Manchester’s Co-Op Live postpone Olivia Rodrigo gigs as venue issues continue
A gig from A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie was also cancelled last night as doors were opening, with a “venue-related technical issue” cited as the reason.
Olivia Rodrigo‘s upcoming gigs at Manchester’s new Co-Op Live arena have been postponed as problems around the venue continue to worsen.
The venue was set to open with a test event featuring Rick Astley last month, but that gig was cancelled less than 24 hours ahead of time. Subsequent shows from Peter Kay and The Black Keys were also shelved, before venue boss Gary Roden stepped down from his role.
Last night (May 1), it appeared that the venue would finally be opening with a gig from rapper A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, but that gig was also cancelled as doors were opening, with a “venue-related technical issue” cited as the reason.
Immediately after that news broke, it was also revealed by the venue that Rodrigo’s two gigs at Co-Op Live tomorrow (May 3) and Friday (May 4), as part of her GUTS world tour, were being rescheduled.
The venue said: “Due to an on-going venue-related technical issue, the scheduled performances of Olivia Rodrigo’s GUTS World Tour on 3rd and 4th May are being postponed.
“Ticket holders can either hold onto their tickets or obtain a refund at point of purchase. We deeply apologise for the significant inconvenience this will cause for many.”
In a statement on her Instagram Stories, Rodrigo said of the news: “I’ve been having such a great time in Europe so far and I’m sooooo disappointed that we’re unable to perform in Manchester due to on-going venue-related technical issues.
“We’re doing our best to reschedule the show. you can hold onto your tickets for further info or request a refund at your point of purchase. More info will be sent directly to ticket holders. I’m so bummed and I really hope to see you all soon”.
Before he quit his role, venue boss Roden had been under fire for comments he made about grassroots venues, criticising a planned £1 ticket levy on arena gigs to help support struggling small venues.
Roden told the BBC that the plan was “too simplistic” and added: “If the conversation stops being ‘Give me a quid’ and quite aggressive – if it changed to be, ‘What can we do together to help?’, that’s where I think we start to get into that apprenticeship conversation and all those different things that we want to work through.
“We’ve got a list of ideas that we’re currently forming, and I think once we’ve been open six months or a year, we’ll be really able to add something very significant to the grassroots system in Manchester,” he added.