Harry Styles: Former One Direction star invests in new 23,500 capacity Manchester arena
Written by News on 26/10/2020
Harry Styles is investing in a new live music arena, set to become the biggest indoor venue in the UK.
Co-op Live, which will be located in Manchester City Football Club’s Etihad Campus, is set to open in 2023.
The £350m venue, which got planning permission in September, will have a capacity of 23,500.
Styles said he was “proud and excited” to be part of it, adding: “Manchester is an incredible city, filled with incredible people, and I couldn’t be happier being involved in this project.”
He went on: “It very much feels like coming home.
“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.
“It’s just another sign that this amazing city continues to grow.”
American entertainment company Oak View Group (OVG) which is building the arena said the singer will be “actively involved in the development of the project”, and that his “advice and consultation is going to be invaluable”.
With many live music venues struggling to survive due to coronavirus social distancing measures, news that up to 1,000 jobs could be created at the venue in the future will be well received.
The project will also create 3,500 jobs during construction, according to OVG.
There are already two large indoor arenas in Manchester, the Manchester Arena, known as the AO Arena, and Emirates Old Trafford stadium.
The AO Arena was the site of the bombing at an Ariana Grande concert in May 2017, into which an inquiry is currently taking place.
Manchester is close to Styles’s heart, as he was brought up in the neighbouring county, Cheshire, and performed his first X Factor audition in the city.
He also joked that he had come full circle as his first job was delivering newspapers for retail giant Co-op as a teenager.
The singer – who has recently branched out into acting – is currently filming the thriller Don’t Worry, Darling, directed by Olivia Wilde and starring Chris Pine and Florence Pugh.
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It is a busy time for the 26-year-old, who also releases his latest single Golden along with a music video today.
Last month, the Watermelon Sugar singer was forced to postpone all his planned 2020 performances until 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
(c) Sky News 2020: Harry Styles: Former One Direction star invests in new 23,500 capacity Manchester arena
