Anxious fans of the band Elbow can sigh a breath of relief after the troubled Co-op Live arena in Manchester has confirmed it will open in time to welcome the band to stage.
The new venue is the biggest indoor arena in the UK and was due to open lsat month but was forced to postpone a string of shows due to various complications and issues. The venue cost a reported £365 million to construct but gigs that were due to open the venue in April were forced o be postponed due to 'technical issues' and ongoing building work.
In recent days, fans of the chart topping band Elbow have been fearing the venue wouldn’t be ready in time for them to take to the stage on Tuesday 14 May. Some had even vowed to get tickets refunded as there was such concern the venue would not be opened in time - not least because a gig was cancelled because an air conditioning unit crashed to the ground from the ceiling inside the arena.
But in a statement on Friday, Co-op Live said it was “satisfied” after an inspection found the issue was an “isolated manufacturing default”. Elbow - fronted by 50-year-old Guy Garvey and who hail from Manchester - will now open the venue.
Manchester band Elbow will be the first band to take to the new stage (Getty Images)The band is currently on a UK tour in support of their chart topping Audio Vertigo album which was released in March. Comedian Peter Kay had been due to open the Co-op Live arena last month with his stand-up show but the gig was postponed due to construction of the building being incomplete.
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US rapper A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie was then expected to open the venue with a performance on 1 May - but the concert was axed an hour before it was due to begin and with fans queuing outside as the ventilation system becoming detached. This had a knock on effect for other gigs including concerts by US pop star Olivia Rodrigo and British band Keane were postponed. While chart toppers Take That were forced to move their planned concerts to the AO Arena in Manchester instead.
Co-op Live said an inspection was needed to ensure it was a one-time default. And on Friday a spokesperson confirmed: “Following the incident in the bowl on May 1 2024, an inspection and verification report was undertaken by SES subcontractors. In consultation with Manchester City Council, responsible authorities, and wider stakeholders, we are satisfied with the process and outcome of the investigation identifying the HVAC nozzle as an isolated manufacturing default.
“This is a standard process of review in any venue when such an incident occurs. We now look forward to welcoming fans to Elbow’s opening performance on May 14 2024.”
Fans had considered cancelling their tickets due to the debacle over the building’s construction and teething problems. One worried fan wrote on X earlier this week: "When will tickets be issued for their Manchester gig? Given it’s meant to be at the co-op, and I still don’t have them 6 days before, forgive me for being a bit concerned about this!"
While another declared they would no longer attend, writing online: "I will not be going to Manchester because I am very concerned about the safety of the my favorite band @Elbow and the audience, so I would like to cancel or resell the tickets but I can't even log into the app. @TheCoopLive, @TicketmasterUK."
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