Peter Kay is due to perform at the £365m 23,500-capacity arena tomorrow night. But hours before its showpiece opening, work is not complete on the Eastlands venue.
The council's building control is also yet to sign the building off - although the venue can still open without a completion certificate, with 'mitigations' in place. It comes as problems with power at the site, which are believed to have affected the fire safety and emergency services communication systems, led to bosses slashing attendance from around 11,000 to 4,000 at yesterday's test event - less than two hours before it was due to start. Insiders claim 'everything was run down to the wire' ahead of Saturday's test show
Now, teams on-site are 'throwing everything at it' to prepare for the venue's grand opening.
A Co-op Live spokesman said: "Opening a venue of this size requires working very closely with multiple stakeholders and responsible authorities to deliver against a rigorous set of guidelines and protocols.
This story is from the April 22, 2024 edition of Manchester Evening News.
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This story is from the April 22, 2024 edition of Manchester Evening News.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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