Olivia Rodrigo Manchester: gigs cancelled at crisis-hit Co-op Live Arena with venue opening delayed again

The crisis-hit opening of the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester has continued to rumble on as the venue announced that it would be postponing two gigs by Grammy-winning artist Olivia Rodrigo.

The Deja Vu singer was due to visit Manchester on May 3 and May 4 as part of the UK leg of her GUTS world tour. However, the arena, which has already delayed several events due to the newly-built venue not being ready to open, announced on social media that the dates were being postponed.

Apologising for the “significant inconvenience”, the £365m venue said in a statement on X (formerly Twitter): “Due to an on-going venue-related technical issue, the scheduled performances of Olivia Rodrigo’s GUTS World Tour on 3rd and 4th May are being postponed. Ticket holders can either hold onto their tickets or obtain a refund at point of purchase.”

On Instagram, Olivia apologised to fans, saying in a post to her story: “I’ve been having such a great tie in Europe so far and I’m sooooo disappointed that we’re unable to perform in Manchester due to ongoing venue-related technical issues. We’re doing our best to reschedule the show.... I’m so bummed and I really hope to see you all soon.”

It comes after bosses cancelled a string of events which were due to open the venue. Comedian Peter Kay was billed to make his long-awaited return to the stage with two nights which would have opened the 23,500-capacity venue on April 23 and April 24. However, this was moved to the following weeks, before again being moved into May. US rock band The Black Keys also had their event, due to take place on April 28, postponed.

Fans were left shocked during the event for ‘A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie’ on May 1, when the venue cancelled the gig 10 minutes before doors were due to open with ticket-holders queuing outside. The rapper told fans on social media that “something happened with the venue while I was at soundcheck that caused the cancellation of the show”.

The Oak View Group, which operates the venue, said that a component of the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system used to direct air had separated from the ductwork, and the installer, contractor and third-party inspector will now have to test each nozzle to confirm they are free from the defect.

Tim Leiweke, chairman and chief executive of the Oak View Group, said: “The safety and security of all visiting and working on Co-op Live is our utmost priority, and we could not and will not run any event until it is absolutely safe to do so. Today was a very unexpected situation but without a doubt the right decision. I deeply apologise for the impact that this has had on ticket holders and fans.”

The Co-operative Group, which sponsors the arena and lends its name to it, said it was “disappointed” by recent event and would seek a “full explanation” from Oak View Group bosses on just what has gone wrong so far. A spokesperson for the Co-op Group said: “As the naming rights sponsor for Co-op Live, we are shocked at the incident which has led to late cancellation of tonight’s show at the arena,.

“We are relieved that no-one has been injured, but we share the disappointment and frustration of ticket holders, many of whom are Co-op members, with the continuing delay to the opening of Co-op Live and the disruption that this is causing to everyone who has been looking forward to attending events. We will be seeking a full explanation from Oak View Group (OVG), who are responsible for the building, to the obvious questions arising from this, together with a clear plan from the Co-op Live venue management team at OVG for opening the venue and postponed and future events.

“Safety is, of course, the number one priority and it is critical that Co-op members and other ticket holders can enjoy events in a venue with the very highest levels of security and safety measures in place.”