Oak View Group (OVG) has teamed up with English football club Aston Villa on a new 3,500-cap live entertainment venue set to open next to the Premier League side’s Villa Park stadium.

The project will see Aston Villa and the venue management specialist transform a former club training warehouse into the new venue, which is expected to open in December 2025.

OVG will lead programming for The Warehouse, with the aim of making the “groundbreaking” Birmingham development a “must-play” stop for touring artists. It will also host other events including comedy shows and sports such as boxing.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with such an historic and forward-thinking football club,” says Rebecca Kane Burton, OVG’s EVP, venue management. “Aston Villa shares our vision for what a modern entertainment destination should be – fan-first, community-oriented, and commercially ambitious. The Warehouse will be a jewel in Birmingham’s cultural crown, and a benchmark for future collaborations between sport and live entertainment.”

The Warehouse is intended to serve as another destination for fans to enjoy before and after Aston Villa games. OVG will provide operational support, with a primary focus on securing leading musical acts, as well as helping secure a naming rights partner for the venue.

“This new venue will provide Birmingham with a first-class space for live entertainment”

“The Warehouse marks another exciting chapter in Aston Villa’s proud history,” says Chris Heck, president of business operations at Aston Villa FC. “This new venue will provide Birmingham with a first-class space for live entertainment and significantly enhance the matchday experience for our fans. We’re thrilled to be working with Oak View Group, whose credentials in building and managing world-class venues are second to none.”

The announcement comes as part of Aston Villa’s wider strategic investment in Villa Park and the surrounding area.

Just last month, the club announced a multi-year partnership with global premium experiences company Legends, with Aston Villa appointing the company to support the sales and strategic vision of the premium hospitality offerings at the 42,000-cap Villa Park.

The stadium has upcoming concerts featuring Guns N’ Roses (23 June), Chris Brown (26 June) and Kendrick Lamar & SZA (10 July), and will also host Black Sabbath’s star-studded farewell show Back to the Beginning on 5 July.

England’s “second city” is also home to O2 Academy Birmingham, which houses a 3,009-cap main room as well as the 600-cap Academy 2 and 350-cap Academy 3.

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The International Live Music Conference’s annual deep dive into the venue sector delved into new markets, capital city residencies and the impact of 2025’s huge stadium summer on arenas.

Oak View Group (OVG) International’s Rebecca Kane Burton, Marie Lindqvist of ASM Global Europe, Live Nation EMEA’s Tom Lynch and Ignacio Taier of Argentina-based Grupo Quality convened for ILMC 37’s The Venue’s Venue: Anchor Topics session at London’s Royal Lancaster, chaired by James Drury.

Kane Burton brought up OVG’s investment alongside Live Nation in Lagos, Nigeria, while Lynch discussed LN’s new live entertainment space, The Dome, in Johannesburg, South Africa.

“It’s a huge market with a massive population,” said Lynch. “It’s an emerging market, not without its challenges to build new venues, to open venues, etc, but we’re seeing international artists starting to play there. We’ve got Tems in a few weeks and Central Cee’s going down there, but then a huge domestic talent pool as well. So Johannesburg’s somewhere we see a huge future.”

Lindqvist spoke of ASM’s projects in Italy, Spain and Portugal, as well as the UK.

“Italy is a very interesting market for us,” she said. “We’re involved in two new builds outside Milan: one in Bergamo, which will have its first show in a couple of weeks, and another project in Cantù, also in the Milan district. Here in the UK, it’s such a big market if you compare it to the rest of Europe, so we’re opening up in Derby in just a few weeks.”

“There’s been an increase in the amount of tickets that we’re selling and the amount of shows that we’re promoting, so there’s definitely an audience”

Taier, meanwhile, referenced Live Nation and subsidiary DF Entertainment recent 40-year agreement to operate Buenos Aires’ Luna Park.

“There’s a need for more venues everywhere, and Latin America in general,” he says. “We have seen more venues in Colombia, Brazil and other places, so I think that’s a constant.”

He added: “There’s been an increase in the amount of tickets that we’re selling and the amount of shows that we’re promoting, so there’s definitely an audience. The thing is, all costs have gone up, ticket pricing has come down, so there’s a problem there. But in general, tickets are selling, so there’s an opportunity.”

However, Lynch suggested the market was still currently under-served in terms of mid-size venues.

“I sat on [the ILMC] stage on the old hotel five years ago and talked about that gap in 4,000-5,000 cap rooms, and we’ve not really moved on a huge amount,” he observed. “And when we look across Europe, actually, there’s that huge gap still. We’ve got plenty of large scale clubs here in the UK, the US is coast to coast and France is okay. But in every other country, you tend to have 2,000-cap theatres and then an arena, so artists are trying to do two, three, four, night runs to fulfil the needs of their fans and that’s not necessarily very efficient.

“We’ve got a venue in Amsterdam, AFAS Live, and if I could pick AFAS Live up and put it in every major city in Europe, I would do. It’s intimate enough that you’re playing to maybe 2,000-3,000 fans, but you’ve got a big production, you’ve got high ceilings, you’ve got a good PA and it feels like an arena show.”

“A capital city without an arena just doesn’t make sense”

Taier agreed that being able to offer a level of versatility was ever-more important.

“That’s really key nowadays, because we can configure it venue for the amount of people that we expect,” he said. “Therefore we can make sure the fan experience is at its best, and the artist also is performing to a full venue, even if that venue is not really full. We can host general admission ticket shows like parties or [club events to] fully seated shows.”

Lynch also revealed his excitement at Live Nation’s mission to restore Finland’s Helsinki Halli to the arena international touring map. Live Nation has taken on a 20-year long-term lease to operate the venue, which is scheduled to reopen this spring after being mothballed for the past three years due to sanctions on its previous Russian ownership.

“A capital city without an arena just doesn’t make sense,” he said. “Wherever the touring goes, artists want to play in capital cities.”

Be that as it may, the panel raised concerns that certain regional markets were being neglected as major tours increasingly focused on the capitals. Taier said the trend was particularly noticeable in Argentina.

“Many shows go to Buenos Aires, the capital, and they just stay there,” he said. “They don’t come to B-markets or C-markets and that is something that really affects us, but we can understand it. There are a lot of artists that prefer to travel less and do more nights at the same place.”

“You’re creating a barrier between those that can afford and those that cannot – and many young fans cannot”

Lindqvist admitted to fears that some younger fans from outside the capital cities could be priced out of attending as a result.

“You have to buy an expensive ticket, and then on top of that, possibly buy airfare and hotels, so I think you’re just creating a barrier between those that can afford and those that cannot – and many young fans cannot,” she said.

“We all know that you don’t start to go to gig when you’re 30 or 40. You start when you’re a teenager. Building that kind of passion and love for music starts at an early age, and we’re providing a barrier to that. I think we’re going in the completely wrong direction, and we’re also diluting the cultural life in cities that are not the A-markets.”

She added: “Why would a city or a private developer invest in new venues or infrastructure and so forth, if the shows aren’t coming to the city? So I think it’s a worrying development that we need to take seriously.”

Nevertheless, Lindqvist dismissed suggestions the rise of stadium shows could have a negative effect on ticket sales for arena productions.

“I think it’s two separate businesses,” she argued. “Maybe, on the other hand, it’s just creating more buzz around live music and people that get to experience a big stadium show will hopefully go to more arena gigs. We’re having a strong stadium year, but we’re also having an extremely strong arena year in most markets, so I think it’s just good for the industry.”

Summing up, Kane Burton stressed that the industry had a collective responsibility to make sure the right artist was playing the right space.

“Thinking about our buildings and thinking about real estate, there’s a massive opportunity,” she concluded. “There’s some huge spaces, right across the world, that just don’t get used in three quarters of a year. What’s good for one city in one space is good for the entire city. So from an ecosystem point of view, I think we should embrace it.”

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OVG International’s Rebecca Kane Burton and venue boss Guy Dunstan have peeled back the curtain on a whirlwind six months for Manchester’s Co-op Live.

The UK’s largest live entertainment arena at 23,500-cap, the £365 million facility has rebounded from its delayed opening to host prestigious events including the UFC and the MTV EMAs, as well as exclusive indoor shows by the Eagles and Pearl Jam.

NEC Group veteran Dunstan joined last month as its new general manager and SVP, with Kane Burton becoming EVP of venue management for OVG International, leading Oak View Group’s global business development strategy for its facilities, sports, entertainment and hospitality divisions.

“I’m six weeks in and we’ve delivered quite a few shows – we’re into five shows on the run this week – and I’m loving it,” says Dunstan. “It’s just an amazing building to be running. I feel very fortunate and positive about having this role. I keep reminding the team that we’re six months into a journey, and should still be learning and evolving, but we’re in really great shape.”

Kane Burton, whose CV includes stints at the helm of London’s The O2 and Alexandra Palace, and CEO at LW Theatres and Sodexo Live, tells IQ that her move to the company – which saw her reunite with former AEG executives, OVG chief Tim Leiweke and OVG International president Jessica Koravos – felt “very natural and obvious”.

“It’s a great privilege to be able to harness all the great brain power that exists within OVG”

“When I ran The O2, it was Tim who employed me originally and that was a great honour and a privilege,” she says. “Tim is just a force of nature; he’s dynamic, he’s driven, he’s passionate, he’s ambitious and he doesn’t sit still. He’s always wanting to push for something better and that was a real appeal to come back and work for him in the new setup at OVG.

“Working with someone with that passion and leadership – who will change the dial, is not scared to do things differently and will rip up the rule book if he needs to – is incredibly exciting. And what’s even better for me is there’s a very strong female leadership team at OVG as well: Francesca [Bodie] is our COO and Jessica Koravos is my boss.”

Kane Burton describes her role, which covers the UK and Europe, as “far-reaching”.

“I’ve not really worked outside the UK before, so it’s a great opportunity to meet good people who are doing brilliant stuff with their facilities, but might just need a bit of help making their ambitions come true,” she explains. “Everyone talks about having a destination venue. There’s a lot of chatter about how you sweat these assets harder, and improve the fan experience, but there are very few companies or individuals who’ve got the capability and the experience to make that happen.

“It’s a great privilege to be able to harness all the great brain power that exists within OVG, with all that energy and yet the cash behind us, to then go out and make some of these visions a reality.”

Originally slated to join the OVG fold over the summer, Kane Burton was parachuted in as interim boss of Manchester’s Co-op Live in April following the resignation of the general manager, as the venue’s launch was pushed back two weeks following a series of hitches.

“My career has been full of challenges – I seem to like them – but I could see firsthand we were on the cusp of something special”

“I was in the middle of some gardening leave at the time, expecting to join on 1 July. And then Jessica very kindly invited me to Rick Astley [in April], which was a test event,” explains Kane Burton. “Whilst that event was obviously fraught with challenges, it showed off to people like me – who had no skin in the game at that time – what an amazing building they had on their hands.

“To then be asked four days later to lead the charge was daunting, and it would be a lie to say that wouldn’t be daunting for anybody. I could see a team that were feeling raw, tired, desperate to deliver the promises that had been made.”

She continues: “My career has been full of challenges – I seem to like them – but I could see firsthand we were on the cusp of something special and that keeps you going when you’re still up at two, three in the morning, wading through paperwork and getting everything in order. That gets you through.”

Co-op Live ultimately launched on 14 May with a triumphant hometown concert by Elbow.

“Obviously, Elbow was a huge moment,” reflects Kane Burton. “I think any of us now, if we hear any Elbow music, will cry tears of joy, because that’s the moment we finally got the doors open and ready and away. And then June just was amazing, because it was just literally back-to-back gigs and you start becoming a very well-oiled machine.”

A particular milestone was mixed martial arts event UFC 304, which took place at Co-op Live on 27 July and didn’t begin until 11pm – with the main event not commencing 3am – to meet the standard PPV start time in the US.

“The confidence is reinstated very firmly in this place”

“They started coming in at 10am, and at 6am we still had a full arena,” marvels Kane Burton. “So to bring it back to Manchester after 10 years of absence and do the first all-nighter in a building that two and a half months before, was a bit behind and needed to get itself open, was one hell of a feat. It was safe, it was well run, it was a brilliant customer experience and it got us global reach.”

The experience garnered from the night helped prepare the team for hosting another event of international interest – the 30th anniversary MTV EMAs on 10 November.

“We’re never complacent, but it’s like, ‘We’ve done UFC, now we’ve got MTV. Let’s get used to being in the spotlight and own that,'” shares Kane Burton. “Each time we do major events and prove to partners of different scale and size the capability of not only the building, but the credibility of our team, it builds confidence. And I can see that Guy will now be able to pull in bigger and better events as we roll, because the confidence is reinstated very firmly in this place.”

Dunstan joined the venue from Birmingham-based NEC Group, where he was the MD of arenas. As well as overseeing the management of the Co-op Live’s executive team, he is tasked with guiding the strategic leadership of the facility as SVP, as well in addition to helping develop its commercial and operational strategy.

“I’m very passionate about Birmingham and a proud Brummie,” says Dunstan. “I spent 28 years working there and a lot of people thought I’d be there till it’s time to retire. But over the last year, I thought about my career and I’m at an age where I thought I needed to find a new challenge and a new opportunity.

“Rewind back to the ILMC where OVG was announced, and then Co-op Live was announced, and I cast an envious eye at what I knew was going to be a groundbreaking venue and an organisation led by Tim, who is a pioneer. So when the role became available, I thought this was a great opportunity for me at this stage of my career.

“There was a lot of shock when I went out and said, ‘I’m leaving,’ but I think a lot of people put two and two together very quickly. It was the worst kept secret in the industry since the Oasis reunion!”

“My dream is that we’ll have a few more flagships in the UK and across Europe… You can expect London in the pipeline”

Upcoming acts at Co-op Live include Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band, Robbie Williams and Billie Eilish, as the arena continues to attract stadium-level artists.

“Outdoor shows used to be a completely different market to the indoor market, but what we’ve seen over the summer period is Pearl Jam and the Eagles playing outdoors and then coming to play here at Co-op Live. We’ve got that again next summer with Bruce Springsteen playing at Anfield and here, and we’ve got a great programming team who are really proactive in seeking those opportunities.”

He continues: “Looking ahead over the next 12 months, it looks really positive. But you can’t sit waiting for artists to be routing tours, we’ve got to be proactive in terms of content. We’re putting on a West End musical theatre show, Manchester at the Musicals, on 20 December, which we only announced last week and put together over a few weeks before.

“That demonstrates to me that there’s a great opportunity to bring content into the arena market that wasn’t there before, and we feel it can become a regular part of our annual calendar. We’ve got to continue to do that, because we can’t wait for the phone to ring – we’ve got to make things happen ourselves.”

Kane Burton trumpets Co-op Live as a “very important flagship” in the territory and a “fantastic showcase to demonstrate what OVG stands for”.

“My dream is that we’ll have a few more flagships in the UK and across Europe, but I will never, stop having a passion for this place,” she adds. “I’d never worked outside of London before, so they finally managed to move me up north and I will always have a soft spot for Manchester and what we’ve managed to achieve here. It’s really important as part of the OVG ecosystem and showing everyone what we’re capable of. So I’m very proud and I know it’s in very safe hands.”

Leiweke, of course, revealed plans to build “the greatest arena in the world” in London, during this year’s ILMC in March. While details remain scarce, the CEO told delegates that the venue giant will plant its flag in England’s capital city, which he called “the greatest market in the world for music”.

“Tim’s talked very loudly and proudly about his ambitions, so you can expect London in the pipeline in the UK,” confirms Kane Burton. “Why wouldn’t we? It’s an important capital market. There are two arenas in Manchester, why not put more into London?”

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The UK’s largest arena Co-op Live has announced that NEC Group veteran Guy Dunstan will be joining the Manchester venue as its new general manager and SVP.

Dunstan will take the helm from 21 October, with current interim general manager Rebecca Kane Burton becoming EVP of venue management for OVG International, leading OVG’s global business development strategy for its facilities, sports, entertainment and hospitality divisions.

Dunstan, who brings more than 25 years of experience in the live arena industry, joins Co-op Live from Birmingham-based NEC Group where he was the MD of arenas, responsible for the city’s Resorts World Arena and Utilita Arena for four years. He has also been active for more than a decade with the National Arenas Association, holding the positions of chair, vice-chair and steering group member.

In his new role as GM, Dunstan will oversee the management of the 23,500-cap venue’s executive team. In addition, he will be influential in guiding the strategic leadership of Co-op Live as SVP, as well as being instrumental in developing its commercial and operational strategy.

“It’s a privilege to be joining the team at Co-op Live and leading the UK’s largest live entertainment arena after its impressive opening season hosting world-class acts,” says Dunstan. “The design, technology and acoustics of the arena are the best I have experienced throughout my time in the industry, so I’m excited to build on its success so far and put Co-op Live further on the world stage to add to Manchester’s cultural legacy and music heritage.”

“As we move into the next chapter of the venue’s story, Guy’s leadership will be a significant asset in helping us achieve our goals”

A joint venture between Oak View Group (OVG) and City Football Group, the £365 million Co-op Live has put on over 35 events since opening in May this year, with more than 900,000 tickets sold. The venue has already hosted exclusive events including the Eagles’ final UK shows, Pearl Jam’s only indoor concerts on their most recent tour and the first UFC event in Manchester since 2016.

Dunstan’s appointment comes as Co-op Live confirms over 25 additional shows for the remainder of 2024, including the MTV EMAs, which will be held in Manchester for the first time this November. Upcoming concerts include Paul McCartney, Billie Eilish, Janet Jackson, Glass Animals, Charli XCX, The Script, Slipknot, Teddy Swims, Andrea Bocelli and Sabrina Carpenter.

“Guy has a wealth of experience in leading live entertainment venues, so we’re thrilled to be welcoming him to the team at Co-op Live and the wider OVG Group,” says Jess Koravos, president of OVG International. “As we move into the next chapter of the venue’s story, Guy’s leadership will be a significant asset in helping us achieve our goals for Co-op Live to become the most sustainable arena in Europe and a first-choice venue for artists and fans worldwide.”

Kane Burton, whose CV includes stints as boss of London’s The O2 and Alexandra Palace, and CEO at LW Theatres and Sodexo Live, was drafted in at Co-op Live in April, amid the venue’s protracted opening.

In its first four months, the arena has also driven forward its commitment to raise £1 million annually for the Co-op Foundation to support good causes, alongside wider charitable involvement including a recent donation to Liam Gallagher’s chosen charity, Happy Doggo.

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Nicki Minaj’s concert at Manchester’s Co-op Live was called off at the last minute, following her arrest at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport.

The American rapper was arrested on suspicion of exporting soft drugs before being fined €350 and allowed to continue her journey, Dutch authorities said.

The artist didn’t make it to Manchester in time for her concert on Saturday (25 May), which was postponed just after 21:30 BST, with 20,000 fans in the arena waiting for her to take the stage.

On social media, Minaj said she was in a jail cell for between five and six hours, and finally arrived at her hotel in Manchester around midnight.

In a statement, promoters Live Nation said: “Nicki Minaj’s scheduled performance at Manchester’s Co-op Live on Saturday 25 May has been postponed.

“Tickets will remain valid for the rescheduled performance which will be announced as soon as possible.

“Despite Nicki’s best efforts to explore every possible avenue to make tonight’s show happen, the events of today have made it impossible. We are deeply disappointed by the inconvenience this has caused.”

Co-op Live posted the same statement.

Thank you to everyone who prayed for me today. May God cover you & all that is connected to you. May you be blessed beyond your imagination.

Barbz, I’m @ the stock exchange hotel in #Manchester I arrived a little over an hour ago.
After sitting in a jail cell for 5-6 hours, my…

— Nicki Minaj (@NICKIMINAJ) May 26, 2024

Minaj continued her tour in Birmingham last night (26 May) and is due to visit London and Glasgow, before a second scheduled date in Manchester on Thursday.

It is the latest problem to hit the 23,500-cap Co-op Live, which has also been forced to postpone or move gigs by the likes of Olivia Rodrigo, Take That and Peter Kay in recent weeks after suffering a string of delays and technical problems.

The Oak View Group (OVG)-operated arena finally opened on 14 May for an opening performance by Manchester’s Elbow.

Co-op Live’s interim general manager, Rebecca Kane Burton, recently told OVG-owned publication VenuesNow that the venue is “all up and running and fully furnished”.

“We’ve had a natural ramp-up in terms of the capacities we’ve been hosting. Peter Kay was our biggest event (May 23-24). We had between 14,000 and 15,000 people – all of the levels in full use. All suites and premium areas have been working at full-tilt. There’s still work happening within the building, but it tends to be offices and back-of-house areas.”

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Venue management veteran Rebecca Kane Burton has been named interim boss of Manchester’s Co-op Live following the resignation of general manager Gary Roden.

Kane Burton served a near five-year stint as VP and GM of The O2 in London before stepping down in 2016 to become chief executive of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s West End venue chain LW Theatres until departing in 2021.

Prior to The O2, Kane Burton was MD of the 10,400-cap Alexandra Palace, also in London, and previously held a senior role at English Heritage. She was appointed UK & Ireland CEO of venue services company Sodexo Live! in 2022.

Roden’s exit from the 23,500-cap Co-op Live – a joint venture between Oak View Group (OVG) and City Football Group (CFG) – was confirmed last night (25 April) in the midst of a turbulent week for the UK’s largest live entertainment arena, which has been forced to postpone its opening for a second time.

The £365 million venue’s official launch was pushed back due to a delay in completion of the power supply at the site, days after its capacity for a free test performance by Rick Astley was cut from 11,000 to 4,000 at short notice.

Its grand opening with two shows by comedian Peter Kay, originally slated for this week, has now been switched to 23-24 May, while a 10,000-cap test event with the Black Keys set for tomorrow (27 April) will instead take place on 15 May.

“Rescheduling The Black Keys and Peter Kay gives the dedicated team the time and space needed to finalise systems and measures”

“It’s always been very important to me that we only open Co-op Live when it is safe and appropriate to do so, and rescheduling The Black Keys and Peter Kay gives the dedicated team the time and space needed to finalise systems and measures,” says OVG chair and CEO Tim Leiweke. “I would like to offer my sincerest apologies to every fan that has been impacted by this decision and others this week, and join the full team in thanking them for their continued patience and support as we prepare to open our doors.”

Roden’s recent comments to the BBC that some small music venues were “poorly run”, in response to the Music Venue Trust’s (MVT) calls for a compulsory £1 levy on tickets sold for UK live music events above 5,000-cap, also caused controversy.

“Why is a small venue failing?” he said. “Absolutely, en masse bills are going up and this, that and the other. But ultimately if there are 1,000 venues, one of them is going to be the best-run venue and one of them is going to be the poorly run venue, and where does the money go?

“If the conversation stops being ‘Give me a quid’ and quite aggressive – if it changed to be, ‘What can we do together to help?’, that’s where I think we start to get into that apprenticeship conversation and all those different things that we want to work through.”

MVT chief Mark Davyd criticised the remarks as “disrespectful and disingenuous”.

“The UK’s grassroots music venues are not ‘poorly run’, and it is disrespectful and disingenuous to suggest otherwise,” he told NME. “This is a highly skilled and experienced sector facing almost insurmountable and highly specialist challenges.”

“Neither Co-op Live nor Oak View Group share the sentiment expressed by former Co-op Live general manager Gary Roden regarding the grassroots industry”

Roden’s exit comes almost a year to the day since he joined Co-op Live as GM and executive director. He previously spent over eight years at Ticketmaster UK, latterly as SVP of client development and commercial.

OVG International president Jessica Koravos says Roden has “decided to resign” and the company remains “focused on opening Co-op Live”.

“We’d like to thank Gary for his help bringing the UK’s newest arena to live entertainment fans and wish him the best for the future,” she says. “Rebecca Kane Burton has been named interim GM, effective today. Rebecca is a seasoned veteran of venue management and live entertainment in the UK having served as VP/GM of The O2 from 2012-2016 and CEO of LW Theatres from 2016-2021.

“Neither Co-op Live nor Oak View Group share the sentiment expressed by former Co-op Live general manager Gary Roden regarding the grassroots industry. As OVG chairman and CEO Tim Leiweke has repeatedly stated, Co-op Live remains committed to grassroots music in Manchester and beyond, including teaming up with Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham on the Artist of the Month campaign, and as a founding partner of Beyond The Music.

“Co-op Live also donates over £1m a year to the Co-op Foundation to support communities and empower young people to take social action through its new Young Gamechangers fund. Oak View Group and Co-op Live remain happy to meet with grassroots organisations once the venue is fully operational.”

Meanwhile, Co-op Live has moved to reassure ticket-holders that upcoming dates with Boogie Wit Da Hoodie (1 May) and Olivia Rodrigo (3-4 May) will go ahead as planned.

A statement from the Co-op Group adds: “As the naming rights sponsor for Co-op Live, we are very disappointed in the delayed opening of the venue and fully recognise the disruption this has caused to affected ticket holders, many of whom are Co-op members.

“Co-op Live is an incredible venue and is a force for good for Manchester, our region and the UK as a whole. We look forward to seeing the venue fully open in accordance with the timescales provided by OVG today.”

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IQ 118 – the latest issue of the international live music industry’s favourite magazine – is available to read online now, with the physical magazine arriving on desks within the week.

The April 2023 edition celebrates 40 years since legendary artist manager Doc McGhee launched his McGhee Entertainment enterprise, and hears from the architects of Måneskin’s sell-out Loud Kids tour.

Elsewhere, IQ‘s deputy news editor Lisa Henderson talks to the founders of women-led production company Ginger Owl, as they celebrate their 10-year anniversary and Adam Woods investigates how Austria’s live entertainment business has changed in recent years.

This issue also examines the rise of ChatGPT and looks at its implications for the live music sector, and wraps up the coverage of ILMC 35 at its new home.

For this edition’s comments and columns, Rebecca Kane Burton tells readers why innovation is key to meeting customer expectations across the venues and live entertainment industries and Jon Chapple writes about the experience of living and working with cancer.

As always, the majority of the magazine’s content will appear online in some form in the next four weeks.

However, if you can’t wait for your fix of essential live music industry features, opinion and analysis, click here to subscribe to IQ from just £6.25 a month – or check out what you’re missing out on with the limited preview below:

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Venue services company Sodexo Live! has officially launched its Sodexo Live! Lounge at the M&S Bank Arena Liverpool.

Senior business leaders and media came together to celebrate the official opening last week, coinciding with a headline show at the 11,000-cap venue by Kaiser Chiefs.

Hospitality and live events specialist Sodexo Live!, which has partnered with the ACC Liverpool team since 2008, appointed former The O2 and Alexandra Palace boss Rebecca Kane Burton as its UK and Ireland CEO earlier this year.

“Our partnership with ACC Liverpool has grown ever stronger over the past 14 years, and we are delighted to be able to celebrate this so visibly with the launch of the Sodexo Live! Lounge,” says Kane Burton. We are looking forward to the future with fantastic times ahead with the Eurovision Song Contest in 2023 and a host of exciting artists coming to the venue.

“Our mission is to use the Lounge to make the incredible events at the arena even more special for our guests, giving them an experience that they will remember for the rest of their lives. The launch of the Sodexo Live! Lounge is just one of the many exciting initiatives we have planned, which plays into our strategy of engaging differently in the live marketplace.”

“We have no doubt that the partnership between ACC Liverpool and Sodexo Live! will continue to be a great success”

The Sodexo Live! Lounge has a maximum capacity of up to 110 guests and offers a menu curated for each event, along with a selection of premium drinks and before and after arena performances, with up-and-coming local music artists making guest appearances.

“It’s been great to officially launch the Lounge and showcase what it offers guests,” adds Ben Williams, commercial director of M&S Bank Arena parent company The ACC Liverpool Group. “We have no doubt that the partnership between ACC Liverpool and Sodexo Live! will continue to be a great success and will make use of both our combined expertise as the region’s leading arena and Sodexo Live’s world-class hospitality offer.”

A global leader in hospitality and live events, Sodexo Live! manages several top UK stadia and venues, including Fulham FC, Newcastle United, Royal Ascot, Bateaux London and Glasgow’s Hampden Park.

It was recently confirmed that the M&S Bank Arena will host the 67th Eurovision Song Contest on behalf of Ukraine on Saturday 13 May 2023, as well as the semi-finals on 9 & 11 May. Other upcoming concerts at the venue include Rod Stewart, Westlife, Paolo Nutini, N-Dubz, Lewis Capaldi and Jamie Webster.

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Venue services company Sodexo Live! has appointed former The O2 chief Rebecca Kane Burton as its new UK and Ireland CEO.

Kane Burton served a four and a half year stint as VP and GM of AEG’s 21,000-cap London arena before stepping down in 2016 to become chief executive of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s West End venue chain LW Theatres (formerly Really Useful Theatres), where she played a key role in the London Palladium’s Covid-safe socially distanced shows in 2020 as part of a UK government pilot scheme. She departed the company last year.

Prior to The O2, Kane Burton was MD of the 10,400-cap Alexandra Palace, also in London, and previously held a senior role at English Heritage.

“I am looking forward to driving our strategic ambition and accelerating growth in a market that has high development potential”

“I am excited to join Sodexo Live! as we head into a busy summer season of events,” says Kane Burton. “I am looking forward to driving our strategic ambition and accelerating growth in a market that has high development potential.

“Sodexo Live! has a talented team delivering excellence in all the services they deliver and I can’t wait to meet them and see their expertise first hand.”

Founded in Marseille, France, the Maryland, US-headquartered hospitality and catering giant now operates in more than 70 countries, partnering with stadiums, arenas, convention centres and museums, among other facilities. Clients include Hard Rock Stadium Miami, ACC Liverpool and Royal Ascot.

In addition to joining the firm’s UK and Ireland regional leadership committee, Kane Burton will also become a member of the Sodexo Live! global executive committee. The Sodexo Group created the Sodexo Live! brand last year to “unify and leverage its expertise” in the sports, events and hospitality sector.

“The UK is a key part of Sodexo Live! global growth strategy”

The company has also hired 15-year veteran Nicci Clarke from Punch Pubs & Co as marketing director.

“I am delighted to welcome Rebecca and Nicci to the UK and Ireland team,” adds Sodexo Live! worldwide CEO Nathalie Bellon-Szabo. “The UK is a key part of Sodexo Live! global growth strategy, the business is recovering well from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and is starting to show signs of strong growth.

“We look forward to supporting Rebecca and her team as they deploy their expertise across major venues and events to provide the best service to our clients and customers.”

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Beverley Knight’s landmark 23 July show at the London Palladium was a “blessed relief” for everyone involved – but it also showed that socially distanced concerts aren’t viable for the vast majority of music venues, according to Rebecca Kane Burton, CEO of West End venue chain LW Theatres.

British soul singer Knight played to a crowd of around 640 – some 30% of the Palladium’s normal capacity – as part of government-backed ‘pilot’ scheme designed to how venues might operate with social distancing ahead of the planned return of indoor shows on 1 August (now pushed back to at least the 15th). A second pilot event took place at another London venue, the the 1,250-capacity Clapham Grand, on 28 July, with Frank Turner playing to a 20% full room.

“The most horrible thing about the past 19 weeks has been not being able to open these doors,” Kane Burton, reflecting on the Palladium pilot event, tells IQ. “The excitement and thrill of working with my team again to put on that show was a blessed relief.”

Kane Burton (pictured) is full of praise for both Knight and the Palladium team, describing the former as the perfect performer given the circumstances.

“Not many people would be ballsy enough to get on stage with the room only 30% full,” she says, “but Beverley did it with gusto – she got everyone up on their feet dancing, which in turn made people feel like they were allowed to enjoy themselves.”

“The excitement and thrill of working with my team again was a blessed relief”

As for the LW/Palladium team, the message from Public Health England was that “they couldn’t find one flaw” in how the show – which featured temperature checks and a host of hygienic gadgetry – was organised.

However, while she says she considers the Palladium show a success, Kane Burton – like Ally Wolf from the Clapham Grand – is clear that it should not be used a blueprint for how live events may reopen safely in the UK.

For a start, both shows lost money – “Normally the ratio of staff to customers [at the Palladium] is 1:40,” explains Kane Burton, “but for Beverley Knight, it was 1:10; no promoter is going to pay for that” – and while Knight did her best, even the PHE officials present noticed the lack of atmosphere present with a sparse, mask-wearing audience.

“Socially distanced venues don’t work,” says Kane Burton. With a 70% empty venue, “you’re not allowed to have that moment of escapism” that comes with seeing a show at a packed venue, as the Knight gig showed, she adds.

“To get an atmosphere you need to fill the place to the rafters. That’s how you get a rocking Palladium, and that’s how you bring venues back to life.”

Knight agrees. “I would not encourage any performer to step inside an auditorium where they’re playing to 30% capacity,” she tells IQ. “Financial considerations aside, that energy that you need isn’t there.

“To get an atmosphere you need to fill the place to the rafters”

“And equally for the audience listening: they appreciated what we’re doing on stage but they didn’t feel ‘in’ the gig. The euphoria wasn’t there.”

Along with much of the UK live music industry, Kane Burton is now pushing the British government for a reopening date for non-socially distanced shows, as well as working with PHE to develop guidance for post-Covid-19 performing arts.

While the Beverley Knight show didn’t provide a roadmap for the future of live in the UK, it did signal to the rest of the concert business that venues are pushing hard to reopen when they’re allowed, concludes Kane Burton.

“We wanted to send a message to all promoters and agents that we, as a venue industry, are not resting on our laurels,” she says. “We’re here in the trenches, and everything we’re doing is about getting the industry back on track.”

“We need to get going again, because without live music, this country loses its soul,” she adds. “We can’t just sit here and do nothing.”

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