Olivia Rodrigo’s shows in Manchester this week have been cancelled amid the chaos surrounding the opening of the city’s £350m new venue The Co-Op Live.
The US star was scheduled to perform two dates as part of her Guts World Tour in Manchester on Friday and Saturday but in an Instagram statement on Wednesday night she announced they had been axed.
‘I’ve been having such a great time in Europe so far and I’m sooooo disappointed that we’re unable to perform in Manchester due to on-doing venue-related technical issues,’ Olivia posted.
The singer said she and her team were ‘doing our best to reschedule the show,’ ending her statement by telling her followers: ‘im so bummed and I really hope to see you all soon.’
The Co-Op Live also added a statement to Instagram, leading to hundreds of furious fans flooding their comments, with one declaring: ‘You upset the wrong fan base.’
Olivia Rodrigo ’s shows in Manchester this week have been cancelled amid the chaos surrounding the opening of the city’s major new venue The Co-Op Live
The US star was schedulled to perform two dates as part of her Guts World Tour in Manchester on Friday and Saturday
The venue announced that ‘ticket holders can either hold onto their tickets or obtain a refund from their point of purchase’ but fans voiced their frustration with one commenting: ‘this has been booked since SEPTEMBER you knew it wouldn’t be ready in time.’
Other commented: ‘okay but postponed to WHEN i have a job i need to book time off work ????’; ‘Co-Flop Live. Manchester’s very own Willy Wonka Glasgow Experience. Well done all’; ‘why rush to get this arena open if you guys aren’t completely ready? its not fair for people who are excited to see their favourite singers live!?’; ‘Absolute shambles! Been looking forward to this for ages. People will lose money on trains and hotels. My sister and niece included.’
It is the latest disaster for the The Co-Op Live after fans turned up on Wednesday to see US rapper A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, only for the show to be cancelled at the very last moment.
As a result of the ongoing chaos and the delayed opening of Manchester’s new £350m arena, Peter was regrettably forced to cancel yet another show on Friday.
The venue was due to open on April 23 and is expected to compete with the 02 Arena for some of the world’s biggest sporting and music events.
Delays have seen Gary Roden, general manager of the venue quit after a slew of issues led to a delay in opening.
Gary Roden, general manager of the £365m Co-op Live Arena in Manchester, resigned on Thursday.
Headaches for the arena, which is next door to Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium, became patently clear after capacity for a test event last Saturday was reduced with just hours’ notice due to power issues.
In an Instagram statement on Wednesday night she announced they had been axed
‘I’m sooooo disappointed that we’re unable to perform in Manchester due to on-doing venue-related technical issues,’ Olivia posted
Photos of the venue from Tuesday also showed some construction work still taking place. The main car park for the arena also appeared to be a storage area for building materials.
Mr Roden was accused of being ‘disrespectful’ and ‘disingenuous’ after claiming that grassroots music venues were often ‘poorly run’.
A statement from the arena said it did not ‘share the sentiment’ expressed by its now-former general manager and that ‘Co-op Live remains committed to grassroots music in Manchester and beyond’.
The statement also thanked Mr Roden for his ‘help bringing the UK’s newest arena to live entertainment fans and wish him the best for the future’.
The venue announced that ‘ticket holders can either hold onto their tickets or obtain a refund from their point of purchase’ but fans voiced their frustration on Instagram
Rebecca Kane Burton, an ex-boss of London’s O2 Arena, will step in as interim general manager.
The Music Venue Trust hit out at Mr Roden in a statement of its own, telling NME that grassroots music venues were not ‘poorly run’, and it was ‘disrespectful and disingenuous to suggest otherwise’.
They said: ‘Obviously, the irony of making ill-judged, unnecessary and misleading comments about grassroots music venues on the day that the launch of their new arena has unfortunately fallen into such difficulties is not lost on anyone in the music industry, on artists, or on audiences.’
Problems with power at the site, which are believed to have affected the fire safety and emergency services communication systems, led to bosses slashing attendance from around 11,000 to 4,000 at Saturday night’s test event – less than two hours before it was due to start.
The Co-op Live arena could rival The 02 Arena for the world’s biggest boxing and UFC events (Photo: Artist impressions when the plans for the venue were unveiled)
Insiders claimed ‘everything was run down to the wire’ ahead of the test show starring Rick Astley.
Manchester City Council’s building control department cannot issue a completion certificate while work is still ongoing at the site, which is understood to include corridors and wiring.
The venue could still operate without this certificate after presenting council bosses with a mitigation strategy to manage potential risks, although details of this plan have not been made public.
Previously, bosses at Co-op Live said teams were on-site ‘throwing everything at it’ to prepare for the venue’s grand opening.
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