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Co-op Live turns around after rocky start, earning millions in its first operational year

The £365m Manchester venue hit national headlines at the start of 2024 when its grand opening was delayed several times. The fall out led to the resignation of boss Gary Roden

Co-op Live arena(Image: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

After a tumultuous beginning, Co-op Live, the º£½ÇÊÓÆµ's largest indoor arena, turned its fortunes around to earn millions in its inaugural year.

The £365 million venue in Manchester gained significant attention early on in 2024 when delays hindered its grand opening multiple times, as reported by .

The resulting turmoil led to the resignation of chief executive Gary Roden shortly after the cancellation of Peter Kay's initial shows due to the venue’s unreadiness.

Further controversy arose following Mr Roden's remarks to the BBC about some small music venues being "poorly run". However, recent filings at Companies House detail Co-op Live's performance post-launch in May last year.

For the year ending 30 June, 2024, the entity managing the venue has declared revenues of £40.7m generated from operating activities, overturning a prior 12-month loss of £2m.

Despite substantial revenue streams, the annual loss for Co-op Live deepened from £2.6m to £8.6m. In August 2024, it received a financial boost with a loan of £5m from Eastlands Arena Holdings, its owning company.

Co-op Live overcomes tumultuous start

Sir Paul McCartney performing on stage at Co-op Live in Manchester during his Got Back tour

Co-op Live, backed by owners Oak View Group International and City Football Group, the latter also proprietor of Manchester City Football Club, can house 23,500 fans and has witnessed performances by Elbow, Paul McCartney, Liam Gallagher and others. Notably, pop icon Harry Styles is among the investors for the venue along with concert promoters Simon Moran and Denis Desmond.

The official launch of the venue was delayed multiple times due to ongoing construction, with the final date set for 23 April, 2024.