Take That fans despair over 'confusing' Co-op Live parking system just weeks before Manchester gig

Take That fans have shared their ‘confusion’ and frustration after trying to book parking spots at Co-op Live ahead of the band’s shows in Manchester next month.

The music venue, which has a capacity for 23,500 people, will officially open next week with a show from Bolton comedy legend Peter Kay on April 23. Other gigs taking place in its first few weeks of opening include The Black Keys, Olivia Rodrigo and Take That, who will perform a massive five nights at the venue from May 7 to 12 before returning again for two further shows on June 11 and 12.

But fans eager to secure parking spots at the venue, which is situated next to the Etihad Stadium, for the band's dates in May said they have so far been unable to reserve spots online. The venue’s off street parking system requires people to pre-book spaces in advance online with the Co-op Live website stating that spots, which cost £25 per car, will be ‘released up to four weeks before the event’.

READ MORE: 'What a night!': Take That join Lulu on stage at Manchester gig for surprise performance

Fans attending the Take That gigs at the venue are still waiting for general spots to become available to book. At the time of writing (April 17), there are only accessible parking available for the band’s first three shows, but general and accessible parking spots are both available for the May 11 and 12 dates.

A Co-op Live spokesperson said this is due to a ‘flexible schedule across the wider Etihad Campus’ which means dates will only appear on the system when the number of spaces available on that day have been confirmed. The spokesperson said details regarding the venue's parking system are available online.

Gail Stewardson, 65, is travelling from Littleborough to see Take That perform at Co-op Live on May 8. Having unsuccessfully tried to book a parking spot for the last week, Gail told the M.E.N the venue’s parking system is ‘confusing’ and has ‘not been fully thought through’.

“Getting a train or a tram from Littleborough is not an option for us as they are often unreliable,” Gail explained. “I don’t know how many buses I’d need to get to get back to Littleborough. Even if we were able to get a train, by the time the gig has finished, the last one will have gone. I can’t walk absolutely miles so I need to park nearby. There’s not a lot of information out there about parking, it’s just really confusing.”

Gail, who will be attending the show with two other people including her daughter, said that when she has tried to purchase a parking spot at the venue for the gig, she has only been able to find accessible parking available - which requires having a blue badge.

“I’m not a disabled driver, I just need to know I can park nearby,” she said. “I think the whole process has not been thought through and they’re not figured it out soon enough for people who don’t know the area and have travelled from far away. They’re not making it easy for us.”

Gail said the situation has been ‘stressful’ for her and she fears it will mean that she will be unable to enjoy the show on the night. She added that she now wishes she had now booked to see Take That ‘elsewhere’.

“I wish we would have known it would have been this difficult earlier because we wouldn’t have gone to Manchester if we knew,” she explained. “I’d have rather gone to Liverpool or Leeds because the parking is sorted there and it would have been much easier for us. We did Leeds for Shania Twain last year and it was no problem.

"It’s going to be stressful on the night itself, it’s already stressing me out now and it’s still a couple of weeks from the gig. It puts you on edge for going on the night, because you don’t know how it’s going to go.

“When you’re paying close to £400 for three tickets, you expect things like this to be well thought out. We’re also seeing the Eagles in June so this really does need clarifying. There are a lot of families going to many of these concerts, what are we all going to do?”

Some of Gail's comments have been echoed by other Take That fans on popular forums and Facebook groups, with some describing the situation and the cost of parking as ‘scandalous’, and ‘costly on those that have no choice than to drive’.

Co-op Live told the M.E.N that information regarding its Official Off Street Parking is available on its website, which covers details about the cost, locations, and booking. The venue said parking spots will be available ‘no sooner than four weeks prior’, but timings and availability will vary based on a number of factors, such as fixtures and other events taking place at the Etihad campus.

As previously reported, there will be a designated walking route guiding attendees to and from the venue via the city centre featuring interactive elements, food and drink stalls and added security. there will also be a number of extra public transport services available to ticketholders for free, including bus and tram travel into the city centre as part of a partnership between Co-op Live and TfGM.

A spokesperson for Co-op Live said: “Fans can access Co-op Live’s Official Off Street Parking for events at the venue, available no sooner than four weeks prior. For a number of dates, including Take That, tickets will be available closer to the event to allow for a flexible schedule across the wider Etihad Campus.

“All ticket holders will be contacted directly by Co-op Live as soon as parking is made available to fans for individual shows. Parking allocation is then available on a first-come-first-served basis. Complementary accessible parking is available at Co-op Live when presenting a blue badge number and vehicle registration.”