Opening act confirmed for UK’s new and largest arena at Co-op Live in Manchester

20 February, 2024

Artist's impression of Co-op Live

Peter Kay has been announced as the opening act at the UK’s new largest indoor arena in Manchester.

The Bolton comedian will perform on the opening night of the 23,500-capacity venue at Co-op Live on April 23.

Liam Gallagher, Take That, Nicki Minaj, Olivia Rodrigo and Keane have also been announced to perform at the venue in the coming months.

Co-op general manager Gary Roden said Kay was the “perfect” opening act for the venue, who “embodies what this city is about” (via BBC).

“When you think of Manchester, it’s hard not to think of Peter Kay,” Roden said. “To have him headlining Co-op Live is tremendously exciting.

“We’re creating an arena that is truly part of the community around it, and having Peter as our opening act is a perfect reminder of that.”

Tickets go on general sale this Friday (February 23) at 10am GMT from here.

The new venue will open opposite Manchester’s Etihad stadium, and features a “unique bowl design” that will bring fans “closer to the artist than at other arenas of equivalent size”, according to a spokesperson for Co-op.

The venue opening comes after the Music Venue Trust last year called on bigger venues to invest back into grassroots music spaces or else not be allowed to open.

Music Venue Trust CEO Mark Davyd has spoken extensively about the dire circumstances facing grassroots venues. “Co-op Live in Manchester will be a 23,500 capacity venue due to open later this year or early next year,” said Davyd in last January.

“It has no plan at all to invest in the grassroots venues that are going to create the artists that will fill that stage in 10 years time. That is not good enough.”

Just last month, a new report was published revealing the “disaster” that struck the UK’s grassroots music venues in 2023, as calls for increasing for a ticket levy on larger arenas and investment from the wider industry continued.

“It’s just not good enough. I stood here 12 months ago, and I’m sorry to be Mystic Meg about this, but I said, ‘If the big companies in this industry don’t get their act together, then hundreds of venues will close’,” said Davyd at Westminster in January.

“And guess what? They didn’t get their act together and hundreds of venues have closed. So, I’m afraid you are now going to have to answer for this.”

The full report declared 2023 the “most challenging year”, after last year saw 125 UK venues abandon live music, while over half of them had shut entirely – including the legendary Moles in Bath.

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