Fans are furious over the latest in a string of headaches that have plagued Oak View Group’s new showpiece arena in the UK, Co-Op Live. The £365 million arena in Manchester, which cancelled its original opening show and then saw its GM abruptly step down, drew further flack for cancelling this weekend’s dates from U.S. singer Olivia Rodrigo.
“I’m so bummed and I really hope to see you all soon,” wrote Rodrigo in an Instagram “story” post after the postponements were announced, saying she and her team were “doing our best” to reschedule the concerts.
Oak View Group, in a statement issued following the cancellation, blamed the issue on a piece of the arena’s HVAC system failing and falling to the ground – thankfully not injuring anyone working at the time. Their naming partner – The Co-operative group, which has the naming rights for the venue but does not own the building or operate, told BBC that they were “shocked” by the developments and were “seeking a full explanation from Oak View Group.”
Opening shows by comedian Peter Kay and The Black Keys were also postponed due to issues in the building.
FURTHER READING | Co-op Live General Manager Resigns Following Delayed Opening
Naturally, the reasons for the delays mattered little to fans impacted by the news.
“The devastation my daughter is feeling is palpable,” says Catherine Pugh in a story reported by the BBC outlining fan anger over the venue issues. The Leeds resident had bought tickets and booked a hotel for the shows after her daughter spent three months in the hospital last year. “The concern is it impacts her recovery, I feel so sad for her.”
“I was angry last night and I’ve been up since 05:30 wondering what to do. She took it better than I did – it’s been poorly managed from the top to the bottom,” added Newcastle resident Dean McAllister, who was also bringing his daughter to the concert.
Olivia Rodrigo’s tour performed as planned on Tuesday in Dublin, and has dates in Glasgow, Birmingham, and London before hitting continental cities through the end of June. Rodrigo’s tour returns to the United States for summer dates beginning in July.
UPDATE: 4:15 PM Thursday May 2
Oak View Group has announced that the ongoing issues at Co-op Live Arena will necessitate the rescheduling or relocating of multiple additional shows in May.
AN IMPORTANT UPDATE FROM OAK VIEW GROUP pic.twitter.com/tSfdS75ucF
— Co-op Live (@TheCoopLive) May 2, 2024
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Olivia Rodrigo GUTS World Tour 2024
Fri May 03 – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live = (POSTPONED)
Sat May 4 – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live = (POSTPONED)
Tue May 07 – Glasgow, Scotland – OVO Hydro =
Wed May 08 – Glasgow, Scotland – OVO Hydro =
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Sat Jun 01 – Berlin, Germany – Mercedes-Benz Arena =
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Sat Aug 10 – Portland, OR – Moda Center ^
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