A BRAND new music venue could be coming to the UK in the near future, with plans to make it the biggest in the country.
This month, a huge new arena is opening its doors in Manchester, but the man behind it already has his sights set on building a bigger one.
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The Co-op Live arena was due to open on April 23 at the Etihad Campus, next to the City of Manchester Stadium, with a headline show from comedian Peter Kay.
However, delays and problems have now pushed that opening date back to the end of May.
Nevertheless, when it finally opens its doors, the arena will be able to host 23,000 people, the largest maximum capacity of any indoor arena in the UK.
Tim Leiweke is the American businessman who spent £365m on building the venue – and he is already in talks to open a second arena.
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His next venue will be in London, with a site near Hammersmith something Tim is “pretty excited” about.
This isn’t his first foray into the events scene, after spending almost two decades at Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG).
He’s been described as the main driver behind the success of the O2 Arena and one of the most important people in its transformation it from the Millennium Dome to its current state.
Now Leiweke is considering a rival London venue of his own, which he has already held “positive” conversations with local authorities about.
He said it’s likely to take about a year “before it gets real” but is excited about the opportunity.
Speaking to the Telegraph about its possible location, he said: “If you guessed Hammersmith it would be a good guess.
“We’re pretty focused on a particular site. We’re excited about the site.”
Tim said he wants the new venue to be the greatest in the world, which he said the UK deserves more than the United States.
He added: “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.”
Five new water attractions opening in the UK next year
- Therme Manchester will have 25 swimming pools, 25 water slides and an indoor beach.
- Modern Surf Manchester will be a surfing lagoon offering lessons to both beginners and experts.
- Chessington World of Adventures waterpark is set to have wave, infinity and spa pools as well as waterslides and cabanas.
- The Cove Resort, Southport is likely to have a water lagoon and a thermal spa with steam rooms and saunas.
- The Seahive, Deal plans to be the “surfing wellness resort” in the UK.
For now, Manchester is set to have the biggest arena in the country, with some big shows already planned for Co-op Live.
Liam Gallagher, Take That and Pearl Jam are scheduled to separately perform at the arena.
The MTV Europe Music Awards will also be held there, as well as Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) events.
Next year, Billie Eilish will be performing at the arena for four separate nights.
Meanwhile, these five coastal theme parks are getting new attractions this year.
And plans have been revealed for a brand new massive Universal theme park that could come to the UK.
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