First Co-op Live concert canceled moments before concert start

Co-op Live was forced to cancel its first concert at the last minute.

Manchester’s New Arena released a statement on Twitter/X saying that tonight’s A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie show would not go ahead as planned. The American rapper’s concert was supposed to be the first official event there.

As fans lined up outside to get in, Co-Op Live released the following statement: “Due to a technical issue with the venue, tonight’s A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie show will no longer have place.”

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“We ask fans to please leave the area. Ticket holders will receive further information in due course. We deeply apologize for the significant inconvenience this will cause to many.”

Tonight’s cancellation is the latest misstep in what has been a rocky start for the £365million arena. This is the third time the venue has had to cancel its opening event.

The arena was originally scheduled to open with a series of concerts by Peter Kay starting April 23.

Last week, the comedian’s shows were moved to April 29 and 30 after issues with the launch event. But the shows have once again been postponed. The delay is also expected to impact the Black Keys’ performance, which has also been postponed until next month.

In a statement last week, Co-Op Live said: “Since making the difficult decision to postpone the Co-op Live concerts that were due to take place this week, we have undertaken an extensive protocol for testing critical procedures to ensure all areas are ready for fans. To ensure we can hold all concerts safely, we have unfortunately had to make the decision to reschedule the planned Black Keys and Peter Kay concerts.

“The Black Keys and Peter Kay have graciously agreed to postpone their concerts. The Black Keys will now perform on May 15, 2024, and Peter Kay will now perform on May 23 and 24, 2024.

“All tickets remain valid and ticket holders will be contacted through their point of purchase. Refunds will be available for those who can no longer attend. We deeply appreciate the impact this will have on enthusiastic fans and we apologize sincerely for the inconvenience this change will undoubtedly cause.

“Postponing Peter Kay and the Black Keys will give us the additional time we need to continue to thoroughly test enhanced emergency communications. This is essential to meeting the rigorous set of guidelines and protocols necessary for a venue of this size to ensure that our fans, artists and staff have the safest experience possible.

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