Christopher BarrettWith the planned opening of Co-op Live now delayed until 14 May, Take That’s planned five shows at the 23,500-capacity venue have been moved to ASM Global’s AO Arena (cap. 23,000).
The move follows ongoing issues at the new Manchester venue, which saw Olivia Rodrigo’s concerts on 3 and 4 May cancelled, while many others have been postponed. Co-op Live was due to open with a Peter Kay show on 23 April.
AO Arena GM Gen Mitchell said, “It wouldn’t be a Take That tour without a stop-off in Manchester, so it’s great to welcome the band and their fans back to AO Arena for five nights, in the heart of this wonderful city.”
Take That completed a six-night residency, as part of their This Life on Tour, at The O2 on Wednesday 1 May, where they were presented with an award for a record-breaking 39 performances at the venue (pictured).
The record, which was previously held by the band after they played their 33rd show in 2019, tops any other artist that has performed at the venue. The band has now sold more than 600,000 tickets for shows at The O2.
AEG Europe venue programming VP said, “Every time Take That come to The O2, the excitement levels are through the roof and we are so fortunate to have welcomed them for multiple tours. A huge thank you goes to the band, all of their team and of course to the fans for bringing so much joy to the venue.”