The £365 million Co-op Live was only days away from opening when the wheels fell off... but it wasn't the only arena to have problems
The last few days the troubles surrounding Manchester's newest arena have hit the headlines. The £365 million Co-op Live arena was only days away from officially opening when a 'test' gig last Saturday welcoming 11,000 fans to its first-ever show starring Rick Astley was forced to reduce its capacity at the last minute.
Manchester Arena was built as part of the city's unsuccessful bid for the 2000 Summer Olympics. Costing £60 million it was built as an American-style sports arena with 360-degree seating, although it's become mostly renowned for hosting large music events in recent years. Many people were said to have left Torvill and Dean's performance early because they felt "dizzy and unsafe" on the steeply-tiered seats. One man who didn't stay for the duration of the performance was Keith Cracknell, 61, and his wife Sheila, 58, who left half-way through.
In response, the arena bosses said they would look into the complaints. A spokesperson said the slope of the seats was comparable to modern football stadia under construction around the world - but was steeper than older more traditional venues like Manchester G-Mex or Birmingham's National Indoor Arena.
It reverted back to its name the Manchester Arena until it found a new sponsor in July 2013, being renamed Phones 4u Arena. But this ended in January 2015 after Phones 4u went bust and the name reverted back to Manchester Arena.
AO Arena Manchester Arena Peter Kay
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