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FIRST LOOK: Co-op Live is coming and it’s a ‘venue Manchester can be truly proud of’
It’s going to be ‘the arena that Manchester deserves’
We took a trip over to East Manchester to have a sneak peek at how the city’s massive new music and entertainment arena Co-op Live is coming along — and it’s going to be mega.
Invited for a sneaky look on a rainy Wednesday afternoon (July 5th), we pulled up next to Etihad Stadium to notice another gigantic structure appear from behind it in the background, in the form of an enormous dark box — the new £365 million Co-op Live music arena, due to open in April 2024.
We entered the half-building site situated by the home of Manchester City, passing rows of construction workers all dressed in hi-vis jackets, protective hats and boots — and noticing various Northern accents being spoken.
The area was busy and there was already an energy about the place. We walked through pathways marked out for us to enter the enormous concrete and steel shell of a structure, towering over our heads.
Crowds of media organisations gathered in the centre of what will be the main arena hall, and construction workers sat in the surrounding stands, the scale of the place was beginning to sink in.
Next, the tunes started pumping as DJ Jenna G was providing all the tunes to get everyone excited for Co-op Live’s topping out ceremony — an age-old ceremony where the final beam or piece of a roof is placed on a building, to mark a milestone.
Glancing around the space, eyes expressed excitement as people chatted and took footage on their smartphones. Then entered the speakers at the ceremony, and the music lowered as they stepped onto the stage.
They celebrated that construction alone has generated more than 3,350 jobs with a further 2,000 roles set to be filled ahead of the venue’s opening.
Gary Roden, the Executive Director and General Manager at Co-op Live, welcomed us all to the event and confirmed that an opening date has been set for April next year for what is set to be the ‘biggest and best’ arena in Europe and the UK.
He said Co-op Live is a ‘venue for Manchester to be truly proud of’ and that it will also make a ‘giant impact on the world of entertainment, globally’.
He spoke of the effort involved to help bring the vision to life, ‘from the people that came up with the idea in the first place, through to the people that have designed the wonderful building’ through to all over the construction workers that have built it ‘up from the ground, day-to-day’.
Mr Roden also said how industry experts have been ‘amazed’ by the venue and that they have told him ‘they’ve never seen anything quite like this’.
Next up was Tim Leiweke, the CEO of Oak View Group, who spoke of how the arena will serve the people of Greater Manchester and the North West, using locally sourced food, workers and businesses, highlighting the positive impact it will have on local communities.
There has been some criticism about the new music arena wanting to make its venue more than just a place people go to see a concert and then leave afterwards.
This is because Co-op Live wants to provide all the before and after show experiences such as hotels, restaurants and bars, to keep people in the area rather than spilling out into the city centre and visiting those businesses.
In response to this, as well as dropping some vague hints about who Co-op Live’s opening act could be, Mr Leiweke said: “Ironically, the artist we’re trying to convince to come here first is an artist who isn’t touring. He’s one of the biggest artists in the world.
“The reason we’re trying to get him here first, to do a run, is because he’s going to fill up all the hotel rooms.”
He said he and his team started by thinking about how they could help draw more custom to the restaurants, hotels and retail around Manchester, rather than just the area around Etihad Campus.
Mr Leiweke added: “Co-op Live wanted to drive the economy for tourism and visitors for the city and for everybody in the city, so this isn’t just about Etihad Stadium Campus, this is about our thinking about how this building in particular draws 3 million people, and those 3 million people come from all over the world because Co-op live has a reputation of being the finest arena…”
He said the feature about the new venue that he’s most excited about is the sound quality, saying: “This building will be acoustically perfect and that’s the part nobody sees yet.”
When asked about transport links to help people to travel to and from the East of the city he added how they are committed to maintaining a green ethos and creating walking links, cycle links as well as encouraging use of the Metrolink and bus network.
He added: “We’re going to build a sustainable building here, so we’ll be carbon neutral within two years. Cars are my enemy.”
And to top the day off, Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham dropped by to celebrate the milestone and the bright future in store for the city.
He said: “This is one of the things that I like most about this place when I heard all about it; that it wouldn’t just have the biggest names, the biggest acts in the world on stage here.
“Space is being created in the concourses and corners of the place to put on new and emerging acts of the city region.”
He added: “We’re all probably sometimes looking too much towards the past, we’ve got to look towards the future of this place; the future talent and love the fact that this arena will bring on the Manchester music of the future.
“As Greater Manchester we are so proud to have this venue at the heart of our city region. It will change this place for the better in so many ways in the years to come.”
Co-op Live will open its doors in April 2024. Artist announcements across opening season are expected to follow shortly.
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Famous faces to come to life in ‘groundbreaking’ new immersive National Portrait Gallery exhibition
And it opens this week
The National Portrait Gallery is working with FRAMELESS Creative, the UK’s leading creator of immersive experiences, to create Stories – Brought to Life, the first immersive art experience of a UK national collection.
Opening at MediaCity this Friday, May 2nd, and running until Sunday August 31st, the groundbreaking new immersive, cinematic show promises to redefine the gallery experience.
Visitors will step into a world where the sitters’ stories come alive. This unique experience explores the lives behind some of the most iconic faces from the National Portrait Gallery’s Collection who have shaped the UK’s history and culture.
It will feature people from royalty and cultural icons to fearless leaders and national heroes, including Winston Churchill, Charles Darwin, Queen Elizabeth II, Audrey Hepburn, Nelson Mandela, Emmeline Pankhurst, Grayson Perry, Mary Seacole, William Shakespeare, Amy Winehouse, Oscar Wilde, Virginia Woolf and Malala Yousafzai.
NPG x131784 Emmeline Pankhurst addressing a crowd in Trafalgar Square by Central Press, October 1908 –
© National Portrait Gallery, London
For its premiere in Manchester, Stories – Brought to Life will be presented in a specially designed 10,000 sq ft state of the art, immersive digital gallery in the heart of MediaCity.
Ryan Atwood, Creative Director for FRAMELESS Creative, said: “Working with a cultural institution like the National Portrait Gallery has been a unique experience, especially having the opportunity to draw upon the deep knowledge and passion of the curatorial team.
“But the magic has also come from studying the sitters and working with the families, estates and the sitters themselves to understand more about the individuals behind the portraits.
“Being able to delve deep into the life stories of the individuals and then bring them to life through the power of emotional, immersive storytelling has been a very special experience and we’re excited to share this with the public when we open in Manchester in May.”
NPG 1 William Shakespeare by John Taylor, circa 1610 – © National Portrait Gallery, London
Rab MacGibbon, Cross-Collections Curator at the National Portrait Gallery, added: “The National Portrait Gallery is home to the largest collection of portraits in the world and hanging on our walls are some of the most remarkable people to have ever lived.
“Working with the team from FRAMELESS, and through exploring new technologies and creative approaches, has allowed us to look at the Collection in a completely new light. We are embarking on a journey of discovery, which we hope will inspire and entertain a new audience.”
The experience will open to the public on May 2nd and run until August 31st at MediaCity, before going on a UK tour (dates to be announced). Grab your tickets HERE.
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Ornella’s Kitchen and more coming to Freight Island as part of huge summer programme
There’s something for everyone…
Freight Island has announced its upcoming spring and summer programme for 2025, and there’s something for everyone.
This includes the arrival of one of the most difficult-to-book restaurants in Manchester, coming to the city centre for the first time.
Denton-based Ornella’s Kitchen will be joining three other new food and drink vendors at Freight, alongside their already comprehensive dining offering.
Freight Island
Ornella’s Little Kitchen will be the Italian spot’s second location, and will be music to the ears of fans, as the original venue is often booked up for months in advance.
Other new additions include authentic ‘shaokao’ Chinese barbecue from MOREJOY, delicious bakes from Gooey, and Hello Dezato, a new offering from Hello Oriental dishing up soft serve ice creams and desserts.
They’ll be joining established Freight Island vendors like Patterson’s, Mia’s Arepas, Burgerism and Voodoo Ray’s pizza.
Freight Island
And if that’s not enough, the ever-popular Kantina supper club series will be returning soon with yet-to-be-announced guest chefs and traders.
Jamie from Ornella’s Kitchen said of the move: “We’re incredibly excited to bring Ornella’s Little Kitchen to Freight Island and be part of such a dynamic food and entertainment space.
“Our pasta-deli specials have found a loyal following in Manchester, and we can’t wait to share our authentic Italian flavours in this new setting.”
Freight Island
You’ll also find a wealth of world-class DJs over spring and summer, including the likes of David Rodigan, DJ Paulette, Congo Natty, A Love From Outer Space, UK garage icon Wookie, Luke Una’s É Soul Cultura, Rich Reason’s Ghosts of Garage, and Huey Morgan.
The Sports Bar will host official takeovers and celebrations across major tournaments, including the UEFA Women’s Euros 2025 and the Woman’s Rugby World Cup, as well as Premier League fixtures, Champions League, Formula 1 and more.
Freight Island
Dan Morris, managing director at Freight Island, said: “Freight Island was always imagined as a place for innovation and pushing boundaries and this year’s update is about taking us closer to that original vision.
“With the incredible new food, a refreshed dining experience and our biggest Spring/Summer festival line-up yet, we’re set for an unforgettable season.”
Freight Island is re-opening on Thursday April 3rd. Get yourself booked in HERE.
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Manchester to transform into HUGE interactive playzone for free family festival this February half term
Manchester will be transformed this half term
Manchester is launching The Super Duper Family Festival in February, a new free un-ticketed family event spread over four days.
There’ll be various activities that will transform the city into a giant, interactive playground from Saturday February 15th to Tuesday February 18th 2025.
Families can explore unique play zones scattered across Manchester, with everything from giant mazes and steam-powered carousels to retro video games and family raves.
The family festival will feature six key zones across the city, including The Garden in Exchange Square, featuring an 18m x 18m real hedge maze reaching two metres high.
Then there’s The Carnival in St Ann’s Square, a steampunk spectacle of old-school carnival games, including a traditional Victorian Carousel, a mind-bending Hall of Mirrors, and Test of Strength stand.
Other zones include The Playground with Waterloo Road, where popular schoolyard games come to life on New Cathedral Street in collaboration with BBC’s Waterloo Road, gaming at The Arcade in the Printworks, The Sports Hall at Great Northern Warehouse, and The Party at Aviva Studios.
Then there’s The Rave, bringing family raves and parties featuring a world-class sound system and dazzling lighting displays to the Great Northern Warehouse.
Venues like the National Football Museum, Stoller Hall, People’s History Museum and Castlefield Viaduct are also set to host their own exciting activities.
And families can experience the launch of CBBC’s Operation Ouch: Brains, Bogeys and You at the Science and Industry Museum.
Supported by the city’s hoteliers, Manchester Accommodation BID, the festival has been created in partnership with Manchester City Centre Business Improvement District, Manchester City Council, Marketing Manchester, Aviva Studio, Great Northern Warehouse and Printworks.
Manchester Accommodation BID Chairman, Kumar Mishra said, “This festival is a fantastic opportunity to draw families into the heart of Manchester, showcasing the city’s vibrant culture, creativity, and its status as a world-class destination.
“With iconic attractions like the National Football Museum, the Science and Industry Museum, and the breathtaking Castlefield Viaduct, Manchester offers an unparalleled mix of history, innovation, and entertainment.
“By transforming the city into a playground of creative experiences and offering free fun for children of all ages, we’re not only celebrating the best of Manchester, but also inspiring families to explore, stay, and create lasting memories in one of the UK’s most dynamic and exciting cities.”
The festival is a free un-ticketed event, find out more HERE.
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Famous faces to come to life in ‘groundbreaking’ new immersive National Portrait Gallery exhibition
Pub dementia group struggling to run free regular afternoon meet ups with rising costs
Ornella’s Kitchen and more coming to Freight Island as part of huge summer programme
Manchester to transform into HUGE interactive playzone for free family festival this February half term
The VR gaming experience at airport where you can escape reality
