Perceptions change'

Co-op Live hits right note after false starts

- Hannah Al-Othman

When Paul McCartney performed on stage at Manchester's Co-op Live this month, he paused between songs and looked out on the crowd. Praising the new venue, the musician said he just wanted to "take it all in".

The state-of-the-art building opened in May as the UK's biggest indoor arena, with a capacity of 23,500. Its high-profile investors include Harry Styles and the Abu Dhabi-based owners of Manchester City football club.

But the venue has not been met with universal acclaim, and bosses had to contend with derision and mirth as the indoor arena was plagued with false starts.

The comedian Peter Kay and the singer Olivia Rodrigo were among the huge stars whose shows had to be cancelled, moved or delayed amid tales of power supply problems and air conditioners plummeting from the ceiling.

The chaotic launch was named by PR Week as one of the year's biggest corporate communications disasters, after the arena's opening was pushed back and it soon went from being a source of pride to a punchline.

But now, more than a million tickets have been sold, and Bruce Springsteen, Robbie Williams and Iron Maiden are all due to take the Co-op Live stage in 2025.