Co-op Live crisis - situation being "monitored closely" as builders vow to complete work

The builders of the new Co-op Live arena say they are "working diligently" to complete works amid the latest crisis to hit the as-yet-to-open venue. The situation is being "monitored closely" by city bigwigs after the opening of the £365m venue was pulled at the very last minute for a third time on Wednesday night.

Bosses revealed that a nozzle from the ventilation and air conditioning system fell to the ground from the ceiling shortly before last night’s event. No one was injured, but the venue management decided to pull the plug on the performance from Bronx rapper A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie.

Fans were left queing outside just minutes before doors were due to open for the gig. Staff and fans were seen in tears outside the venue after bosses announced they would need to "leave the area" after the cancellation.

READ MORE: Worried Take That fans hit out over latest Co-op Live cancellations

The 23,500-capacity venue will be the biggest indoor arena in Europe when it does officially open its doors.

Nicki Minaj, The Eagles, Barry Manilow and Eric Clapton are all due to play the arena in coming weeks, but so far only a test event by Rick Astley has gone ahead. Thousands of fans, for the third time, were left disappointed after turning up for an event only for it to be cancelled.

After the gig, arena bosses announced that Olivia Rodrigo's Friday and Saturday night shows were also being pulled as a result of the incident.

The main contractor for the arena, the construction firm BAM said today: “The safety of fans and staff is our number one priority.

“Unfortunately, in the run-up to last night’s concert, an issue arose that meant the difficult decision was made to cancel the event. We apologise for the inconvenience that this has caused for many.

"Our team continues to work diligently on completing works to the arena."

The “embarrassing” fiasco has led to questions and criticism of how the arena’s opening has been handled.

Sacha Lord, appointed by mayor Andy Burnham as the night time economy adviser for Greater Manchester, made his first statement about the issues with the Arena to the PA news agency on Thursday.

He said: "As with all event venues, the safety of staff and customers is the highest priority even if that means there are delays.

"We are monitoring the situation closely."

The MEN understands Mr Lord is also working in the background to assess how the Co-op Live chaos is affecting the city's hoteliers.

Manchester City Council said the authority’s building control is yet to sign the building off, though this is routine procedure until all “snagging” is completed - and venues can operate without a completion certificate.

The earlier test show featuring Rick Astley had attendances slashed, and in the days that followed further gigs by Peter Kay and The Black Keys were pulled, after an issue with emergency services communications systems.

The arena, run by US-based Oak View Group, has confirmed shows by US musician Olivia Rodrigo as part of her world tour will also not now go ahead on May 3 and 4. No details have been released on rescheduling those gigs as yet.

Tim Leiweke, chairman and chief executive of the Oak View Group, said: “The safety and security of all visiting and working on Co-op Live is our utmost priority, and we could not and will not run any event until it is absolutely safe to do so.

“I deeply apologise for the impact that this has had on ticket holders and fans.”

The Co-operative Group, which has reportedly paid up to £100m in a 15-year deal to have its name on the ill-fated arena, said it was "shocked" by the latest incident and will seek a “full explanation” from Oak View Group.

In a statement the firm said on Wednesday: "As the naming rights sponsor for Co-op Live, we are shocked at the incident which has led to late cancellation of tonight’s show at the arena.

"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.

"We will be seeking a full explanation from Oak View Group (OVG), who are responsible for the building, to the obvious questions arising from this, together with a clear plan from the Co-op Live venue management team at OVG for opening the venue and postponed and future events."

Steve Millington, professor of place management at Manchester Metropolitan University, said: “In the short term, it’s not good is it?

“It is embarrassing really and you do wonder what’s gone on in the planning or development. There seems to be a lot of problems.

“Ultimately in the long-run, in 10 years time, nobody will be talking about this, but you do wonder what the Co-op are getting out of this.

"People were asking questions whether Manchester needed a second indoor arena, three miles down the road from the one in the city centre."

Co-op Live had already postponed its opening twice last week after rescheduling performances from Peter Kay and The Black Keys, and had initially reassured fans that A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie and Rodrigo’s shows would be going ahead this week. The AO Arena is now to stage the rescheduled A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie show on Saturday night, promoters Live Nation have just confirmed.

OVG Run around 400 venues across the world, mainly in North America, but this is its first venture in the UK, the firm’s website promising, “synergistic opportunities in the live entertainment space globally”.

OVG claims the Co-op Live arena will be "world leading" boasting their venues “go beyond the limits of what we once thought possible to deliver the very best in live entertainment.”

Harry Styles has invested in the project, in the shadow of Manchester City's Etihad stadium, the arena a joint venture with OVG and the club’s owner’s City Football Group. Once open, the venue will generate an estimated £1.5bn for the local economy, according to OVG.