- April 10, 2025
- Posted by: SportsV
- Categories: Home News, Industry News, News, Press Releases
Co-op Live, the UK’s purpose-built music-first arena, celebrated the highest ticket sales across all European venues last week, securing both their biggest week for ticket sales and highest ticket sales in a single day to date. This was soon followed by the news that Co-op Live has revealed plans for a new canalside development.
With over 150 shows announced and onsale in the 10 months since Co-op Live opened its doors, the week commencing Monday 31 March 2025 saw a total number of tickets exceeding 90,000 land in the hands of fans. It came as Lady Gaga confirmed two sold out nights at the Manchester venue, set to take to the stage on 7th and 8th October 2025, and Chris Brown announced 4 huge summer shows at the UK’s largest live entertainment arena – his only indoor appearances on the UK leg of the Breezy Bowl XX world tour.
Monday 31 March 2025 alone saw over 46,000 tickets snapped up by fans led by huge presale demand for Lady Gaga, Chris Brown and The World of Hans Zimmer. The highest number of tickets sold in a single day in Co-op Live’s history, it marked another impressive milestone for the innovative Co-op Member Presale mechanic – the most readily and widely accessible presale in the UK.
The newly announced shows spearhead Co-op Live’s notable programming schedule throughout the summer of 2025, with exclusive UK arena appearances by Bruce Springsteen, Robbie Williams, Morrissey, and Burna Boy, among others.
Guy Dunstan, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Co-op Live, said:
“What an incredible week it’s been for Co-op Live, putting the venue right out in front across of all of Europe. The momentum here in the North West of England continues to go from strength to strength, and we’re honoured to be able to welcome such amazing talent alongside tens of thousands of fans – joining the hundreds of thousands more set to enjoy Co-op Live throughout 2025. A huge thank you to all involved in bringing these global tours to Manchester.”
Co-op Members enjoy exclusive perks including first in line access to tickets through the Co-op Member presale, alongside access to exclusive completions, member pricing in venue, and discounted access to the Co-op Backstage Club. Lifetime Co-op membership is available for just £1.
Guy Dunstan, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Co-op Live, is one of a multitude of high-calibre speakers who will be sharing their insights at the 2025 SVB LIVE Conference & Exhibition at Villa Park this October.
As part of the naming-rights partnership between Co-op and Co-op Live, the venue also donates at least £1m annually for the Co-op Foundation to support communities and empower young people through initiatives like the Young Gamechangers Fund, granting up to £20K directly to individual young people to help turn their communities into safer, more sustainable and inclusive places to live.
The charitable donation forms part of the venue’s wider commitment to people and planet, having recently teamed up with inaugural performers elbow to donate sound equipment to Manchester’s grassroots venues.
For a full list of events at Co-op Live, visit cooplive.com.
Canalside development
Co-op Live has also revealed plans for a new canalside development on the south terrace immediately adjacent to the venue, and supporting the ongoing expansion of the Etihad Campus to further improve the city’s key visitor destination. The development aims to offer both visitors and the community a space to socialise and to work.
Designed in line with the Co-op Live exterior, if approved, the space will house a café, bar and kitchen alongside a merchandise store. With the ability to host around 600 people, the development can also be used as a second standalone event space.
Dedicated to further improving East Manchester and the Etihad Campus, Co-op Live’s proposal includes daily access to the café and bar for residents and visitors, community and private hire use, as well as pre-event access for ticket holders. In keeping with the venue’s commitment to accessibility, dedicated toilets, accessible and baby change areas, and an accessible lift have all been included within the plans.
Ahead of submitting the planning application to Manchester City Council, Co-op Live are hosting an open exhibition to provide an opportunity to discover more about the proposal. The exhibition will take place on Thursday 10 April 2025. Visitors can access the venue’s Co-op Backstage Club through Entrance G from 17:00 until 20:00.
Seat Unique Suite revealed
Earlier this year, Co-op Live arena partner, Seat Unique, introduced the Seat Unique Suite at the UK’s largest live entertainment arena, as it expands its range of curated hospitality experiences.
As part of its wider sponsorship of Co-op Live, the Seat Unique Suite offers an exclusive space where guests can unwind before and after performances. Thoughtfully designed in collaboration with Co-op Live to provide a blend of comfort and elegance, the Seat Unique Suite offers refined surroundings and exceptional service. Guests can step directly from the lounge into their VIP seats for prime views of the stage without missing a beat.
SVB LIVE events focus on elevating the live experience through Architecture & Design, Commercialisation, Customer Journey, Fan & Premium Experience, Hospitality, Interiors & Fit-Out, Sustainability and Technology. The 2025 SVB LIVE Conference & Exhibition is being held at Villa Park in Birmingham, UK, on October 6-7, with the next Networking Event taking place at Fulham Pier in London, UK, on June 4th, with Seat Unique representatives in attendance.
The new Suite at Co-op Live is part of Seat Unique’s growing international offering of tailored in-venue hospitality spaces that it started rolling out last year. Now available across 13 iconic venues throughout the UK and beyond, Seat Unique guests can enjoy unforgettable experiences at prestigious venues such as Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and Italy’s Monza F1 circuit.
Demand for VIP experiences at Co-op Live has been strong, with nearly all Seat Unique packages selling out throughout the year. Interest in high-end hospitality experiences is booming across the North of England. In 2024, Seat Unique recorded an 89% year-on-year increase in hospitality ticket and package sales from major northern cities, including Manchester, Liverpool, York and Newcastle.
About Co-op Live
Co-op Live is the UK’s newest premier venue located on the Etihad Campus in the heart of Manchester. The 23,500-capacity arena features over 120 nights a year of unique entertainment, emerging as the largest arena in the UK, a testament to the unrivalled partnership between Oak View Group (OVG), City Football Group (CFG), Harry Styles, and Co-op.
Distinguished as a world-class, planet-friendly venue deeply rooted in the local community, Co-op Live is one of the world’s most sustainable and socially responsible venues delivering on Co-op’s vision of a fairer world within the entertainment industry.
With an impressive array of food and drink concessions, including bars, premium restaurants, lounges and club spaces, Co-op Live sets the standard for live entertainment in the music industry today. Venue excellence extends to the innovative ‘Smart Bowl’ design with cutting edge technology and state-of-the-art acoustics, crafted to offer an intimate and immersive sensory experience for all patrons.
Visit cooplive.com and follow on Facebook, Instagram, Linked
Source & imagery, courtesy: Co-op Live
SVB LIVE events are organised by Sports Venue Business (SVB) and feature Global Networking Events, a webinar series and the annual SVB LIVE Conference & Exhibition.
Check out the latest sports and entertainment venue development data from across the globe in the exclusive, subscription-only, SVB Global Report here.
