Oak View Group and Manchester City Football Club owner City Football Group raised the curtain on Co-op Live last year, raising the bar for arenas in the UK to win CoStar's judges panel award for commercial development of the year in the North West.
The award has been made not least because of the impact the visitors to the venue are having on the retail, leisure and hospitality in the east of Manchester city centre.
About the project:
The developers behind the Populous-designed venue term it the “UK’s only music-first arena”, able to accommodate 23,500 people.
Cutting-edge visual technology, exceptional acoustics and an innovative sound bowl design have already enticed some of the biggest artists in the world.
The venue has also been set up to support local and national causes promoted by Manchester City Council.
The development welcomed its 1 millionth fan in March 2025, 10 months after the venue’s inaugural performance. It has hosted Sir Paul McCartney and saw MTV European Music Awards' first visit to the city.
What the judges said:
Tom Bloxham, chairman and founder, Urban Splash: "The ambition and scale of this is huge. It further pushes development to east Manchester and the increased visitors it creates is already having a very positive impact on hotels, retail, leisure etc in the city."
Anupam Nanda, professor, University of Manchester, said: "Although it faced some challenges/delays, it is no doubt the highlight of the Manchester market, with unique contributions across all aspects of the development and significant impact within and beyond the local market. "
Simon Wood, director, B8RE, said: "A really meaningful addition to the North West economy bringing the largest acts to Manchester but also a new standard fit for such a thriving region."
They made it happen:
Oak View Group, Populous, Manchester City Football Club