Olivia Rodrigo’s concerts at Manchester Co-op Live canceled at last minute as £365m venue faces more chaos

Olivia Rodrigo’s sold-out concerts at Manchester’s crisis-hit Co-op Live Arena were canceled at the last minute after a piece of the ventilation system fell from the roof during a check of the her.

The latest setback during the difficult opening of the 23,500-seat venue came Wednesday evening, just hours before the concert of American rapper Boogie With Da Hoodie.

Some fans were queuing for tickets when bosses of the £365 million arena finally announced the show was over, sparking a wave of consternation and the cancellation of pop star Rodrigo’s concerts, planned for May 3 and 4.

The Co-op Live Arena cited “ongoing technical issues with the venue” for postponing the three-time Grammy winner’s shows Friday and Saturday, which were part of her Guts World Tour.

Wednesday’s A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie show was supposed to be Co-op Live’s first official event, but the rapper said “something happened” during the soundcheck that led to the show’s cancellation.

“I’m excited about the situation as well, but safety first Manchester, I hear you, stay tuned for more information,” he said.

The venue is part of Oak View Group, which confirmed there was an issue with a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system component.

Meanwhile, Rodrigo said she was “disappointed” that she and her team were unable to perform in Manchester “due to ongoing technical issues with the venue”, in a post on her Instagram Story.

She added that she is doing her best with her team to reschedule the concerts.

The new Manchester venue will be the UK’s largest indoor arena when it finally opens, but it has so far suffered numerous technical breakdowns with several last minute cancellations, including for comedian Peter Kay and singer Rick Astley.

Astley was scheduled to perform in front of 11,000 arena employees and VIPs on April 21, but thousands had their tickets canceled at the last minute.

Chief executive Gary Roden resigned last week amid a series of problems that led to opening delays and criticism when he said some smaller music venues were “poorly managed.”

Tim Leiweke, Chairman and CEO of Oak View Group, said: “The safety and security of everyone who visits and works at Co-op Live is our top priority, and we cannot and will not host any events until it is absolutely sure. do this.

“Today was a very unexpected situation but undoubtedly the right decision. I deeply apologize for the impact this has had on ticket holders and fans. »

Meanwhile, the Co-operative Group said it was “disappointed” by the announcement and will seek a “full explanation” from the Oak View Group.

“As the naming rights sponsor of Co-op Live, we are shocked by the incident which led to the late cancellation of tonight’s show at the arena,” a Co group spokesperson said. -op.

“We are relieved that no one was injured, but we share the disappointment and frustration of ticket holders, many of whom are Co-op members, at the continued delay in opening Co-op Live and the disruption that this entails. causing everyone who was eagerly waiting to attend the events.

“We will seek a full explanation from Oak View Group (OVG), who are responsible for the building, on the obvious issues arising from this, as well as a clear plan from OVG’s Co-op Live site management team for the opening of the place and postponed and upcoming events.

“Safety is, of course, the number one priority and it is essential that Co-op members and other ticket holders are able to enjoy the events in a venue with the highest levels of security and safety measures in place. »