Manchester’s new arena delays opening night amid safety concerns

The public launch of Britain’s biggest new indoor arena has been delayed after an unfinished electrical system prompted concerns about safety.

Co-op Live, a £350mn venue in Manchester backed by US investors Oak View Group, was supposed to open on Tuesday night with the first of two gigs by comedian Peter Kay.

However, the venue on Monday said it had taken the “difficult decision” to delay the event until next week “to ensure we have a consistent total power supply to our fully electric sustainable venue”.

The issue has the potential to affect heating, card payment systems and WiFi, according to one person close to the project, as well as systems intended to ensure public safety in parts of the building.

Denver-based entertainment group OVG announced plans for the 23,500-capacity arena four years ago, marking its first arena investment in the UK. 

But the number of invited attendees to the soft launch on Saturday night was halved at the last minute after local regulators raised concerns that the venue was not ready.

Two people close to the process said that public officials concluded numbers needed to be reduced to ensure compliance with fire regulations. Ultimately, it went ahead in a limited part of the building, with additional safety mitigations in place.  

Co-op Live said on Monday: “Rescheduling gives us the extra time we need to continue testing thoroughly. This is vital to satisfy the rigorous set of guidelines and protocols that are necessary for a venue of this size.”

The power supply issue had led to concerns that the communications system used by the emergency services in the event of a major incident might not function as intended, two people close to the process said.

That concern holds particular resonance in the city, where an inquiry into the 2017 bombing of Manchester Arena flagged failures in blue light communications.

Attendees on Saturday night reported that the building looked unfinished, including wires hanging down from the ceiling, as well as organisational confusion during the exit of guests afterwards.

Co-op Live said Kay had “very graciously agreed” to move his dates to April 29-30, with refunds available for anyone unable to attend. 

“We are very sorry for the inconvenience that this change will undoubtedly cause for some,” Co-op Live added.

A test event scheduled for this Saturday, with a below-capacity crowd size of 10,000 in only the lower bowl of the arena, will still go ahead, Co-op Live said, adding that the arena “will continue to test the resilience of the venue and its operations”.

Manchester council said it would “continue to work closely with the venue as they push to complete the arena and prepare to host their first official shows”.

The postponement was “the right decision” for Co-op Live “if they feel the venue is not ready to welcome visitors and their systems aren’t fully tested”, the council added.

Over the weekend Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service said it had worked “closely” with the venue to ensure fire safety measures were in place ahead of Saturday’s event and would continue to do so.

Greater Manchester Police declined to comment.