Manchester music venue winning high praise from performers and concertgoers after being bitten by teething troubles

When Paul McCartney performed on stage at Manchester’s Co-op Live in mid-December, he paused between songs, and looked out on the crowd. Praising the new venue, the musician said he just wanted to “take it all in”.

The state-of-the-art building, which opened earlier this year, is the biggest indoor arena in the UK, with a capacity of 23,500, and its backers include Harry Styles and the Abu Dhabi-based owners of Manchester City.