Boss of Manchester's new £350m arena quits after Peter Kay shows were ... trends now
The boss of the soon-to-be biggest music venue in the UK has 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.
The venue had been due to open on April 23 and is expected to compete with the 02 Arena for the some of the world's biggest sporting and music events.
But headaches for the arena became patently clear after capacity for a test event last Saturday was reduced with just hours' notice due to power issues.
Bolton comedian Peter Kay's opening shows at the 23,500-seat venue were also cancelled.
In addition, Mr Roden was accused of being 'disrespectful' and 'disingenuous' after claiming that grassroots music venues were often 'poorly run'.
The shows were set to be the grand opening act for the Co-Op Live Arena, but there is still work to be completed on the venue
The new music venue is the biggest indoor arena in the UK and it is situated next to Manchester City's Etihad stadium. There is still building work going on at the venue
The comedian was due to perform at the brand new venue on April 23 and 24, but the shows have now been postponed to 29th and 30th April respectively
The former general manager of Manchester's troubled new Co-op Live arena Gary Roden
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'.
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
