British retailer Co-op has partnered with Oak View Group investors to build the largest indoor concert arena in the UK by 2023.
In a new move set to create thousands of jobs – ultimately in response to the continued destruction and devastation we are seeing the live music and event industry battle as COVID-19 has ravaged the arts and culture sectors across the world; plans for a brand new, giant arena in Manchester have been confirmed to open in 2023.
The project will start creating over 3,000 jobs during a three-year construction period, all paying at least the Manchester Living Wage… Alongside the direct jobs, analysis shows the project will support a further 6,000 jobs in construction right across Greater Manchester. Once open, Co-op Live will create a further 1,000 jobs across a wide range of roles and skill-levels to put on world leading events with a world beating visitor experience.
Following a major private investment by the Oak View Group (OVG) – an investment group that specialises in live music and events – working in tandem with British retailer the Co-operative group (or simply, Co-Op) have announced that a brand new, massive arena is officially set to open in Manchester in 2023.
Set to hold an incredible 23,500 people, the arena will become the largest indoor concert venue in the UK. With construction to begin as soon as November, the arena will be named Co-op Live and will be located on Manchester’s Etihad Campus.
In an official press release on Co-op’s website, the retailer announced:
The move will create 3,350 construction jobs, starting from November this year, and 1,000 roles and apprenticeships on completion of the venue…
The construction project, the single-largest in the city, will give the regional economy a much-needed boost following the devastating impacts of the Covid pandemic and will boost the local economy by over £1.5bn over the next 20 years.
Co-op have also shared their ethical stance when it comes to their work and funding distribution:
Around £1m a year will go to good causes across the UK – distributed by the Co-op Foundation – and the arena will be one of the most sustainable and socially responsible buildings of its type in Europe. It will be at the forefront of Manchester’s zero carbon agenda and help to tackle food poverty via a zero-food waste initiative.
For more information, visit Co-op’s official website here.
