Co-op Live arena: Take That latest act to move from Manchester venue as new arena plagued with problems

Manchester pop legends Take That have become the latest act to abandon plans to perform at the new Co-op Live arena in the city after the newly-built venue was plagued with issues.

The trio of Gary Barlow, Mark Owen and Howard Donald had been due to perform five nights at the new arena, with gigs scheduled for May 7, 8, 10, 11 and 12. However, the boys have now taken the decision to move the show to rival venue AO Arena after huge issues with the Co-op Live arena has delayed multiple shows for other artists.

On Instagram, Take That said: “Given the ongoing technical issues around the opening of Co-op Live we have taken the difficult decision to move our May shows to the AO Arena where we have enjoyed many great nights over the years. This is not a decision we have taken lightly, but we wanted to give our fans as much notice as possible.

“We’re mindful many of you will already have travel and accommodation plans in place, so we have chosen this option to minimise inconvenience to as many people as possible. Our dates in June in Manchester remain unaffected.”

All dates will be transferred over to the venue for the same night as planned, apart from the Wednesday, May 8 show which will now be performed on Thursday, May 9. It comes after rock band Keane had their upcoming gig cancelled, which was due to take place on Sunday, May 5. It followed a string of cancellations, including US singer Olivia Rodrigo having two dates postponed and comedian Peter Kay being forced to move dates twice.

Fans were shocked when the Co-op Live also cancelled the show for ‘A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie’ on Wednesday, May 1, while fans queued outside the venue. According to some reports, there were some fans already inside the venue when bosses pulled the plug on the show.

In a statement on X (formerly Twitter), Co-op Live said: “Following the events that led to the cancelled A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie show on 1 May, we have decided to take a short pause to events at Co-op Live to fully ensure the safety and security of fans and artists visiting the venue. This time will allow for an independent inspection of all elements of the arena ceiling.”

It 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. We are taking the pause to think about the best ways to do that.”

The venue has been plagued by issues since it was scheduled to open including a nozzle from the ventilation and air conditioning system falling to the ground from the ceiling shortly before the A Boogie With A Hoodie event. The Oak View Group has apologised to tickerholders for the delays.

Tim Leiweke, chairman and chief executive of US-based venue operator, said: “As many of you will know, it’s not been the smooth start we had planned for, and I know that has caused a huge amount of disruption and frustration to thousands of people. On behalf of all of us at Oak View Group, I’d like to express my sincere apologies to all those that have been affected.

“We understand that there is work to be done to rebuild your trust in us. This starts now and at the request of the naming rights partner, The Co-op Group, we will be addressing impact on affected ticket holders, details of which will be shared soon.

“I’d like to reiterate my sincerest apologies to everyone that has been affected by the delays around the opening of Co-op Live. The team here is working incredibly hard to get the building up and running, and we look forward to welcoming you to the arena from 14 May 2024.”

The Co-operative Group, which sponsors the arena and owns the naming rights, has said that it has sought assurances from the Oak View Group after the chaotic issues. A Co-op Group spokesperson said: “As naming rights sponsor for Co-op Live we are disappointed with these further schedule changes.

“We fully appreciate and understand the impact and upset the delays have caused to ticket holders and our Co-op members. Co-op is a sponsor and does not own or run the venue, and we have made it clear to Oak View Group, who are responsible for the building, that the impact on ticketholders must be addressed as a priority.

“We are pleased that they will shortly be putting plans in place to do so. We also understand that the necessary safety checks following yesterday’s incident are being completed and independently verified so that Co-op members and other ticket holders can be reassured that the venue has the very highest levels of security and safety measures.”