Toe-curling moment millionaire American owner of £365m Co-Op Live arena calls ... trends now
'It's a marvel...we've built 20 of these - so we're pretty good at figuring this out', the grinning American boss of the £365million Co-op Live arena in Manchester crowed hours before its grand opening.
But by the evening those words would come back to haunt the 67-year-old multi-millionaire, whose grand opening has been an unmitigated disaster.
There were chaotic scenes when thousands of fans turned up to watch 80s idol Astley perform only to find out their tickets had been cancelled without notice after the capacity was slashed because of safety fears.
Behind the scenes Leiweke is likely to have been incandescent over the scandal - and despite the horseplay in his BBC interview - there were signs of problems because he stood there with his arms crossed and said with a hint of desperation: 'I'm just trying to get it open'. After failing to do just that - days later the venue's general manager quit under a cloud.
And it's not just fans who will be upset by what has unfolded. Investors including Harry Styles, who also helped with the design, and the Abu Dhabi owners of Manchester City must have watched in horror at the failure to open on time - three years after construction began on land across from the Premier League champions' Etihad Stadium.
Harry had sent a video message on the eve of the opening speaking of his 'pride' in being involved in the Co-op Live project, saying the 'people of Manchester deserve one of the best arenas in the world and I can't wait for you to see it'.
Tim Leiweke then put his arm around a BBC Breakfast reporter and promised 'we're never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down' - a nod to Rick Astley who was playing in the first gig that night, which later turned sour
There was, perhaps, some honesty in the interview where he admitted: 'I'm just trying to get it open'
Tim Leiweke's daughter Francesca, pictured with David Beckham at a Lakers game in LA in around 2009, works with her father, whose business Oak View Group own the arena
Tim Leiweke with Jon Bon Jovi and his wife Bernadette
The Co-op Live arena in Manchester. The £365m venue, the biggest indoor arena in the UK, has postponed its opening numerous times after rescheduling performances from Peter Kay, The Black Keys, and A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, as well as shows by Olivia Rodrigo
Investor Harry Styles sent a message of good luck and spoke of his pride ahead of the opening, before the problems emerged
Manchester is scarred by the suicide bomb attack on its city centre Arena in 2017.
One survivor tweeted this week that the problems at the new Co-op Arena was causing 'anxiety' to her and many others who plan to go.
American businessman Tim Leiweke is one of the biggest names in the entertainment business in the US.
The general manager of Manchester's troubled new Co-op Live, Gary Roden, dramatically quit
Until around ten years ago he was boss of AEG Worldwide, the biggest owner of venues, sport teams, and entertainment businesses.
Leiweke is married to wife Bernadette and have one daughter. Francesca, who is married to a former hockey star and works for her father, made headlines in 2009 when she sat with David Beckham at a LA Lakers game as the England footballer moved to the use.
Becks was playing for LA Galaxy, which was owned by AEG.
After leaving AEG, Leiweke co-founded Oak View Group with Irving Azoff, ex-boss of Ticketmaster, with the view of 'disrupting' the market - especially his former employer.
OVG owns and operates more than 300 venues worldwide, mostly in the US but with projects planned across Europe, Africa and Asia - bankrolled by investors including private equity firms.
It has big plans for venues ion London and Las Vegas - but until then the jewel in the crown is the Co-op Arena in Manchester - the most expensive venue of its kind outside the US.
However, its opening has been marred by a failure to safely complete it on time.
Before the problems, Tim said spending £365million on the arena was 'a bet' that had gone in his favour.
'We were fortunate that the bet we made – that we'd see the single greatest live entertainment return and surge in the history of the industry – is what we've seen these past few years', he said.
Discussing Co-op Live, Leiweke said: 'It's the largest single investment in the history of our industry internationally. It's the most expensive arena ever built outside of North America.'
He also described turning his attention to a new super-venue in London - and an arena in Cardiff.
American singer Olivia Rodrigo (seen here on Tuesday in Dublin) was scheduled to perform at the Co-op Live this week before aircon defects delayed her shows
Peter Kay took a swipe at the bosses of Manchester CO-OP Live venue on Friday after his live show was cancelled twice
A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, real name Julius Dubose, earlier told fans 'something happened with the venue during a soundcheck'. He spoke out today about the cancellation
Since the disastrous Rick Astley gig on Saturday, April 20, Peter Kay has been forced to cancel his show amid continuing safety concerns at the £350million Manchester venue, and rock duo The Black Keys had their show postponed.
Last night door had been scheduled to open at 6.30pm, but as fans queued to see US rapper A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, the venue announced on social media that the concert would not be going ahead.
A part of the heating and ventilation system coming loose during the soundcheck was blamed.
And today Vampire singer Olivia Rodrigo had been due to perform at the venue on May 3 and 4 as part of her Guts world tour, but those shows have now been postponed.
The venue, built by developer the Oak View Group, was given planning permission in 2020 and boasted an investment from popstar Harry Styles. Harry even helped with some elements of the design.
But headaches for the Co-op Arena became patently clear after capacity for the Rick Astley gig was reduced with just
