Co-op Live’s rescheduled gig list in full as arena finally opens after weeks of delays

After weeks of uncertainty and a string of setbacks, Manchester’s long awaited Co-op Live arena finally opened its doors on Friday night with a stellar performance from Bury based band Elbow. The headline act delighted audiences with a special performance to mark the release of their 10th studio album Audio Vertigo, and in the process made history as the first act to ever perform live at the new arena.

Yet while fans were loving every moment of it, the same couldn’t be said for the thousands of music and comedy fans that had sadly had their gigs rescheduled following the delayed opening of the venue and the collapse of a portion of the ventilation and air conditioning system from the ceiling earlier this month.

READ MORE: "People should stop kicking and start appreciating" says Co-op Live boss

The latest act that was forced to pull out of the Co-Op Live arena was Take That, with the popular hitmakers moving their upcoming shows to the Manchester arena instead, as they initially weren’t sure the venue would be completed in time. However, since the opening of the venue, organisers have confirmed that they don’t expect any more artists to reschedule or cancel their performances.

So which gigs have been postponed and rescheduled so far?

Peter Kay

So far, a number of big name acts have been forced to postpone and reschedule their performances, with the most notable of these being comedian Peter Kay, who was the first star to face troubles with the arena’s delayed opening. Originally Peter had been scheduled to perform on April 23 - 24, however this was later rescheduled to April 29 - 30.

Unfortunately, even with a week’s postponement the venue still wasn’t ready in time, with new tour dates now set to take place on May 23 - 24.

Jonas Brothers

Another casualty of the changing schedules as US hitmakers the Jonas Brothers, who had originally been scheduled to play on June 17. In the latest schedule shuffle, the pop trio will now be performing at the later date of September 12.

Keane

Earlier this month, British rock group Keane were slated to celebrate 20 years in the music industry when they performed at the Co-Op Live arena on May 5, however due to the ongoing delays to opening they were forced to reschedule their performance to later in the year.

In a new statement, the band recently revealed the new dates of their show when they said: "We’re pleased to announce that our gig at Manchester Co-op Live will be rescheduled for Saturday 19th October 2024.

"This show is very special to us and we want to make sure we can give you the best possible experience. Thank you for bearing with us and for your love and support. We look forward to celebrating 20 years of Hopes and Fears with you. Tom, Tim, Richard, Jesse x ”

Take That

As a result of the ongoing difficulties, Take That made the difficult decision to change the venue of their May tour dates from the Co-Op Live arena to rival venue AO Arena, with the performances going ahead without a hitch from Tuesday May 7 to Sunday May 12.

However, despite the initial change for their May tour dates, the band have since confirmed that they will be returning to the Co-Op Live arena for their June dates as originally planned, with the performances due to take place on June 11 - 12.

Olivia Rodrigo

One act that’s future remains a mystery to fans, is chart-topping sensation Olivia Rodrigo, who was originally slated to kick off the UK leg of her world tour in Manchester at the new arena on May 3 and 4.

Unfortunately, due to technical difficulties, her performance and safety concerns surrounding equipment falling from the ceiling, the gig was cancelled with less than 48 hours notice leaving many fans distraught.

Since then, no rescheduled date has yet been released however Co-op Live's boss Tim Leiweke has offered fans a glimmer of hope as he recently revealed he had been in contact with her team about potential dates for her performance.

Mr Leiweke said: "Olivia has three sets of dates and we’re waiting on her to make a decision, that’s up to her.

"We’ve given her three sets of dates and she’s figuring it out whether to add on to her European schedule, her Asian tour or on her second leg which may fall later than we want, but it’s up to her."

A Boogie Wit da Hoodie

Rap sensation A Boogie Wit da Hoodie suffered an unfortunate setback ahead of his gig on May 1, when the show was cancelled a mere ten minutes before he was due on stage due to a technical failure in which a piece of equipment fell from the gantry.

The show is currently expected to be rescheduled, however much like Olivia’s schedule, no firm dates have yet been put in place for his performance.

Are you glad the arena's finally open? Let us know in the comments