Co-op Live, Manchester, United Kingdom
Co‑op Live in Manchester is a groundbreaking, purpose‑built indoor arena that opened in May 2024 in the Etihad Campus, adjacent to Manchester City’s stadium. With a capacity of up to 23,500 (20,500 seated, 9,200 standing), it is officially the UK’s largest music-focused arena.
Designed by Populus, the venue features a “smart bowl” design with a low, 24 m ceiling and a compact three-tier seating bowl that ensures no seat is more than 95 m from the stage. The result? Intimate, immersive live shows that bring audiences up to 23 m closer than in other arenas. Celebrating sustainability, Co‑op Live is the UK’s first fully electric arena. Its eco‑credentials include roughly a football-pitch worth of rooftop solar panels, rainwater harvesting, air‑source heat pumps, smart energy systems, LED lighting, zero-to-landfill waste, and locally sourced food and materials.