Photo Credit: Manchester City
Co-op Live is a black box next to Manchester City’s football ground, which has been officially opened, has a capacity of 23,500, and aims to attract many major events from London. It will be officially opened by comedian Peter Kay on Tuesday. Various stars are also lined up to perform there, including Olivia Rodriguez, Eric Clapton, and Liam Gallagher.
The popular and well-known star Harry Styles has invested in the development of the arena and also advised on elements of its design. However, he isn’t a major partner in terms of money or power.
The arena has been built by City Football Group, which is owned by billionaire UAE Royal and deputy prime minister Sheikh Mansour, alongside Oakview Music Group, which was co-founded by US music mogul Irving Azoff. Azoff’s son and his business partner Jeff manage styles and U2, among others, whereas Irving has managed the Eagles for 50 years.
The venue has been able to secure this year’s MTV Europe music awards, which are to take place in November. This venue is expected to attract more major award shows, gigs, and even sporting events from the capital and elsewhere in England.
It's a great suggestion that styles be made so that there will be no advertising hoardings at the backstage, as this will aid in the focus of artists performing on stage and reduce distractions. The arena is all focused on the artists having the best experience and maximum connection with the fans.
Also, he says that fans at the back will be much closer to the stage than at similar arenas because the Co-op Live’s floor is apparently shorter but wider than other existing arenas but can hold up to 9,200 standing fans. The layout is flexible but familiar since it’s just the basic arena design.
However, it’s true that Co-Op Live is competing with its existing Manchester rival,The AO Arena. And it is not clear whether the town is big enough to accommodate both.
The other arena, which has been open since 1995, has responded to the establishment of the new arena by carrying out a €50 million renovation and expanding its capacity from 21,000 people to 23,000. It also tried to block Co-op Live’s application for a late-night license and is running and advertising about its upgrade and location. A spokesperson for the AO said it welcomed the competition, which raises everyone’s game and is great for fans and artists.
The new arena will give £1 million a year to the co-op foundation charity, which will help a lot. And will also work with other smaller venues on things like training. However, the government should offer more support to grassroots venues. This is because the grassroot venues have made loud appeals for arenas to throw them a lifeline, and the music venue trust (MVT) is calling for £1 from every ticket to go to pubs and clubs where many future headline acts are.
