Yahoo News The Black Keys at Co-op Live - set times, support, set list, parking and everything you need to know
American rock duo The Black Keys are set to take centre stage at Manchester's Co-op Live arena tomorrow night, following an opening show from Bury band Elbow tonight (May 14). The Black gig was cancelled the day before it was originally due to take place (April27), due to 'technical issues' and building work at the new arena.
Known for songs including Lonely Boy, Gold on the Ceiling and Fever, the band will continue their International Players 2024 tour here in Manchester before taking the show across Europe and the United States.
The Manchester show comes hot off the heels of the release of their twelfth studio album, Ohio Players, which features the Noel Gallagher co-write On The Game. The record is said to have been inspired by the mixed influences and sounds heard at “record hang” parties attended by band members Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney.
Since forming in 2001, the duo have won five Grammy awards, including Best Rock Album for El Camino in 2013 and Best Rock Song and Best Rock Performance for Lonely Boy. The band also took home the International Group trophy at the 2013 Brit Awards.
Since Co-op Live's reduced capacity test gig on April 20, there have been a number of false starts to the £365m venue's opening due to 'technical issues' and ongoing building work.
Last Friday (May 10), bosses confirmed its first gig with Bury band Elbow would definitely be going ahead this evening (May 14). Other artists lined up to take stage at the 23,500 capacity arena in the forthcoming months include Eagles, Stevie Nicks and Nicki Minaj.
Who are the support acts?
The Black Keys will be supported at Co-op Live by Liverpool-based group Circa Waves. The four-piece indie rock band have released five studio albums to date, including last year's Never Going Under.
Following the show in Manchester, The Black Keys will be joined by Circa Waves as they head across the UK and Ireland with dates in Cardiff, Dublin and three nights at London's Brixton Academy.
Stage times
Doors will open at 6.30pm and the show is currently listed to begin at 8pm, however this has not yet been confirmed.
In terms of after the show, the curfew for Co-op Live varies per show. Main bowl evening events will have an 11pm curfew, unless otherwise stated.
How to get there
The best way to get to Co-op Live will be either getting the Metrolink or using the newly-opened walking route, linking up the city centre to the venue. The arena is situated off Alan Turing Way in Beswick, which is right next to the Etihad Campus tram stop and Manchester City's Etihad Stadium.
During Co-op Live's opening season of events, ticketholders will be able to travel for free on trams between the city and the venue until June 30, 2024. Transport will be included on all days of the week in line with Metrolink operating hours.
The Ashton-Eccles line to the Etihad Campus stop is located directly next to the venue. Frequent trams will also run every six minutes from the city centre and run until 1am on Saturdays.
There is also a city centre shuttle bus service, which will be included with all event tickets until June 30. The number of shuttle buses available will vary on each event with a maximum of ten buses per show. The buses will depart from Joe Mercer Way at the Etihad Campus and arrive at Piccadilly Gardens.
To use the walking route, follow the blue lampposts through Ancoats, New Islington, and Holt Town areas. The route is filled with artwork, light displays and structures to check out - you can read about them here.
You can also find more details on bus routes to get to Co-op Live here.
Is there food and drink at Co-op Live?
There's a whole raft of food and drink options, with a number of bars and stalls inside the venue. Pies and burgers form part of the food menu, whilst there will be your usual selection of beers, soft drinks and wine available from the bars.
Whilst the venue will eventually have 32 bars, restaurants and lounges, only two of the main food and drinks spaces, The Founders Bar on The Street and the Canal Side Bar, were in operation during Co-op Live's first test event. As the Black Keys show will have a capped capacity of 10,000, it's likely not all options will be fully open on Saturday night.
You can see some of the food and drinks prices here but, head's up, you're looking at paying £8.95 for a pint and £11.50 for a burger.
Is there parking at Co-op Live?
The arena has three official car parks, colour coded to blue, green and orange, but the available car parks will vary per event. For The Black Keys, parking spots are available in the blue and orange zones. All Official parking spots must be pre-booked online ahead of the event here.
The blue zone located off Sport City Way and Forge Lane, opposite Philips Park and Co-op Live, whilst orange parking is located off Alan Turing Way next to the Etihad Stadium. Disabled parking will be available in the blue zone and is free for blue badge holders. More details on parking near to the venue can be found here.
What is the Co-op Live ticket app and do I need it?
The official Co-op Live mobile app has been created to help streamline the process of getting into the venue during busy gigs.
Through the app, you can access your tickets and essential event information, and there will also be maps and further details too. Tickets will be available through the app typically no later than five working days before the show.
For those who booked through Ticketmaster, your Co-op Live tickets will be accessible through the app. The app generates a barcode that can be accessed offline after its first open. You can find out how to use the app, and how to log in, here.
If you don't have a smartphone or a paper ticket entry can be gained via the Ticket Office team located on Level 1, Canalside. Simply present the physical credit/debit card used for purchase alongside matching photo ID for verification.
What is the bag policy?
Co-op Live operates on a one bag per person policy. Small handbags are permitted as long as they are no larger than A4 in size. However, large bags, like backpacks and laptop bags, will not be allowed in.
There will be limited bag storage on site priced from £15. This facility is located on Sir Howard Bernstein Way - opposite Gate J in the Orange Car Park on the Etihad Campus.
What items are banned?
Members of staff can remove items such as food, glass, bottles, cans, alcohol, large umbrellas, lighters, disposable vapes, professional cameras, plastic bottle tops, and recording equipment.
Devices like laptops, iPads, Go Pros, and similar items are also not allowed, unless pre-approved for medical reasons. You can see the full list of banned items at Co-op Live here.
