New £365m Manchester arena ‘Co-op Live’ set to open its doors

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A new 23,500 capacity arena is set to open in Manchester next to City’s Etihad football stadium and hopes to attract more events from London.

The Co-op Live arena, which cost £365m to build, will be officially opened by comedian Peter Kay on Tuesday following a test event by Rick Astley on Saturday.

The area, which looks like a giant black box, has been built by City Football Group - owned by billionaire UAE royal and deputy prime minister Sheikh Mansour - and Oakview Music Group, co-founded by US music mogul Irving Azoff.

Harry Styles invested in the stadium and advised on some elements of its design. Local artist Liam Gallagher, the former Oasis frontman, Olivia Rodrigo, Take That and Eric Clapton are among some of the other musicians set to play there.

Mr Azoff’s son and business partner Jeff manages Mr Styles and U2 among others, while Mr Irving has managed the rock band the Eagles for five decades.

Co-op claims the arena, on Etihad Campus, 1 Sportcity Way, east Manchester, will be the UK’s  “largest and most socially responsible live entertainment venue”.

Bosses at the stadium, which will host this year’s MTV Europe Music Awards, hope to break London’s stranglehold on securing the best artists from around the world.

The venue boasts 32 bars, restaurants and lounges and will have the largest floor space of any indoor venue in Manchester.

Co-op Live will donate £1m a year to charitable causes via Co-op’s foundation and managed to deliver 3,650 jobs to Manchester locals during the construction process, the venue said.

Marty Edelman, board director at City Football Group, said: “Co-op Live unlocks the potential for the Etihad Campus to grow as an entertainment destination that creates more reasons for the nation and world to visit Manchester.

“Co-op Live seamlessly integrates wit the Etihad Campus and complements Manchester’s city centre offer."

Mr Styles said: "I am incredibly proud to be partnering with OVG on their plans for Co-op Live.

“Manchester is an incredible city, filled with incredible people and I couldn’t be happier being involved in this project. It very much feels like coming home."