The Manchester Co-op Live arena has postponed Olivia Rodrigo’s scheduled performances as part of her Guts world tour.

It comes after the biggest indoor arena in the UK postponed its opening concert with US rapper A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie on Wednesday at the last minute due to a “technical issue”.

“Due to an ongoing venue-related technical issue, the scheduled performances of Olivia Rodrigo’s Guts World Tour on May 3 and 4 May are being postponed,” the venue said in a statement on X.

“Ticket holders can either hold onto their tickets or obtain a refund at point of purchase.”

The £365 million venue had already postponed its opening twice last week after rescheduling performances from Peter Kay and The Black Keys.

 

The opening performance at the Manchester Co-op Live arena tonight was cancelled due to a ventilation defect, the venue’s developer has said.

During a soundcheck, a component of the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system used to direct air separated from the ductwork, the Oak View Group said in a statement given to the PA news agency.

The organisation believe it to be an “isolated incident caused by a factory defect” but it was not able to verify that all similar nozzles were free of similar defects.

Lancashire Telegraph:

Nobody was injured in the incident and the installer, contractor and third-party inspector will now test each nozzle to confirm they are free of defect, it said.

Tim Leiweke, chairman and chief executive of the Oak View Group, said: “The safety and security of all visiting and working on Co-op Live is our utmost priority, and we could not and will not run any event until it is absolutely safe to do so.

“Today was a very unexpected situation but without a doubt the right decision. I deeply apologise for the impact that this has had on ticket holders and fans.”

Meanwhile, the Co-operative Group said it was “disappointed” by the announcement and will seek a “full explanation” from the Oak View Group.

“As the naming rights sponsor for Co-op Live, we are shocked at the incident which has led to late cancellation of tonight’s show at the arena,” a Co-op Group spokesperson said.

“We are relieved that no-one has been injured, but we share the disappointment and frustration of ticket holders, many of whom are Co-op members, with the continuing delay to the opening of Co-op Live and the disruption that this is causing to everyone who has been looking forward to attending events.

“We will be seeking a full explanation from Oak View Group (OVG), who are responsible for the building, to the obvious questions arising from this, together with a clear plan from the Co-op Live venue management team at OVG for opening the venue and postponed and future events.

“Safety is, of course, the number one priority and it is critical that Co-op members and other ticket holders can enjoy events in a venue with the very highest levels of security and safety measures in place.”

It comes after the venue had already postponed its opening twice last week after rescheduling performances from Peter Kay and The Black Keys, and had reassured fans that A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie and Rodrigo’s shows would be going ahead this week.

Bolton-born comedian Kay was scheduled to be the first performer, but his show had to be postponed with less than 48 hours’ notice following a test event.

The rescheduled dates at the end of April were rescheduled again alongside dates for US rock duo The Black Keys as the venue had to undertake “extensive protocol of testing critical procedures to ensure all areas are ready for fans”.

The new date for the US rock band is May 15 while Kay’s performances have shifted to May 23 and 24.

The arena’s general manager, Gary Roden, announced his resignation last week following the slew of issues that led to a delay in the venue opening.