Expansion puts Etihad back in the game for top gigs

THE last time The Weeknd played at the Etihad Stadium was the same night Manchester City's footballing dreams came true.

- By SIMON BAJKOWSKI

Pep Guardiola's side won the Champions League in Istanbul for the first time in the club's history while the Canadian singer was thrilling his own fans in Manchester in June 2023.

It feels fitting then that The Weeknd will be one of the first artists back next summer when the stadium hosts concerts for the first time in three years. With work on expanding the North Stand that started in 2024 set to be completed in a few months, City want 2026 to kickstart their next chapter as one of the city’s premier music venues.

In the meantime, they have already played their part in creating another. Co-Op Live, the UK's largest indoor arena with a capacity of 23,000, sits next door to the Etihad and City Football Group are majority shareholders in it.

As well as welcoming famous stars from Sabrina Carpenter and Billie Eilish to Bruce Springsteen and Barry Manilow in the 18 months it has been running, the arena also hosted the 2024 MTV EMAs in November and has The Brits signed up for the next two years.