Final preparations underway as Manchester's Co-op Live prepares to open
The arena, which will be the largest in the country, will open next week
Last updated 20th Apr 2024
The final touches are being made to the Co-op Live arena in Manchester ahead of the ÂŁ365 million space's opening next week.
The Co-op Live, which is situated next to the Etihad Stadium in the east of the city, is set to be the largest indoor arena in the country - with a capacity of 23,500 people.
In preparation for the first events to be held in the arena, a test event featuring 80s singer Rick Astley is being held on Saturday (April 20th).
Following this test event, comedian Peter Kay will be the first person to perform at the arena next Tuesday (April 23rd).
Other artists that will be set to perform in the event space include Olivia Rodrigo, Eric Clapton, Harry Styles and Take That.
Former One Direction band member Harry Styles has also invested in the arena and hand a hands-on approach in the space's design.
As well as this, the event space will also host the MTV Europe Music Awards, which will be taking place in November.
Sacha Lord, Manchester's Night Time Economy Adviser, welcomed the news, saying: "Finally, Co-op Live, Europe's most state of the art arena, is open in Manchester.
"The knock on effect for our hotels, pubs, restaurants, bars, taxis, jobs and the whole night time economy will be phenomenal. Greater Manchester's having a huge moment."