The Co-op Live is the UK’s newest arena on the Etihad campus in Manchester. It has a vast capacity and unrivalled sound quality. Is it as good as it looks or just a facade? Read on to find out!
BOOKING
Accessible bookings from Co-op Live can be made online by clicking on your chosen event on the arena’s website, clicking ‘Book Now’, and you will be redirected to Ticketmaster. Tickets are purchased using the normal Ticketmaster process, but as with all Ticketmaster purchases, you need to carefully read the descriptions of each accessible ticketing option, as they are all displayed with the blue and white wheelchair logo regardless of the access facilities attached to that seating option.
If you have specific access requirements that might not be addressed with regular accessible ticketing options, if you have an issue booking online, or if you prefer to speak to someone in person, you can complete an online form on the arena’s website to request a callback to book over the telephone. This does not guarantee you tickets for events.
There are step-free wheelchair platforms on all three levels of the arena. However, I have only been on two levels, and the third is listed as unavailable on the arena’s website.
There is a large access platform along one side of the floor standing area, exclusively for access by customers with a specified ticket and wristband. This platform is step-free and raised above the level of the floor.
Where an event has floor seating, these seats are not step-free.
Up on level 01, there are platforms right around the arena, situated on row 24, the back row of each block, raised above the last row of seating. These blocks also have ambulant disabled seating in the row in front, accessed down two steps.
All access platforms have an unobstructed view of the event and easy access back out to the concourse for toilets and bars.
As with many venues, you are not required to be a wheelchair user to book the spaces on the access platforms, but please be considerate when booking these spaces if you are ambulant disabled. With limited places wheelchairs can access, the seats are in demand for those who require step-free access.
According to the Co-op Live website, all bars and restaurants in the arena are fully accessible with lowered counters. From this statement, I assume that premium, VIP and hospitality bars and suites are all accessible. Having not booked any of these facilities, I can’t comment on whether or not this is correct, but it’s something I will consider at some point in the future.
The arena’s website has a complete access guide online. The access page lists access FAQs, or you can download a Microsoft Word document. The access team has an email address, which is shown here, too.
Download your tickets into the Co-op Live app, NOT Ticketmaster, to enter the venue. Although your tickets will show on Ticketmaster, using the app will give you all the information about which entrance to use, door times, and so on. The arena requests that you use this method. Tickets all have a QR code that needs to be scanned at the door.
The arena keeps customers up to date with all of the information they’ll need for the event on their social media pages
LOCATION AND GETTING THERE
The Co-op Live is on land adjoining Manchester City’s Etihad football stadium to the northeast of the city centre. The area is primarily residential, with some business and industrial units dotted around. There is very little locally in the way of food and drink outlets or accommodation. There’s a McDonald’s over the road and a few chip shops a few streets away.
As the area is referred to, the Etihad campus has several bus stops close by and its own station on the Manchester Metrolink system. The blue line connects you to central Manchester in around 10 minutes. The trams are all accessible. You can also use the Metrolink system for park-and-ride - there are 17 park-and-ride sites on the Metrolink system. The tram line runs along the canal on a lower level than the arena. The station is accessed by stairs, but there is a lift to make it step-free.
PLEASE NOTE: You require a permit to take a mobility scooter onto Manchester Metrolink trams. The permit is available from Manchester City Council. Full details are on the TFGM website.
Suppose you have a powered attachment for your chair or a fully electric wheelchair and fancy something adventurous. In that case, there is a ‘Citylink’ walking route to the arena featuring funky modern art installations, passing through the bustling suburbs of Manchester. The route takes about 25 minutes to walk, is pedestrian-friendly, and is covered by CCTV. The pathway connects Piccaddilly station a
The campus is well signposted on local roads, and the individual car park options are clearly marked on temporary yellow road signs as you approach the arena.
There is a large amount of car parking available on-site. Car parking can be booked online before you arrive at the event, but you can buy on the day if spaces are still available. Tickets for the car park go on sale at varying periods before the event, and anyone who holds a ticket for an event will receive an email when the parking goes on sale. Early bird sales are charged at £19.50, and standard parking is £25.00. Blue badge holders can park for free but must book online to reserve a space. A link on the arena’s website will redirect you to Ticketmaster to make your booking.
Parking spaces are minimal if your event falls on the same day as a Manchester City home game, so booking online in advance is the only way to guarantee a spot. As with your event tickets, you will receive your parking ticket on the Co-op Live app with a unique barcode that refreshes every 15 seconds for fraud and counterfeit protection. Therefore, they cannot be screenshotted, but you can add them to your Google wallet.
There are also unofficial car parks around some of the businesses in the area if you want to take a risk in one of those (entirely your own decision)
On previous visits, when we booked parking, our ticket was for the blue car park north of the stadium and close to the main accessible entrance B. There are marked accessible bays close to the arena, and it is just a short walk or rollover the road to get into the building.
For this event (Teddy Swims), we could only book the orange car park. This park is at the side of the Etihad stadium on the south side of the arena building and is a greater distance away. There are no roads to cross, but it might be an issue if you cannot walk far.
I found the parking in the orange car park quite frustrating and not ideal for access customers. Despite there being a large area with marked accessible bays, we were directed to a piece of rough ground with a loose surface, and marshals positioned cars. The weather was dry, but if it had been wet, it would have been difficult to walk or roll on, leaving shoes and wheels dirty.
As we drove in, we weren’t asked what our access requirements were; all vehicles were just waved into position. There was plenty of space between the vehicles sideways, so it was easy to get out of the car and into my chair, but there was not much space between the rows, and certainly not enough room for me to have gotten my car out should I have needed to leave the event early.
Between the orange car park and the Etihad Stadium, on the smoothly concreted footpath, there are some toilets and occasionally some food vans. Following the pathway, you snake past the Metrolink station to the arena, arriving at the corner of the building near entrance E.
Construction work is happening on the Etihad Stadium, so some areas are fenced off. An extension and a hotel are being built on the north side of the stadium, nearest to Co-op Live.
GETTING IN
Firstly, let me point out that the land around the arena is not flat. There is an incline from the arena’s north to the south as the land rises over the canal and tram tracks. In the blue car parking, you are level to the accessible entrance. If you’re in the blue car parking and want to use a different entrance (see details below), you can either use Entrance B and go up in the lift or walk/roll up the hill to the other entrances.
If you are parked in the orange park, it’s level through to Entrance E, then downhill to accessible Entrance B - alright on the way down, not so on the way back up! Likewise, the lift to and from the tram station is at the top of the incline, so it is a downward trip to accessible Entrance B and then back up the hill to the station.
The arena has multiple entrances, so there is an easy way in for everyone. All entrances except Entrance C are step-free.
Entrance B is the dedicated accessible entrance. From this entrance, you enter the arena bowl onto the access platform in the standing area.
You can also use the lift from this entrance to access the other arena levels for the access platform. The lifts, however, are small, so getting in and up to where you need to be can take a while.
Being the official (so to speak) designated accessible entrance, you will find there is always a queue and nowhere to sit, so waiting a long time might be uncomfortable for some. Add to that the fact there is no shelter, prepare to get wet or cold, maybe even sunburned, depending on the weather.
If you have tickets for the accessible platform on Level 0 in the floor-standing area, you will be given a coloured wristband showing you are on the platform. This wristband will let you through the relevant doors and onto the platform.
My tip would be to check the venue maps to see where you’re seated and head for the entrance nearest to your seat. All entrances to the arena are step-free except for Entrance C. There are lots of signposts around the venue, so follow the arrows. There are always staff members outside the arena who are happy to help you and point you in the right direction.
You’ll have regular ticket scanning and security checks at whichever entrance you use. As with other arenas, there are policies about what you can and can’t take in with you, the size of the bag you can carry and whether or not you can smoke and/or vape - there’s an entire page dedicated to safety on the arena’s website.
As mentioned earlier, you must download your tickets to the Co-op Live app. The tickets have a unique barcode that refreshes every 15 seconds for fraud and counterfeit protection. Therefore, they cannot be screenshotted, but you can add them to your Google wallet.
Once you’re through security, you are on to the concourse.
If you’ve come in through accessible Entrance B, if the arena bowl doors are open, you can enter straight onto the accessible platform. If not, you can take the door to your right and enter the Level 0 concourse, known as The Street or Virtue Place. You can also access the concourse from the arena bowl through the main doors at the back of the floor standing area.
Likewise, you’ll enter the Level 1 concourse through any other step-free entrance.
The concourses have no seating.
FACILITIES
Outside the arena, on Canalside, a large merch truck opens in the afternoon on some event days. Due to its truck nature, the counter is high, so it is not accessible to everyone. Opposite the merch truck is the Canalside bar, which opens at 4pm on some event days for a limited selection of drinks.
Whether you enter the arena on Level 0 or Level 1, you’ll be on a concourse where you’ll find a range of food and drink outlets, all with lowered counters and merch desks.
There is a self-service bar selling drinks in cans alongside crisps and snacks. It is like a little shop where you move through, select your items, and use a self-service checkout to make your purchase.
Drinks are served in rigid, reusable plastic cups that are easy to carry. For gigs where cups are more likely to be thrown, they change to the standard paper cups.
A fabulous addition on each counter is a small caddy filled with napkins, straws and StopTopps. There are self-adhesive foils that stick on the top of your cup with a cut to pop your straw through. The purpose is to protect you from the risk of having your drink spiked, but it also helps, to some extent, to reduce spillage from your drink. If you knock it over completely, you’ll still lose some, but not as much as if it was uncovered.
There are also free tap water dispensers.
There are lots of rubbish and recycling bins dotted around, plus designated areas to return your reusable cups.
There are toilet blocks around the concourses, plus several unisex accessible radar-keyed toilets. There are also two Changing Places facilities, one each on levels 0 and 1. Unfortunately, several of the rader key locks don’t lock properly from the inside, so just be aware if you go on your own or knock before trying to unlock from the outside with your key.
If you are on the access platform in the standing area, there are accessible toilet facilities behind the platform exclusively for access customers.
A Respite Room is also available for a quiet space or medical help. Ask any member of staff, and they will assist you.
SEATING
All accessible platforms throughout the venue have padded fold-up chairs for companions. None of the bays are marked out or have individual numbering, but staff are at each one to ensure you are on the correct platform and ensure everyone has enough space for their wheelchairs or mobility aids.
Each platform is raised. The platforms on level 1 are the equivalent of two rows higher than the seats in front, whereas the floor access platform is just high enough to give you a good view over the standing crowd.
We have found that several of the Level 1 platforms have loose railings across the front.
Staff also keep a pathway clear down the side of the floor standing area to make it easier for people on the floor to get in and out. This also prevents customers on the access platform from having anyone standing directly in front of them. However, this doesn’t stop the platform’s edge from being used as a shelf for drinks and empty cups.
However, customers on the access platform may feel uncomfortable being positioned under the balcony’s edge. When people are sitting above you, you can’t see them, but you can when they stand up. Depending on the act or show, you might also find things being dropped or thrown from the seating above (I won’t go into detail, but I’m sure you can imagine!). If the event is all-seated, additional seats are added to create lower levels in the Level 1 seating blocks, bringing them down to the floor and around the accessible platform. The audience then surrounds you.
Some people may prefer to book the Level 1 access platforms if they prefer to be away from the busy floor standing area, not have anyone standing behind them, or avoid flying drinks* (*insert relevant liquid here!).
Ambulant disabled seating, like general seating, consists of high-backed padded seats with cupholders in the armrests. As in many venues, you might find people standing up in front of you.
GETTING BACK OUT
You can use any entrance to get out of the building.
As I always recommend, it’s worth waiting a few minutes to let the initial rush die down before you start heading for the exits.
On this occasion, as I was on the floor-standing accessible platform, I’d wheeled down the hill to come in at accessible Entrance B. Still, I didn’t fancy the idea of wheeling back up the hill through the crowds, with everyone heading in different directions.
If this is the case for you, here’s a tip: find a lift and head up to Level 1, then aim towards Entrance E, which will bring you out at the bridge over the tram tracks near the stairs and lift for the tram station. This area gets very busy with people queueing for the tram. Staff help to control the crowd and form orderly queues for the station. Some also have placards to indicate where the car parks and tram queues are.
Whichever car park you are in, it takes a while to get out onto the main roads and then out of the local area. Some nights we’ve got out in as little as 10 minutes, on one occasion it took us well over an hour. There is no traffic management or staff directing traffic; it’s a free-for-all! There are multiple sets of traffic lights on Alan Turing Way, which causes a bung up. It’s also awkward when taxis are trying to get to the venue for pick-ups. Be prepared to wait.
OVERALL EXPERIENCE
Co-op Live is a fantastic arena with modern facilities. The sound quality is probably the best of any venue I’ve been to.
Its location is good so you’re only 10 minutes from the city centre - close enough to the city, but far enough away if you don’t want to be in the city.
The food and drinks are expensive. You always expect to pay more in arenas, but some prices here, especially for soft drinks, seem excessive.
The arena has good environmental policies, such as using green energy, recycling, etc.
