Staff in tears, wires everywhere and VIP rooms 'full of cardboard boxes': ... trends now
The workers at the troubled Co-op Live arena in Manchester have described the disastrous 24 hours leading up to the bungled opening of the venue.
They have revealed how staff were reduced to tears, the building was unsafe with 'wires everywhere' and how the VIP rooms were still 'full of cardboard boxes' only hours before the first gig was due to start.
Speaking on the condition of anonymity to the BBC, the workers revealed how construction staff at the venue warned back in February that works were 35 weeks behind schedule.
In the leadup to the grand opening, the arena had been billed as the greatest indoor arena for music, comedy and sport ever built outside the United States.
Costing £365million, it is the most expensive and largest purpose-built concert venue in Britain and the jewel in the crown for an American-based firm that owns 300 venues around the world.
The workers at the troubled Co-op Live arena in Manchester have described the disastrous 24 hours leading up to the bungled opening of the venue. Pictured: Fans leaving after the debut gig was cancelled
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
Venue mogul Tim Leiweke, co-founder of its owner Oak View Group, also claimed it is 'acoustically the most perfect ever built in the UK' ahead of some of the biggest music and comedy gigs of 2024. He also said it would be a springboard to building a new arena in London to finally rival the 02 in Greenwich.
But promises soon began to unravel, with the venue forced to cancel the debut performance by A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie just over an hour before he was due to begin on Wednesday.
Many fans had already arrived at the venue and were left puzzled at what had gone wrong.
Officially the show was cancelled after part of an air conditioning unit fell from the gantry inside the venue prior to the start of the gig.
But a staff member who was hired as a 'premium host' in the venue's VIP rooms has now revealed the truth about the state of the building fewer than 24 hours before A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie was due to begin.
She told the BBC the venue 'did not look ready at all', describing the scenes as 'chaotic'.
The rooms were full of cardboard boxes and the building was filled with workmen doing 'random checks', she claimed.
Fans were left stunned after the Co-op Live arena cancelled its opening gig with some ticket-holders left queuing outside on Wednesday
US rapper A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie's show had already been postponed twice earlier in the week and fans reacted in disbelief as they were told to leave the area
Fans were handed these notes asking them to 'kindly...leave the area' as they stood in the queue
A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, real name Julius Dubose, told fans 'something happened with the venue during a soundcheck'
Hundreds of contractors were pictured working at the the Co-op Live arena in Manchester on Thursday, the day after the debut performance was due to take place
Workmen on site at the Co-op Live Arena on Thursday as efforts are made to finally get the beleaguered venue open
She said 'there were loads of wires hanging down' with exposed lighting on the floor which looked 'very messy'.
The woman, who has been employed on a casual contract, said staff members were still paid part of their wage if their shift was cancelled at short notice.
A spokesperson for the venue said staff who are on site when a shift is cancelled are paid in full.
Another staff member who was working in an operations role at the venue said the root cause of all the problems came from the building, not the operations.
They said there was relief among her colleagues thousands of fans would not be coming to the venue after the piece of ventilation equipment fell from the ceiling on Wednesday night during a sound check.
They said: 'Yesterday I went home and couldn't stop crying. It's not just me, it's the same for a lot of the team, we've put in so much effort.'
Although most public-facing areas of the building are complete, the staff member revealed some offices on the top floor and some premium areas remain unfinished.
At a visit to the site in February, an employee for Co-op Group - the naming rights partner for the arena - said they were told by construction workers the project was running 35 weeks behind schedule, due to delays with crane equipment.
Fans were sent away 10 minutes after doors were due to open for the gig after a piece of aircon equipment came loose
Stranded A Boogie Wit da Hoodie fans speak to police in Manchester after his Co-op Live show was cancelled at the last minute
The employee told the BBC that Co-op was 'really disappointed with OVG's constant delays.
OVG [the Oak View Group] own the venue, whereas Co-op just have a deal over the naming rights.
A spokesperson for Co-op Live said events at the arena have been paused 'to ensure the safety and security of fans and artists visiting the venue'.
Tim Leiweke, Chairman and CEO of the Oak View Group, said: 'On behalf of all of us at Oak View Group, I'd like to express my sincere apologies to all those that have been affected.'
A spokesperson for the Co-op Group said: 'Co-op is a sponsor and does not own or run the venue, and we have made it clear to Oak View Group, who are responsible for the building, that the impact on ticket-holders must be addressed as a priority.'
They added: 'Co-op members and other ticket holders can be reassured that the venue has the very highest levels of security and safety measures.'
BAM Construction has been contacted for comment.
Discussing the impact of the troubled arena, Stuart Galbraith, the vice chair of the Concert Promoters Association, told the PA news agency: 'I think everyone is frustrated and disappointed, but I don't think anybody is saying that it's necessarily anybody's "fault".
'And to be quite
