Fans were set to finally head into the Co-op Live Arena this evening with the venue opening its doors to the public for the first time – however the concert has now been cancelled.

American rapper A Boogie Wit da Hoodie was set to perform at the new arena this evening, May 1, but due to technical issues the show will no longer go ahead.

Fans of the rapper have been asked to leave the area.

The venue posted a statement 10 minutes after the doors were set to open for what was meant to be its first official event with A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie – real name Julius Dubose – as fans queued outside awaiting entry.

A spokesperson for the Co-op Live Arena said: “Due to a venue-related technical issue, tonight’s A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie show will no longer go ahead. We kindly ask fans to leave the area. Tickets holders will receive further information in due course.

“We deeply apologise for the significant inconvenience this will cause for many.”

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A Co-op Group spokesperson said: "As the naming rights sponsor for Co-op Live, we are shocked at the incident which has led to late cancellation of tonight’s show at the arena.

"We are relieved that no-one has been injured, but we share the disappointment and frustration of ticket holders, many of whom are Co-op members, with the continuing delay to the opening of Co-op Live and the disruption that this is causing to everyone who has been looking forward to attending events.

“We will be seeking a full explanation from Oak View Group (OVG), who are responsible for the building, to the obvious questions arising from this, together with a clear plan from the Co-op Live venue management team at OVG for opening the venue and postponed and future events.

“Safety is of course the number one priority and it is critical that Co-op members and other ticket holders can enjoy events in a venue with the very highest levels of security and safety measures in place.

"We are very grateful for Manchester City Council’s and the emergency services’ continued engagement with OVG to ensure that Co-op Live opens as soon as possible.”

This comes just days after the Peter Kay gigs were rescheduled for a second time.

The Bolton comedian was due to be the first person to perform at the Co-op Live on April 23, but arena bosses pushed the dates back to Monday April 29 and Tuesday April 30 and have since been pushed them back even further to Thursday, May 23 and Friday, May 24.

This news also comes just a few days since the boss of the arena quit - Co-op Live Arena confirmed to the BBC that Gary Roden had resigned.

Mr Roden resigned shortly after his comments to the BBC— in which he claimed grassroots music venues were often “poorly run”— caused backlash.

People who were set to attend the concert this evening have shared their anger on social media.

One person said: “What use is an apology, you knew full well this event would not go ahead.

 “Thousands more people out of pocket and having to reschedule hotels, trains, time off work!

“And to cancel so close to the time is cruel, I’m sure there will be no recompense to those affected?”

The Co-op Live Arena has now postponed both Olivia Rodrigo shows this weekend, on May 3 and 4.

A Co-op Live Arena spokesperson said: "Due to an ongoing venue related technical issue, the scheduled performances of Olivia Rodrigo's GUTS World Tour on 3rd and 4th May are being postponed.

”Ticket holders can either hold onto their tickets or obtain a refund from their point of purchase. We deeply apologise for the significant inconvenience this will cause for many."

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