Here's what to expect from the new CO-OP LIVE venue in Manchester
Our North West Regional Correspondent Victoria Glover gives us a flavour of what it's like inside CO-OP LIVE as Manchester's newest live entertainment venue finally opens its doors to the public.
The grand opening of CO-OP LIVE in Manchester is finally upon us. Around £365million has been spent over the last five years of construction, with around 10,000 tradespeople making the vision a reality - many of them employed from within the North West.
It’s been a long journey pre-dating the COVID19 pandemic, and it's certainly not been without its hiccups. Power supply issues caused sudden ticket cancellations for the venue's test event with Rick Astley earlier this month, followed by not one, but two last minute postponements to the venue's original opening gig with Peter Kay. It left a bad taste in the mouths of disappointed ticket holders, especially those with non-refundable hotels and train tickets.
The turbulence continued further when CO-OP LIVE's general manager Gary Roden handed in his resignation.
But now the necessary checks and rigorous safety tests have been satisfied; the completely electric, carbon neutral venue next to Manchester City's Etihad Stadium is the new destination for performers and fans alike who want to experience live entertainment in what is now the biggest music venue in the UK.
Tonight, American rap artist and singer 'A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie' will do the honours in opening the arena, with the Peter Kay gigs rescheduled for 23rd and 24th May.
I sat down with CO-OP LIVE's lead architect Declan Sharkey, director of Populous Architects, to find out more about this gigantic venue: "Every great design needs an incredible vision and that vision was delivered by the managing director of Oak View Group Tim Leiweke when he told us that he wanted us to deliver:
"The greatest music venue in the world, the most sustainable in Europe and a venue with the largest capacity in the UK."
Declan continued, "Sustainability has been one of the most significant drivers in the design process. We've approached that in many different ways; from a construction standpoint up to 80% of the production orders have been placed in the North West of England, with more than £200million spent on materials that have been sourced here.
"From an operational standpoint, the building is powered by 100% electricity with 10,500 square meters of solar panels on the roof. We're also in Manchester which means we can collect the rainwater and use it to flush the toilets. We have LED lighting throughout the venue and we have a zero waste to landfill policy."
When it comes to what this venue offers to both fans and artists, Declan says there is no comparison: "We always start with the idea of delivering spaces that have their own unique identity and personality. Working in Manchester has allowed us to tap in to the very rich music scene. The suites in this venue are designed around the idea of a big night out. For example, one of them is designed to look like a kitchen so you can gather around the island bar with your friends and have a party. From there you can walk through a curtain where there's a small private dancefloor and seats with an incredible view of the stage.
"This arena has been designed as a 'music first' venue. It's a black bowl, so there are no digital screens or ribbon boards in order to create an incredibly immersive connection between the fan and the artist. Compared to any other venue of a similar size, the seating is approximately 23 meters closer to the stage."
For the artists themselves, Declan says the offering is unique too: "We always design venues with fans, bands and brands at the heart of it. Ultimately the venue becomes the artist's home for the evening so the changing rooms have been designed to feel like apartments. We have 12 artists changing areas, all of which can be expanded or connected together. The artist can bring in their own personal chef or their own furniture to very much make them feel at home."
So what can you expect as a ticketholder?
This is a venue that gives you lots of opportunities to arrive early and stay later, but be prepared to pay a premium for what's on offer inside. I'll be providing you with a run through of what you'll encounter when you visit CO-OP LIVE, based on my own experience of the test event earlier this month.
From the outside, it's hard to miss. By day it's a black, angular building and by night it's illuminated with thousands of LED lights. The public entrances to the arena are labelled A-G, each one marked clearly with large black lettering so that ticket holders know where to go. I accessed the building via entrance C, where 'living walls' filled with plants are a nod to the building's commitment to the environment and sustainability.
You'll queue for security and walk through metal detectors before having a bag check and body scan by a member of the security team. You'll then head through the doors and self-scan your ticket to gain access via electronic gates.
Steps take you down to 'The Street'; a long, triple height club space with huge LED screens where ticket holders can grab some food or a drink before watching the show. We're told 80% of the produce stocked within CO-OP LIVE will be locally sourced from within the North West, but the prices are definitely at the top end. It's £11 for a hot dog... and there was no ketchup or mustard!
CO-OP LIVE boasts 41 bespoke lounges, bars and food markets, as well as nine clubs. On stage left and stage right you'll find two of those exclusive spaces; the Decibel Club which brings an after party vibe, and the opulent Bentley Record Room. The upper floors feature gallery suites and hang out spaces with great vantage points for fans.
Inside the main auditorium, it's a juxtaposition of feeling absolutely massive and relatively intimate - I think that's something to do with how dark it is, likely down to the lack of ribbon board digital screens. 9,500 of the capacity in CO-OP LIVE will be standing on the floor of the bowl, where artists can choose to perform in the round or on a thrust stage.
When it comes to the facilities, the arena certainly has plenty of toilets - although some of them were slightly unfinished on my visit. I saw toilet cubicles without loo roll dispensers, and only two hand dryers fitted in a very large ladies room. Something tells me these teething problems will have been ironed out by the time full capacity audiences are filing in.
Overall, CO-OP LIVE is genuinely impressive and offers much more than a standard music venue. My only hope is that ticket prices manage to remain affordable so that as many people have the opportunity to experience it as possible. If you can get past the price of a hot dog and a drink, you'll have a blast!