(Updated 6 June 2023 to add Populous as architect.)
Co-op Live, a £365 million indoor arena set to become the UK's biggest live entertainment venue, will open its doors next April, those behind the scheme have confirmed.
The 23,500-person arena is being built by a joint venture between US entertainment group Oak View Group and Manchester City Football Club owner the City Football Group and has backing from British music artist Harry Styles and Co-op.
A Co-op spokesperson said the venue's opening date is still within the timeframe it set out before construction began in 2021, despite challenges around the COVID-19 pandemic, supply chain issues and rising energy costs.
Oak View Group shared plans to build a "music-first arena" on the Etihad Campus, next to Manchester City's Etihad Stadium, in February 2020. The Rowsley Street venue will host live music performances and will has a 'smart bowl' design to enhance its atmosphere.
Co-op Live, designed by architecture firm Populous, will have the largest floor space of any indoor venue and is being built with a flexible design to be able to host sporting and comedy events.
Bam Construct UK is the main contractor on the site, which will also host 32 bars, restaurants, lounges, and club spaces.
A Co-op Live spokesperson said: "It’s huge kudos to Bam, and the dozens of local subcontractors working on the project, that we are well within our original timeframe and on-budget given the unprecedented challenges of the pandemic, supply chain shortages, and an energy crisis.
"We’re proud to be on the home stretch to delivering Co-op Live and we can’t wait to invite fans in to experience the biggest and most sustainable arena in the UK."
According to its investors, Co-op Live will be one of the world’s premier music and entertainment venues, rivalling New York’s Madison Square Garden, The Forum in LA and The O2 in London.
Planning for the development was approved by Manchester City Council in September 2020.
In April, CFG's Manchester City submitted £300 million proposals to increase its stadium capacity and construct a year-round entertainment and leisure destination at the Etihad.