The opening night of Co-op Live, the new concert arena in Manchester, has descended into chaos as a technical difficulty led to a string of cancelled gigs. 

The £365m venue was set to host its first concert last night, debuting with US rapper and platinum-selling artist A Boogie wit da Hoodie, but fans were turned away minutes before the support act was supposed to take the stage. 

Co-op Live apologised for the cancellation, asked fans to leave the arena due to a “venue-related technical issue” and said further information would be given to ticket-holders in due course. 

 

 

Shortly after the announcement, Co-op Live announced that two more concerts would be impacted: scheduled performances of Olivia Rodrigo’s Guts world tour on May 3 and 4 would also be postponed.  

The fiasco has caused uproar among fans, with Co-op Live receiving a slew of complaints and backlash on social media. 

Oak View Group, which operates the arena, blamed an incident during the soundcheck when “a component of the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, used to direct air, separated from the ductwork”.

The Co-operative Group, which sponsors the venue, said it was “shocked” by what had happened.

A spokesperson said: “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, 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.  We are very grateful for Manchester City Council’s and the emergency services’ continued engagement with OVG to ensure that Co-op Live opens as soon as possible.”

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