Comedian Peter Kay will be the first act to play at Co-op Live, the new 23,500-capacity arena opening in Manchester in April.
The 50-year-old will perform at the arena on April 23, with tickets available through the Co-op Member presale from 10am tomorrow (Wednesday). Tickets will then go on general sale at 10am on Friday.
Co-op Live will be the largest arena in the UK when it opens. The venue had been due to stage its first event in 2023, but last June the opening date was pushed back until April 2024.
Co-op Live is being built at a cost of £365m (€426m/$460m) and is a joint venture between Oak View Group and City Football Group. It will form part of the Etihad Campus, which houses Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium.
Kay’s ‘Better Late Than Never’ tour began in 2022 and is scheduled to run until 2025.
Gary Roden, executive director and general manager at Co-op Live, said: “When you think of Manchester, it’s hard not to think of Peter Kay. He embodies what this city is about, and to have him headlining Co-op Live is tremendously exciting. We’re creating an arena that is truly part of the community around it, and having Peter as our opening act is a perfect reminder of that.”
Last month, Co-op Live revealed details of The Decibel Club, a members-only VIP lounge that has been developed in partnership with Moët Hennessy and Armand de Brignac.
The Decibel Club will be limited to 100 luxe memberships and will be located next to the stage at Co-op Live. Members will have early access to the arena and enter through a dedicated VIP entrance an hour before general admission.
The first seats at Co-op Live were installed in October. The venue welcomed the first guests to its main bowl in July as it held a ‘topping out’ ceremony attended by partners, venue stakeholders and premium guests, marking the final stage of roof construction.
Co-op Live made its first gig announcement last July, with the Jonas Brothers confirmed as one of the artists that will perform during its opening season on June 17. Since then, a host of other acts have been announced, including Olivia Rodrigo, Keane, Take That, Elbow, Eric Clapton, Nicki Minaj, Eagles, Pet Shop Boys, Liam Gallagher and The Killers.
