak View Group. He was the former president and CEO of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE) and the former president and CEO of Anschutz ...

, co-founder of

, said: "We’re delighted that Manchester City Council has given our proposals the go-ahead, and we can’t wait to get started, bringing £350m of private investment, creating thousands of jobs, and delivering one of the world’s best arenas to this amazing city." In 2020, the

Co-operative Group The Co-operative Group Limited, trading as Co-op and formerly known as the Co-operative Wholesale Society, is a British consumer cooperative, consumer co-operative with a group of retail businesses, including grocery retail and wholesale, leg ...

announced it would be a significant investor in the arena, which would be named after it, and that Co-operative members will receive exclusive benefits regarding use of the arena. Construction, undertaken by BAM Construct UK, started in 2021. As of 2022, the estimated cost of the scheme was £365million. In July 2024, Royal BAM reported its UK construction business had suffered a £19.5m loss due to problems at the arena, and would be cutting jobs.

Opening events

Manchester indie band

officially opened the venue on 14 May 2024. The opening period also included notable performances by the likes of comedian

Peter Kay Peter John Kay (born 2 July 1973) is an English comedian, actor, writer, and director. Born and raised in Farnworth, Kay studied media performance at the University of Salford and later began working part-time as a stand-up comedian. In 199 ...

The Killers The Killers are an American Rock music, rock band formed in Las Vegas, Nevada, in 2001 by Brandon Flowers (lead vocals, keyboards, bass) and Dave Keuning (lead guitar, backing vocals). After the band went through a number of short-term bas ...

Take That Take That are an English pop group formed in Manchester in 1990. The group currently consists of Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Mark Owen. The original line-up also featured Jason Orange and Robbie Williams. Barlow is the group's lead singer ...

and

Nicki Minaj Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty (born December 8, 1982), known professionally as Nicki Minaj ( ), is a Trinidadian rapper, singer, and songwriter. Regarded as the "Queen of Rap" and one of the most influential rappers of all time, she is noted for her ...

. The

also performed a five night residency at the venue as part of their farewell "Long Goodbye" tour, taking place in May and June 2024. On 25 May a performance by

was cancelled, after most attendees had been admitted into the venue, after an arrest for drug possession at

Amsterdam Airport Schiphol Amsterdam Airport Schiphol , known informally as Schiphol Airport (, ), is the main international airport of the Netherlands, and is one of the major hubs for the SkyTeam airline alliance. It is located southwest of Amsterdam, in the municipal ...

; the concert, which was part of the Pink Friday 2 World Tour, was rescheduled to 3 June.

Notable events

The first 12 months of Co-op Live has seen over 100 shows take place, including performances by

Diljit Dosanjh Diljit Dosanjh (born 6 January 1984) is an Indian singer, actor and film producer who works in Punjabi and Hindi cinema. Dosanjh entered the Social 50 chart by ''Billboard'' in 2020. He has been featured in various music charts, including ...

Janet Jackson Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreogr ...

and

Pearl Jam Pearl Jam is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. One of the key bands in the grunge, grunge movement of the early 1990s, Pearl Jam has outsold and outlasted many of its contemporaries from the early 1990s, ...

. In February 2024, it was announced that the arena would host the

MTV Europe Music Awards The MTV Europe Music Awards (originally named MTV European Music Awards, commonly abbreviated as MTV EMA) are awards presented by Paramount International Networks to honour artists and music in pop culture. It was originally conceived as an al ...

in November, which took place on 10 November 2024. On 24 April 2024, the

UFC The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. The larg ...

announced it would hold '' UFC 304: Edwards vs. Muhammad 2'' at the venue on 27 July. On September 21, 2024,

Melanie Martinez Melanie Adele Martinez (born April 28, 1995) is an American Puerto Rican-Dominican singer and songwriter. Born in Astoria, Queens, and raised in Baldwin, Nassau County, New York, Baldwin, New York, Martinez rose to fame in 2012 after appearing ...

made her debut at the arena as part of the European leg of her The Trilogy Tour. In July 2024,

Sabrina Carpenter Sabrina Annlynn Carpenter (born May 11, 1999) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She first gained prominence starring on the Disney Channel series ''Girl Meets World'' (2014–2017). She signed with the Disney Music Group, Disney ...

announced she would play two gigs at the Co-op Live Arena as part of the European leg of her Short n' Sweet Tour.

Charli XCX Charlotte Emma Aitchison (born 2 August 1992), known professionally as Charli XCX, is a British singer and songwriter. She began posting songs on Myspace in 2008 before entering the London rave scene. Signing a recording contract with Asylum Re ...

opened her BRAT world tour from the Manchester venue in November 2024.

played the arena on 14–15 December as part of his

Got Back Got Back was a concert tour by English musician Paul McCartney. The tour started on 28 April 2022 at the Spokane Arena in Spokane, Washington, Spokane, United States, and ended on 19 December 2024 at the O2 Arena in London, England. The tour wa ...

tour.

Other upcoming events

& The E Street Band are set to perform across three nights, with the first on 14 May 2025.

Olivia Rodrigo Olivia Isabel Rodrigo (born February 20, 2003) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. She began her career as a child, appearing in commercials and the direct-to-video film '' An American Girl: Grace Stirs Up Success'' (2015). She rose ...

has confirmed her rescheduled shows for late June and early July 2025, now her only UK indoor shows announced for 2025. The venue has also announced a UK arena exclusive run by stateside R&B artist,

Chris Brown Christopher Maurice Brown (born May 5, 1989) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor. A Pop music, pop and hip-hop-influenced contemporary R&B, R&B musician who works in a variety of genres, he has been called the "Honorific nic ...

. Upon announcing Chris Brown, the venue revealed their highest ticket sales to date, and the most across Europe during that single week. Additionally, American rapper

Tyler, the Creator Tyler Gregory Okonma (born March 6, 1991), known professionally as Tyler, the Creator, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He has been cited as an influential figure in alternative hip-hop during the 2010s. Tyler beca ...

is scheduled to perform two nights at the arena on 27 and 28 May 2025 on his tour Chromakopia: The World Tour.

Robbie Williams Robert Peter Williams (born 13 February 1974) is an English singer and songwriter. He found fame as a member of the pop group Take That from 1990 to 1995, launching a solo career in 1996. His debut studio album, ''Life thru a Lens'', was re ...

is set to perform on 10 and 11 June 2025 as part of his 2025 tour.

Iron Maiden Iron Maiden are an English Heavy metal music, heavy metal band formed in Leyton, East London, in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris (musician), Steve Harris. Although fluid in the early years of the band, the line-up for most ...

will rock the roof off with a headline performance at the arena on 22 June 2025 as part of their Run for Your Lives World Tour. Additionally,

Lady Gaga Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta (born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her image reinventions and versatility across the entertainment industry, she is an influ ...

, with her Mayhem Ball, will perform two nights at Co-op Live on 7 and 8 October.

Billie Eilish Billie Eilish Pirate Baird O'Connell ( ; born December 18, 2001) is an American singer-songwriter and musician. She first gained public attention in 2015 with her debut single "Ocean Eyes (song), Ocean Eyes", written and produced by her broth ...

confirmed the venue would host four nights of her Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour in July 2025.

Delayed opening

The arena was officially due to open on 23 April with a headline act by comedian

; however, due to power supply issues at a test event featuring

Rick Astley Richard Paul Astley (born 6 February 1966) is an English singer, radio DJ and podcaster. He gained fame through his association with the production trio Stock Aitken Waterman, releasing the 1987 album ''Whenever You Need Somebody'', which sol ...

on 20 April, which resulted in 4,000 tickets being cancelled, the venue announced that Kay's performance was to be postponed until 29 and 30 April.

The Black Keys The Black Keys are an American Rock music, rock duo formed in Akron, Ohio in 2001. The group consists of Dan Auerbach (guitar, Singing, vocals) and Patrick Carney (Drum kit, drums). The duo began as an Independent music, independent act, record ...

were scheduled to perform on 27 April, but this was later rescheduled to 15 May. On-going technical issues saw Kay's performances rescheduled for a second time to 23 and 24 May. The venue was due to be opened on 1 May with

A Boogie wit da Hoodie Artist Julius Dubose (born December 6, 1995), known professionally as A Boogie wit da Hoodie or simply A Boogie, is an American rapper, and singer-songwriter. He released his debut studio album, '' The Bigger Artist'', via Atlantic Records in ...

, but this was also postponed, as well as

and Keane who were scheduled for the following weekend. In the wake of the delayed opening and cancellations,

opted to move their five concert dates from Co-op Live to rival venue the

AO Arena Manchester Arena (currently known as AO Arena for sponsorship reasons) is an indoor arena in Manchester, England, immediately north of the city centre and partly above Manchester Victoria station in air rights space. Prior to the opening of ...

. Co-op Live officially opened on 14 May 2024, with the band

being the opening act.

Arena design

The arena is planning to host live music, sports, comedy acts, and family entertainment events. It will have an all-seated maximum capacity of 20,500 (for a centre-stage concert, extending the retractable seating in the lower tier); but with an enhanced maximum capacity of 23,500, of whom 7,500 would be standing, when lower tier seating is retracted. The audience bowl will be approximately square with retractable seating on level 0 and level 1, premium seating on level 2, upper tier seating on level 3, and hospitality lounges overlooking the stage at level 4 from the North and South sides; while the configuration of the auditorium is intended to be optimised for larger-scale touring music performances with a relatively low ceiling (to enhance the acoustic experience), an extensive potential flat floor area at Level 0 for standing, and minimised distances from the upper tiers to the stage. Compared to a more conventional arena bowl of equivalent size, the tiered seats on the Western side of the Co-op Arena are claimed to be around closer to the performance stage. The promoters state that the interior of the bowl "has been designed to feel like the UK's largest nightclub". The arena is planned to host around 120 events per year, 100 of which are planned music events. The design of the arena is primarily focused on hosting live music with

, the CEO of the Oak View Group, stating that the design "made it about music and started there" as other arena projects had been "compromised by trying to please everyone". In addition to live music and entertainment, the developers propose

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

netball Netball is a ball sport played on a rectangular court by two teams of seven players. The primary objective is to shoot a ball through the defender's goal ring while preventing the opposing team from shooting through their own. It is one of a ...

tennis Tennis is a List of racket sports, racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent (singles (tennis), singles) or between two teams of two players each (doubles (tennis), doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket st ...

esports Esports (), short for electronic sports, is a form of competition using video games. Esports often takes the form of organized, multiplayer video game competitions, particularly between professional players, played individually or as teams. ...

and

gymnastics Gymnastics is a group of sport that includes physical exercises requiring Balance (ability), balance, Strength training, strength, Flexibility (anatomy), flexibility, agility, Motor coordination, coordination, artistry and endurance. The movem ...

as sports that could be hosted within the dimensions of the arena floor, and for which there was not, at the time, an appropriate larger venue in Manchester capable of hosting championship events. With lower-tier seating retracted, the floor would accommodate a standard ice hockey rink. For events configured with a centre stage or using the arena floor, there will be additional upper-tier seating on the East side; above and behind the normal end-stage position.

References

External links

* * {{EAA members Buildings and structures in Manchester Indoor arenas in England Sports venues in Manchester Music venues in Manchester 2024 establishments in England Music venues completed in 2024