Co-op Live: Counting down to show time

On Saturday April 20th, Sports Venue Business and SVB LIVE CEO & Founder, Katie McIntyre, had the privilege of attending the pre-opening test event at the Co-op Live, which with a capacity of 23,500 will become the UK’s largest live entertainment arena when it officially opens its slightly-delayed doors. It will also take on the mantle of the UK and Europe’s first carbon neutral arena.

Katie McIntyre said:

I had the absolute honour of being among the 4,000 invited guests at the Co-op Live’s pre-opening on Saturday. The test event kicked off in The Street – the arena’s venue within a venue – with OVG’s Tim Leweike, Gary Roden, City Football Group’s Roel de Vries, Co-op’s Shrine Khoury-Haq and Councillor Bev Craig, detailing the journey behind this game-changer of a venue, along with their ambition to become one of the world’s most pioneering, sustainable and socially-responsible venues.

As part of the media contingent, we were given a tour of the state-of-the-art, intimate, arena bowl, with Declan Sharkey, Director & Senior Principal, Populous, describing how the design puts music first at this next generation venue.

The festivities featured local bands Everything Everything and The KTNA, a special appearance from McFly’s Danny Jones, before Rick Astley took to the stage to adeptly close the event in style. A lucky few were then guided back to The Street for a glittering after party, featuring more live music and mouthwatering food.

Gary Roden, ex-Executive Director & General Manager, Co-op Live, said during the media tour:

Down on the arena floor, it feels like a huge stadium, but when you go up into the seats, it feels like an intimate bowl. The flexibility of Populous’ design means that we can deliver a range of events, from 23,500 in the round in the centre or end stage with sub stages, and everything in between.

Gary Roden tendered his resignation following the test event, with Rebecca Kane Burton stepping into the interim General Manager role at Co-op Live.

Declan Sharkey, Director & Senior Principal, Populous, added:

It was an absolute honour to be chosen to design and deliver this building. As a specialist sports and entertainment design practice, Populous has delivered venues like OVG’s Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, The Sphere in Las Vegas and the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.

Our role in the Co-op Live project was we were the architects, the interior designers, we delivered the way-finding and commercial activation, and also the landscape design. It’s been a phenomenal journey for us as a practice.

You can only deliver an amazing building when you get a phenomenal vision, and a few years ago Tim Leweike delivered that vision; his brief was simple in many ways “To deliver the greatest music venue in the world; the most sustainable in Europe; and the largest capacity in the UK!”

Co-op Live, which will now open its slightly-delayed doors on May 14, is the largest arena in not only the UK, but also Europe, with a capacity of 23,500, while still feeling intimate thanks to Populous’ design.

Tim Leiweke, Chairman & CEO, Oak View Group, said of the delayed opening:

As many of you will know, it’s not been the smooth start we had planned for… On behalf of all of us at Oak View Group, I’d like to express my sincere apologies to all those that have been affected… The team here is working incredibly hard to get the building up and running, and we look forward to welcoming you to the arena from 14 May 2024.

The ‘black’ bowl, designed with an intimate atmosphere in mind, features no corporate branding, ensuring both the fan and artist can fully immerse themselves in the show. The suites lining the edges of Level 2 also utilise soundproof black curtains to maximise the impact of the shows sound and lighting.

Music-first arena

The UK’s only music-first arena will boast the largest floor space of any indoor venue, a significantly lower ceiling, and tiered seating that brings fans closer to the artist.

President of OVG International, Jessica Koravos, said:

Co-op Live is about the fan and the artist, it is specially designed to deliver the best sound, atmosphere and experience for everyone who walks through our doors. Innovative technology and design will deliver a unique live entertainment experience.

Co-op Live – a joint venture between Oak View Group and City Football Group, with backing from the Co-op and world-renowned artist Harry Styles – is set to revolutionise the UK’s live music scene. The innovative bowl design, state-of-the-art acoustics and exclusive hangouts will ensure an intimate and exciting experience for fans. In line with and supporting Co-op’s core brand values, the venue’s ‘Gigs that Give Back’ will generate at least £1 million annually for the Co-op Foundation to support causes on a local and national scale, including delivering on its new youth-led strategy.

Co-op Live plays a pivotal role in CFG’s ambitions to continue developing the Etihad Campus as a global sport and entertainment destination that is a source of community, employment and economic opportunity for Manchester.

It marks Oak View Group’s first arena project outside of the United States and is reported to be the most expensive live entertainment building ever constructed in the UK or Europe, with an estimated price tag of £365 million.

Co-op Live’s 330 tonnes of rigging capacity and 8 loading bays ensure the ability to bring some of the industry’s biggest live productions to Manchester. The fan experience will be further heightened by 32 bars, restaurants and lounges, including a locally sourced and sustainable food and drink offering.

McIntyre added:

With 120+ events confirmed for Year One and a reported 750,000 tickets having already been sold, the future looks super bright for this game-changer of an arena. I’m looking forward to returning once the Co-op Live officially opens its doors, so I can finally witness firsthand the premium experience offerings: The Decibel Club, AMP Club, Gallery Suite, Private Suites and the Bentley Record Room. 

Design and Build team

Contractor: BAM

Architect: Populous

Project Manager: CAA ICON

Special mentions: Co-op Live’s Becci Thomson, Rebecca Kane Burton, Maxine Price and Sara Tomkins. OVG’s Sam Piccione III, Ela Greatorex, Jessica Koravos, and Josh Pell. Rhubarb Hospitality Collection/OVG International’s Michalis Fragkiadakis. Populous’ Declan Sharkey and Sean Julliard. PTI’s Dan Brown. En2End’s Claire Bowden-Hughes. Audience Systems; CleanEvent; Elevate; Seat Unique.

Thanks to the Co-op Live and OVG.

Check out the latest sports and entertainment venue development news in the newly launched, subscription-only, SVB Global Report here.

Sports Venue Business (SVB) has unveiled a raft of new offerings for 2024 under the SVB LIVE banner, including Global Networking Events and a Webinar Series, culminating in an Annual Conference & Exhibition – to be held at Croke Park in Dublin, Ireland, October 9th & 10th – with an Expert Group helping to shape the conversation.

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