The indoor arena in Manchester will have a capacity of 23,500

An opening date has been revealed for the Co-op Live indoor arena.

The arena, which cost an eyewatering £365m, is being built by Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium. It has now been announced the 23,500-capacity indoor arena will open its doors in April, 2024.

It was originally supposed to be up and running by December this year, however, that has now been pushed back. Test events are planned to be staged in April shortly before it fully opens to the paying public.
An exact date for the first event is due to be announced in the coming months, it has been reported. The arena is being built by BAM Construct UK and is being led by a joint venture between City Football Group and Los Angeles-based Oak View Group.

Pop star Harry Styles was also announced as an investor. While Simon Moran’s gigs promotor SJM Holdings, which is the holding company of both SJM Concerts and rugby league club Warrington Wolves, also has shares in the joint venture.

Gaiety Investments UK, the business run by Irish concert promotor Denis Desmond, is an investor as well. A Co-op Live spokesman said: “Co-op Live will be opening our doors to fans in April 2024.

“It’s huge kudos to BAM, and the dozens of local subcontractors working on the project, that we are well within our original timeframe and on-budget given the unprecedented challenges of the pandemic, supply chain shortages, and an energy crisis.

“We’re proud to be on the home stretch to delivering Co-op Live and we can’t wait to invite fans in to experience the biggest and most sustainable arena in the UK.”

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