WhenBruce Springsteenopened his European tour at Manchester’s Co-op Live arena on Wednesday night, it went off without a hitch.
Thousands of fans belted out the lyrics to Dancing in the Dark with not an empty seat in sight, and the show was met with glowing reviews.
But some had thought The Boss’s appearance might never happen.
The venue, the largest indoor arena is Britain, was officially opened a year to the day before, with local talent Elbowplaying the first gig. But its debut came after a series a setbacks.
The arena was originally due to open in April 2024, but was besieged by technical issues.
Shows were cancelled or postponed, sometimes at very short notice – fans were already queueing outside when a concert had to be axed after part of the arena’s ventilation system fell to the floor.
“I spent two months here, during what we call the glory days,” said Tim Leiweke, the chief executive of Oak View Group, the company behind the arena.
“I tried to get it open and get through all of our problems.
“So many people that worked on this project, I think, went through such a difficult time, and mentally and physically it’s probably one of the most challenging projects I’ve ever seen, and the toll that it took on people was pretty amazing.”
He was one of the thousands in the audience on Wednesday night for Springsteen’s gig, and he later said it was a moment for “those same people … to understand that last night, that crowd, that artist, that band, that energy, is what we always dreamed that this building would be.
“I think it was an amazing moment for them to understand that our vision had come full circle.”
Even before the technical problems that blighted the arena’s opening, Leiweke said people had doubted his vision when he picked Manchester as the place where he would build his eighth arena.
Located at Manchester City’s Etihad Campus, the 23,500-capacity arena was born out of a collaboration between the commercial real estate company, the football club, the Co-op, and singer Harry Styles, who grew up in nearby Cheshire.
“I’ve always been amazed that folks worldwide, and especially in the UK, tend to overlook Manchester a bit,” Leiweke said. “I think it’s one of the great cities in the world, and so we saw this opportunity, and most people thought we were nuts.”
This week, an economic impact report, produced independently by planning consultancy Lichfields, revealed that the arena has generated more than £1.3bn in gross economic output, with a £456m investment during the construction phase and £852.2m in total turnover during its first year of operation.The report also found that in its first year, the arena supported more than 16,500 jobs and engaged more than 400 business suppliers, totalling £33.5m in supply chain expenditure.
Describing himself as a “pretty positive, optimistic person”, Leiweke said he never lost faith that Co-op Live would be a success.
“This does not surprise us at all,” he said. “We knew this was one of the great markets in the world for music and live entertainment, and so I’m proud of Manchester.
“I’m happy for Manchester. They deserve this. Proud of the economic impact and proud of the bet we made. I’m really proud that we proved people wrong.”
The support of the mayor of Greater Manchester,Andy Burnham, and the city council had also helped in bringing big events to the city, Leiweke said.
“We have more big events coming,” he added. “I think we’re gonna surprise some people here in the next few weeks with some announcements.
“This is a wonderful city, and so I’m not at all surprised that we are achieving these kinds of heights. And I’m going to shock you, I think we’re just getting started.”