Buskers, bees and a love letter to Manchester - the new £3mn walking route to Co-op Live

The new-look walking route from the city centre to the new Co-op Live Arena has been unveiled - featuring stunning new artworks, a giant M, glow-in-the-dark trail and a "love letter to Manchester".

Over £3m has been spent to upgrade the existing CityLink pedestrian route that was first opened to tie in with the Commonwealth Games in 2002.

Now, it features a host of new elements to keep revellers entertained, in a bid to encourage people to walk to events at the new Co-op Live Arena or to Manchester City's Etihad Stadium.

READ MORE: The Manchester twins who were first to perfrom at Co-Op Live Arena

It features dedicated spots for buskers to perform on event days, as well as a stunning new mural created in the first ever collaboration by artists Stan Chow and Akse which is billed "a love letter to Manchester."

The large mural spells out Manchester, with each letter celebrating a different unique element from the city. It features nods to the Suffragettes, the Hacienda, graphene, the Industrial Revoluton and the football history.

Stan said: "It's the first time I've ever done anything this big in Manchester or do a collaboration like this. It's good to express myself in different ways."

There's a "sound hive" underneath one bridge which will have different "soundscapes" that people can enjoy depending on the events. Another bridge features a special shadow dance feature so you can see yourself "dancing" your way to the arena.

The floor has been impregnated with glow-in-the-dark chips to make the route light up at night, with enhanced lighting also added along the route. On event days, there will also be stewards along the route to direct fans to the arena.

The route include a large light arch, which is fitted with sensors monitoring how many people walk to and from the venue, and will show up the numbers on a digital screen.

A giant M is the "photo moment" on the route, it sits in front of the arena, so people can get pictures underneath the giant M. On event days, a giant LED "halo" will appear above the arena, showing which artist is playing, so fans will be able to get pictures here to commemorate their trip here.

In future, there will also be a "walk of fame" element close to the Etihad Campus tram stop, featuring the handprints of famous Mancunians and artists associated with Co-op Live events.

The improvements to the walking route have been delivered in conjunction with Manchester City Council, Transport for Greater Manchester, and Co-op Live naming rights partner, Co-op.

Stewards from Co-op Live and the football club will also staff the route both before and after their respective events, and the route will also be covered by enhanced CCTV.

As part of Co-op Live’s and Manchester City Football Club’s existing commitments to the wider regeneration of the local neighbourhood, an extensive clean-up of the walkway has already been undertaken with initial trimming of overgrown trees and shrubs completed, alongside improvements to directional signage.

The section between Holt Town and Etihad Campus has been upgraded, although there are plans to make further improvements to the full walking route into the city centre.

To walk from Piccadilly to Co-op Live takes around 30 minutes in total.

The new Co-op Live, a collaboration between Oak View Group (OVG), City Football Group (CFG), Harry Styles, and Co-op, will have a maximum capacity for 23,500.

It will host around 120 events a year, with acts including Take That, Olivia Rodrigo, Nicki Minaj and the Eagles, already confirmed for its opening season. The landmark entertainment venue, which will also encompass 32 bars, restaurants, is also aiming to be net carbon neutral by 2038, with almost 90,000 sqm of solar panels, and no food waste.