The troublesome Co-op Live arena in Manchester eventually opened for live music on Friday night with an opening performance by Bury band Elbow.
During a soundcheck in early May, a portion of the ventilation and air-conditioning system collapsed, forcing the venue to postpone its opening event for the third time.
Elbow made history as the opening night headliner of the venue, marking the release of their 10th studio album, Audio Vertigo, with their first tour since 2018.
Several artists have been forced to delay gigs at the northern city’s new concert venue due to technical issues.
The latest to announce changes to their performances were Take That, who were forced to move their upcoming show to the Manchester arena.
The statement added: "At this time, we do not expect further impact on our opening season. We are aware our actions have frustrated and angered ticket holders. We know you've incurred significant disruption, and are finding a way to help make it right."
Olivia Rodrigo was due to play at the arena on May 3 and 4 but was forced to postpone “due to an ongoing venue-related technical issue”.
The US musician said she was “bummed” about the sold-out shows and hoped to see her Manchester fans soon but hasn’t released a rescheduled date.
Earlier, the rapper A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie had to cancel his gig just an hour before doors were set to open after issues emerged during soundcheck.
So why did troubled Co-Op Live arena face so many technical difficulties? Here’s all you need to know.
When was the Co-Op Live Arena meant to open?
Touted as the country’s biggest indoor venue, the Co-Op Live Arena has received the backing of multiple investors, including Harry Styles.
Construction on the Eastlands building started in 2021, meaning it’s taken around three years to near completion.
It was meant to open on April 23 of this year, but a number of technical issues have led to countless delays.
As a result, leading comedians and musicians have been forced to pull the plug on scheduled gigs at the new venue recently.
Following the first cancelled show at the 23,500-seat venue, one of the venue’s leading bosses, Gary Roden, resigned after he came under fire for making comments about grassroots venues on the BBC.
What’s been cancelled?
No performances have actually been cancelled so far, instead, a number of scheduled gigs have been rescheduled. The dates of some of these postponed gigs are yet to be confirmed.
- Peter Kay’s stand-up show was the first to be postponed. Initially due to open on April 23, his standup performance was first pushed back a week before being delayed again for a whole month. Writing on social media, Kay said: “To everybody with tickets, my apologies once again but unfortunately the Co-op Live still isn’t ready and so, as yet, remains untested for a large-scale audience.” His show is now due to take place on May 23 and 24.
- The Black Keys were also due to perform not long after Peter Kay; however, the US band had their gig moved to May 15 as organizers worked on getting the venue prepared. “Rescheduling Peter Kay and The Black Keys will give us the extra time we need to continue testing enhanced emergency communications thoroughly,” the venue said at the time.
- Guests were already queuing up to see A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie on May 1 when the rapper was forced to postpone his gig after a soundcheck, which led to unforeseen issues. A statement later revealed that an air conditioning unit had fallen from the ceiling during the sound check. A rescheduled date is yet to be confirmed.
- Olivia Rodrigo became the fourth headline act to postpone her Manchester show because of technical difficulties at the venue. She was due to take to the stage on May 3 and 4 and hasn’t revealed alternative dates yet.
- Take That were forced to move their shows to the Manchester Arena – on May 7, May 9, May 10, May 11 and May 12. A statement referenced the ongoing technical issues at the Co-op live.
- Keane have also had their show postponed. They were due to perform at Co-op Live on May 5.
What went wrong?
The venue has faced a number of issues that have delayed its opening. These have been due to safety precautions and technical issues.
Rick Astley has already performed a test gig at the venue for an audience of 11,000 people. However, more than 4,000 tickets were cancelled because of “testing critical procedures”.
Challenges have continued to appear ever since.
The recent incident during A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie’s soundcheck may prompt further questions about the safety of the venue.
Oak View Group, the venue's operators, said in a statement: “During soundcheck, a component of the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system, used to direct air, separated from the ductwork.
"There was nobody injured. Although we believe this to be an isolated incident caused by a factory defect, we were not able to verify that all similar nozzles were free of such defects.
"In conjunction with wider stakeholders, Oak View Group has made the necessary call to ensure the full safety of all visitors to the venue, and to postpone the performance.”
Safety operators are now being brought in to check all the air conditioning systems to ensure their security.
The Co-operative Group said they’d be seeking answers in response to the incident.
“We are relieved that no one has been injured, but we share the disappointment and frustration of ticket holders, many of whom are Co-op members, with the continuing delay to the opening of Co-op Live and the disruption that this is causing to everyone who has been looking forward to attending events,” the group said in a statement.
