The troublesome Co-op Live arena in Manchester eventually opened for live music on Friday night with an opening performance by Bury band Elbow.
During a soundcheck in early May, a portion of the ventilation and air-conditioning system collapsed, forcing the venue to postpone its opening event for the third time.
Elbow made history as the opening night headliner of the venue, marking the release of their 10th studio album, Audio Vertigo, with their first tour since 2018.
Several artists have been forced to delay gigs at the northern city’s new concert venue due to technical issues.
The latest to announce changes to their performances were Take That, who were forced to move their upcoming show to the Manchester arena.
The statement added: "At this time, we do not expect further impact on our opening season. We are aware our actions have frustrated and angered ticket holders. We know you've incurred significant disruption, and are finding a way to help make it right."
Olivia Rodrigo was due to play at the arena on May 3 and 4 but was forced to postpone “due to an ongoing venue-related technical issue”.
The US musician said she was “bummed” about the sold-out shows and hoped to see her Manchester fans soon but hasn’t released a rescheduled date.
Earlier, the rapper A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie had to cancel his gig just an hour before doors were set to open after issues emerged during soundcheck.
So why did troubled Co-Op Live arena face so many technical difficulties? Here’s all you need to know.
Touted as the country’s biggest indoor venue, the Co-Op Live Arena has received the backing of multiple investors, including Harry Styles.
Construction on the Eastlands building started in 2021, meaning it’s taken around three years to near completion.
It was meant to open on April 23 of this year, but a number of technical issues have led to countless delays.
As a result, leading comedians and musicians have been forced to pull the plug on scheduled gigs at the new venue recently.
Following the first cancelled show at the 23,500-seat venue, one of the venue’s leading bosses, Gary Roden, resigned after he came under fire for making comments about grassroots venues on the BBC.
No performances have actually been cancelled so far, instead, a number of scheduled gigs have been rescheduled. The dates of some of these postponed gigs are yet to be confirmed.
The venue has faced a number of issues that have delayed its opening. These have been due to safety precautions and technical issues.
Rick Astley has already performed a test gig at the venue for an audience of 11,000 people. However, more than 4,000 tickets were cancelled because of “testing critical procedures”.
Challenges have continued to appear ever since.
The recent incident during A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie’s soundcheck may prompt further questions about the safety of the venue.
Oak View Group, the venue's operators, said in a statement: “During soundcheck, a component of the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system, used to direct air, separated from the ductwork.
"There was nobody injured. 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.”
Safety operators are now being brought in to check all the air conditioning systems to ensure their security.
The Co-operative Group said they’d be seeking answers in response to the incident.
“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,” the group said in a statement.
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2024-05-02T10:55:58Z dg43tfdfdgfd