Christopher BarrettCo-op Live owner Oak View Group (OVG) has confirmed it is in talks to open a major arena venue in west London.
International stadium and arena operator OVG is poised to open Manchester’s 23,500-capacity Co-op Live tomorrow, 23 April, with a show by Peter Kay. Built at a cost of £365 million, the venue will be the largest arena in the UK.
Based in the US, OVG was formed in 2015 by former AEG CEO Tim Leiweke and former chairman of Live Nation Entertainment and artist manager Irving Azoff. In an interview with The Telegraph, Leiweke said OVG is intent on building an arena in Hammersmith.
He said, “We’re pretty focused on a particular site. We’re excited about the site. But I understand there’s a process and we need to talk to neighbours, we need to talk to the community, we need to talk to the business leaders and to political leaders. We’re going to play by their rules, I’m not going to get ahead of them.
“No disrespect to New York or Los Angeles, but London is the best market in the world, especially for live entertainment. London deserves to have the greatest arena in the world. They don’t yet.”
Leiweke said he expects it to be a year or so before the London arena project “gets real” but that the response from relevant authorities has so far been positive.
OVG said it has worked with Glastonbury and Coldplay sustainability consultants Hope Solutions on a series of sustainability initiatives aimed at reducing the environmental impact of Co-op Live. It will be the first arena in the UK to be solely powered by electricity, and has been built to enable rainwater harvesting and the use of solar panel covered roofing.
In 2021, OVG opened the Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, claiming it to be the world’s first carbon neutral arena.
Forthcoming acts scheduled to play Co-op Live include Olivia Rodrigo, Take That, Eric Clapton and Liam Gallagher.