One Direction member turned solo star Harry Styles has invested an unspecified sum in Co-op Live, a £350m, 23,500-capacity, arena in Manchester’s Etihad Campus due to open in 2023.

The Oak View Group’s (OVG) plans for the new arena were given the go-ahead by Manchester City Council’s planning committee last month. Construction is due to begin in November, and once complete the venue will be the largest arena in the UK. A 15-year naming rights deal with Co-op will see it branded Co-op Live. Styles first job was delivering newspapers for a Co-op store when he was a teenager.

According to OVG, Styles is taking more than a capital interest in the venue. It said he will work alongside the company’s UK team, led by its president Tim Leiweke, on delivering fan experiences including premium and hospitality areas and artist spaces.

Styles said: “I was drawn to this project on every level, from the opportunities it brings, to the contribution it will make to the city, and most importantly, that it will allow even more live music to thrive in Manchester.”

OVG’s president of business development Francesca Bodie said: “We’re focused on building one of the world’s best arenas in Manchester and Harry’s advice and consultation is going to be invaluable as we work to deliver that.”