Falling debris, broken hand dryers and Harry Styles: inside the Co-op Live arena’s nightmare launch

The opening of the Co-op Live arena in Manchester has to be one of the most disastrous in recent memory, as the 23,500-capacity venue has been plagued by falling air conditioning units, postponed shows and resignations.

Several gigs have been rescheduled after the arena – which counts British pop star Harry Styles among its biggest investors – was beset by technical issues, including performances by comedian Peter Kay and US rock band The Black Keys.

Last week, Gary Roden quit as general manager amid the chaos, while also coming under heavy criticism for suggesting that some small venues were “poorly run” and insisting that a proposed £1 ticket levy to help support them was “too simplistic”.

In the latest incident, a component of the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system fell from the ceiling, prompting the venue’s managers to postpone further performances by rapper A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie and pop star Olivia Rodrigo.

So what exactly is going on at Manchester’s embattled Co-op Arena?

When was the Co-op Live arena announced and who’s involved?

Plans for the UK’s biggest indoor arena were unveiled in 2020, with a projected cost of £350m meaning it would also be the most expensive one in Europe (the final cost is said to have topped £365m). Built on wasteland next to the Etihad Stadium, it will host music, sports and other entertainment events; US-based venue operator Oak View Group (OVG) has expressed its hope that it might lure the organisers behind the Brit Awards away from London’s O2 Arena. There are also plans to hold the MTV Europe Music Awards there in November.

Meanwhile, ASM Global, the owner of Manchester’s AO Arena, expressed fears that the Co-op Live might push it out of business. It is currently undergoing a revamp that will increase its capacity from 21,000 to 24,000, meaning it could trounce Co-op Live as the UK’s biggest venue within months of its opening.

Tim Leiweke, co-founder and chief executive of OVG, said at the time: “Our new venue would attract a wider range of the world’s most exciting events and create thousands of skilled jobs, genuine community opportunities, and significant economic benefits. It would place Manchester on the global entertainment map for decades to come.

“We appreciate the significance of our proposals for the entire city. We will present our full analysis of the Manchester opportunity along with our plans and are committed to engaging in dialogue and scrutiny throughout the planning process to ensure a second arena is a win-win for the city.”

Several investors are involved in the Co-op Live arena, including British pop star Harry Styles, who provided input into the backstage area. According to documents filed by Companies House in 2023, Erekine Records, the label Styles launched in 2016, holds 365 shares in the arena, making Styles the second-biggest investor after OVG and City Football Group, each of whom hold 7,865 shares.

Styles sent a video message that was shared by Co-op Live on TikTok and other social media platforms just last week, in which he said he was “incredibly proud” to be a part of the venue.

“I think that the people of Manchester deserve one of the best arenas in the world and I can’t wait for you to see it,” he said. “Make sure you come and check it out soon, and have a great night.”

The Independent has contacted Styles’s representatives for comment.

Rows with grassroots music venues

Not long before the venue was scheduled to open, the then general manager Gary Roden was asked by the BBC about support for grassroots music venues. The Music Venue Trust, the charity body that supports independent venues around the UK and Ireland, has called for a £1 levy to be added to tickets for arena shows, which would be distributed through a fund to support venues, promoters and artists operating at grassroots level.

However, Roden dismissed this as “too simplistic”. While he acknowledged the financial pressures faced by smaller venues, he went on to claim that part of the problem was that some of them are “poorly run”. He announced his resignation just three days after the interview was published.

In a statement, OVG International’s president Jessica Koravos said neither the venue nor her company shared the sentiments expressed by Roden.

“As OVG chairman and CEO Tim Leiweke has repeatedly stated, Co-Op Live remains committed to grassroots music in Manchester and beyond, including teaming up with mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham on the Artist of the Month campaign, and as a founding partner of Beyond The Music [festival],” she said.

“Co-op Live also donates over £1m a year to the Co-Op Foundation to support communities and empower young people to take social action through its new Young Gamechangers fund.”

Korovos added that OVG and Co-op Live were “happy” to meet with grassroots organisations, including the charity body Music Venue Trust, once the venue was “fully operational”.

When was Co-op Live supposed to open?

Initial plans showed that the venue was projected to open in 2023, before a free “test” event featuring a headline performance by surprise guest Rick Astley was announced on 21 April 2024. While the show was able to go ahead, with Astley performing to 11,000 arena workers, VIPs and press, many fans were left “fuming” as around 4,000 tickets were reportedly cancelled just hours before the event.

A BBC report of Astley’s show said the arena still has some “ironing out” to do before Kay’s event.

“Some areas weren’t ready, most of the seating wasn’t open, some of the hand dryers in the toilets weren’t working, food was running out… and the queues for food and drink were slightly chaotic,” arts and entertainment correspondent Ian Youngs said.

Ticket holders who were supposed to see Astley were told they could attend the following week’s Black Keys gig instead. However, this was soon rescheduled to 15 May, while Peter Kay’s shows were moved to 23 and 24 May. Rapper A Boogie With Da Hoodie was then announced as the venue’s new official opener.

However, the US artist shared a message with his fans claiming that an incident had taken place during soundcheck and his performance had been postponed.

“Something happened with the venue while I was at soundcheck today that caused cancellation of the show… we are working on rescheduling in the next few days,” he wrote on Instagram Stories.

“I’m heated about the situation too but safety first Manchester I got you just stay tuned for further info.”

A statement also went out from the venue’s social media accounts informing fans that the show would no longer go ahead, asking them to leave the area.

The Independent then received a statement from OVG confirming the cancellation and disclosing that, during soundcheck, part of the air conditioning unit had “separated from the ductwork”.

“There was nobody injured,” the statement said. “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.

“In response, the installer, contractor and third-party inspector will now test each nozzle to confirm they are free of defect.

“We appreciate the inconvenience this will cause for many, and are deeply sorry for all those impacted.”

Pop star Olivia Rodrigo’s planned shows on 3 and 4 May have also been cancelled, prompting a statement from the singer that said she was “disappointed” by the news and that she and her team were trying their best to reschedule.

Leiweke 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.

“Today was a very unexpected situation but without a doubt the right decision. I deeply apologise for the impact that this has had on ticket holders and fans.”

In a separate statement, the Co-operative Group said it was “shocked” by the incident involving the air conditioning unit and would seek a “full explanation” from OVG.

“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,” a spokesperson said.

“We will be seeking a full explanation from Oak View Group, 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.

“Safety is, of course, the number one priority and it is critical that Co-op members and other ticket holders can enjoy events in a venue with the very highest levels of security and safety measures in place.”

What do gig-goers have to say about the venue so far?

Suffice to say, music fans are not impressed by Co-op Live’s chaotic opening weeks. Some have jokingly compared its organisers to the ones behind the notorious Willy Wonka experience in Glasgow, while others have shared memes linked to the number of apologies the venue has been forced to deliver.

Others have been more critical, pointing out that the Manchester community needs a “safe, organised venue”, with one survivor of the Manchester Arena attack of May 2017 speaking out against Co-op Live organisers.

“As a survivor of the Manchester Arena attack and someone who will be travelling into Manchester the day of Olivia Rodrigo you are causing a lot of anxiety by doing this and not just putting an official announcement out if the arena isn’t ready,” X/Twitter user Mia wrote on the platform.

“The Co-op Live arena needs to make a proper statement,” user @ellaaimagine agreed. “They can’t have people feeling as if all this mess means the venue is unsafe. Especially in Manchester. Especially in May.”

“It’s hard to even look forward to a rescheduled date because the excitement is overshadowed by anxiety: the whole time will be spent wondering what might go wrong, am I safe, should we be in here yet?” a fan told The Independent.

The Independent has contacted Co-op Live for further comment.