As construction work continues around him, Tim Leiweke’s optimism is unwavering.
The self-described ‘director of enthusiasm’ at Co-op Live is confident that Manchester’s new arena – the biggest in the UK – will finally open its doors next week. But his exclusive interview with the Manchester Evening News follows a turbulent few days for the venue.
Hours before a test event on Saturday (April 20), some ticket holders were told that they could no longer attend. The capacity for the event which featured a performance by Rick Astley was cut from around 11,000 to 4,000 amid concerns raised by emergency services.
READ MORE: Co-op Live boss reveals exact reasons behind delays to venue’s opening
Two days later, the arena announced its official opening – two performances by Peter Kay starting the following night – would have to be pushed back by a week. On Friday (April 26), Co-op Live announced that the Bolton comedian’s shows have been postponed again.
The Black Keys, who were supposed to be performing at the venue on Saturday (April 27), have also been moved. American rapper Boogie Wit da Hoodie is now set to open the building on Wednesday (May 1) – something Tim ‘never thought’ he would be saying.
The following day, Olivia Rodrigo’s team – some of whom are already at the venue – will start setting up for the US singer’s two shows starting on Friday (May 3), which will be the arena’s first at full capacity. Contingency plans are in place, but Tim insists: “We’ll be fine.”
This is the not his first rodeo. The manager director of Oak View Group – the American company behind Co-op Live – has opened 20 arenas in his career, including the O2 Arena which saw London’s Millennium Dome transformed into a 20,000-capacity venue in 2007.
His latest project in the UK is even bigger. “This is the most expensive arena ever built outside of North America,” Tim says.
“It is a technical marvel, but it’s also a big a** building. We’ll be ready to go for Olivia [Rodrigo], for sure. We’ll be done.”
The American boss of the company – which runs 450 arenas around the world – has apologised to ticket holders for the disappointment the delays have caused. But asked whether he is disappointed himself, he says no, insisting all will be forgotten when it opens.
“I know for the next 30 years, no one will remember the first seven days,” he said. “I promise you. We didn’t miss a show. We got it all rescheduled thanks to the artists. We’ll be fine.”
With a jam-packed calendar of events scheduled, moving events around is not straightforward. Tim is full of praise for Peter Kay who, unlike other artists set to perform at the new arena in the coming weeks, is not on tour, giving him more flexibility to reschedule.
Tim said he caught The Black Keys, who will now come to Co-op Live at the end of their UK tour on May 15, as they were getting ready to go to the airport. But moving The Eagles, booked for five nights, or Take That, who are playing seven, was not an option.
“And I don’t want to go to Liam Gallagher,” Tim adds. “He’d probably hit me.”
In another dramatic turn of events for the venue, Co-op Live’s general manager and executive Gary Roden quit on Thursday (April 25) after comments he made to the BBC about grassroots music venues sparked fury. Mr Roden came under fire when he responded to calls for a £1 levy on arena tickets to go towards grassroots music venues by suggesting to the BBC that some venues are poorly run.
Tim told the M.E.N. Mr Roden’s resignation was ‘probably for a variety of issues’, but said he did not agree with his comments about other venues. “I am all for music,” Tim said. “I’m for clubs and I’m for theatres. He did not speak on my behalf on that comment.”
The Oak View Group boss has promised to meet with campaigners lobbying for a levy to support grassroots venues once Co-op Live is open. But speaking to the M.E.N, he expressed scepticism about the proposal, saying he does ‘not have the right to tax people’.
Tim insisted that the arena’s outgoing general manager was not to blame for the delays. “I’m the boss,” he explained. “Yell at me.”
So who – and what – is to blame for the delays? According to Tim, Brexit, Covid and a record amount of rainfall are the main reasons.
“This is what we do for a living and I have great pride in it,” he said. “I’ve built 20 arenas in my career. But I go through this on 20 arenas.
“It takes a lot of time, nerve, foresight and energy to get one of these built – and to do it in this day and age privately.
“When we started five years ago, did I know about Covid? Nope. Did I know about Brexit? Nope. Did I know about inflation and interest rates? Nope.
“Did I know about the work shortage? Nope. Did I know we’d have the most amount of rain ever this season that affected us outside. Nope. I didn’t know any of that. Guess what? We overcame all of it and you’re talking about seven days.
“So people that chatter, I don’t listen to them. If I would have listened to them, we never would have built this.”
James Parker is a UK-based entertainment aficionado who delves into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry. From Hollywood to the West End, he offers readers an insider’s perspective on the world of movies, music, and pop culture.
