Latest news with #OakViewGroup
Business Journals
2 days ago
- Business
- Business Journals
Dallas to sever ties with Fair Park operator
The city of Dallas will take back over day-to-day operations at Fair Park and cancel its contract with Oak View Group, the private company hired in 2019 to manage the "Crown Jewel of South Dallas" and home of the State Fair of Texas, the city announced June 18.
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
BRIT Awards 2026 to Be Held Outside London for First Time
The BRIT Awards will move to Manchester in 2026 and 2027, marking the first time the ceremony has taken place outside of London in its nearly-50 year history. Co-op Live, the venue operated by Oak View Group, will host the event on Feb. 28, 2026 and be broadcast live on ITV 1 and ITV X; 2027's date is yet to be confirmed. More from Billboard Oak View Group's Jessica Koravos on Global Goals Following Co-op Live's Rocky Start, Rapid Rise Kylie Minogue Joins Prestigious '21 Club' at London's O2 Arena Kevin Parker Previews New Tame Impala Music During Barcelona DJ Set The 2025 event was held in March at The O2 Arena in London, the ceremony's home since 2012. The BRITs has been held at various venues in the capital including Earl's Court (1996-2011), Alexandra Palace (1993-1995) and The Grosvenor Hotel (1982-1987). The first event in 1977 was held at the Wembley Conference Centre, and the BRITs became a yearly occurrence from 1982 onwards; the 2021 event was the first major event to take place in the U.K. following the outbreak of the COVID pandemic a year prior. 2026 marks the first event of the three-year stewardship under Sony Music U.K.; stewardship rotates between the three major labels, with the BRIT Committee overseeing the show's creative direction. Damian Christian, the managing director and president of promotions at Atlantic Records, a Warner Music subsidiary, served as the chair of the BRIT Committee from 2022-2025. 'Moving to Manchester, the home of some of the most iconic and defining artists of our lifetime, will invigorate the show and build on the BRITs legacy of celebrating and reinvesting in world-class music,' says Jason Isley MBE, chairman and CEO, Sony Music U.K. & Ireland. 'Hosting the show in Manchester, with its vibrant cultural history, perfectly captures the spirit and energy of the BRIT Awards. I can't wait to see the show at the amazing state-of-the art Co-op Live venue.' Despite a beleaguered opening which saw delays and cancellation of shows in April 2024, the Co-op Live has since established itself as a key player in the U.K. live music scene. In 2024, the venue hosted the MTV EMAs, and 2025's live slate includes Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band, Olivia Rodrigo, Tyler, The Creator and more. The venue's 23,500 capacity makes it the largest indoor arena in Europe. Tim Leiweke, co-founder and CEO of Oak View Group said: 'The BRITs are the most important music event in the UK and were always the highlight of the year, not only because of its immense cultural contribution, but because of their commitment to improving the lives of youth through music. It is our honour to partner with our friends at BPI and Sony Music, alongside the great city of Manchester, to host the BRITs at Co-op Live and join in their mission to create opportunities for youth through music.' The BRIT Awards regularly pulls big name performers, with 2025's ceremony boasting live performances by Sabrina Carpenter, Lola Young, Teddy Swims and Sam Fender. Charli XCX, meanwhile, collected five awards on the night, including album of the year. The move follows the relocation of the MOBO Awards in recent years to Coventry (2021) and Sheffield (2024), and the Mercury Prize which is set to be hosted in Newcastle's Utilita Arena in September 2025. Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Janet Jackson's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits H.E.R. & Chris Brown 'Come Through' to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Iconic BRIT awards coming to the Etihad Campus
Co-op Live has today announced that The BRIT Awards will be held at the arena in 2026 and 2027. The move to the Etihad Campus will mark the first time the event will be held in Manchester, following 47 years in London. Advertisement The BRITS celebrates the best in music and over the years the event has seen some of the most iconic performances and moments in award ceremony history. The announcement will see The BRITS join an impressive roster of events to be held at Co-op Live, with the arena having already hosted the MTV European Music Awards and the likes of Bruce Springsteen, The Eagles, Paul McCartney and Sabrina Carpenter in its first year. Roel de Vries, Group Chief Operating Officer at City Football Group, said: 'As Joint Venture Partners in Co-op Live, we're delighted to have The BRIT Awards at the arena for the next two years. The ceremony will be an opportunity to showcase Manchester and our growing campus to a global audience. 'In its first year alone, Co-op Live has hosted world-class music and sports events, and we're proud that through our partnership with Oak View Group and the work of Manchester City Council leaders, we'll be bringing The BRIT Awards to Manchester after nearly five decades in London.' Advertisement Co-op Live is a joint-venture partnership between City Football Group and Oak View Group and is located next to Manchester City's Etihad Stadium Development which will see the campus evolve into a world-class entertainment destination. Find out more about the project here.
Daily Mail
31-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Man behind the music Tim Leiweke hits all the right notes
Inside Co-op Live the stage is set. As I arrive, the finishing touches are being put to the Bruce Springsteen gig – the first of three shows 'The Boss' is performing at Europe's largest indoor entertainment arena. Sniffer dogs weave along the myriad rows of the 23,500-seater stadium – a timely reminder of the essential security measures that mass-event organisers routinely take following the suicide bombing of the nearby Manchester Arena eight years ago that killed 22 concertgoers. But for Tim Leiweke this is more than just another day in the office. The American boss of Oak View Group, the entertainment giant that runs Co-op Live, is revelling in the news that the venue has just been voted the top arena in the UK and Europe, selling over one million tickets and grossing £87 million in its first, eventful year. It's a far cry from the chaotic launch of Co-op Live, which was dogged by technical delays and safety concerns that led to a slew of performances from the likes of comedian Peter Kay and singer Olivia Rodrigo being cancelled at the last minute. PR Week magazine called it one of the biggest corporate communications disasters of the year. 'Everyone was wondering whether we were going to get it open or not,' Leiweke recalls. After a month of setbacks the troubled arena, which cost £450 million to build, finally opened with hometown band Elbow headlining. He says he kept telling the band's lead singer Guy Garvey: 'It's going to be ready, trust me!' Leiweke adds: 'He ignored the headlines and came. It turned out that was kind of the line in the sand. Everything got easier after that.' Garvey wasn't the only one to help him out during the crisis. 'Paul McCartney did us a favour and played two nights in December,' the Missouri-born entertainment mogul says in his deep southern drawl. And Springsteen, who was booked for the opening, also re-scheduled after Leiweke persuaded him to play 'the best acoustics arena in the world'. Leiweke, 68, was able to pull these strings because he is very well connected – and not just in the music industry. He was dubbed David Beckham's 'American mentor' after luring the former Manchester Utd and England footballer from Real Madrid to LA Galaxy, which was owned by the Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) he ran at the time. He still speaks to Beckham 'every week'. Leiweke's vast experience and contacts served him well during the Co-op Live launch drama. 'When you're in the business for 45 years the good news is you develop a lot of good relationships,' he reflects. 'If you treat people well, if you honour your word, and if you build the greatest acoustical arena ever built artists will want to play here.' Co-op Live is the 20th entertainment venue he has built, including London's O2 Arena, which as head of AEG he transformed from the ailing Millennium Dome. 'I've done more of these projects than anyone on the face of the Earth. It ultimately teaches you to learn to be patient,' he adds. Leiweke points out that 'there's never been a perfect' launch and cites Tottenham and Wembley football grounds as examples of other delayed openings. He also praises the patience and perspective of Co-op Live's backers, including the deep-pocketed Abu Dhabi-based owners of neighbouring Manchester City, who put up half the money for the arena. Leiweke, who founded Oak View Group in 2015, told them to trust him and 'they hung in there with us'. He adds: 'We built this arena for 50 years, not 30 days.' It's a lesson that won't be lost on the Co-op as the retailer, which owns the naming rights to the arena, grapples with the fallout from a recent cyberattack. Part of Leiweke's confidence that it would be all right on the night stems from his faith in the arena itself. A unique acoustical bowl minimises background noise with all advertising and signage inside removed. 'It's a black box, like it's a theatre. It means you can have 24,000 people here and Bruce can sit on stage and feel like he can touch every one of them. We've built the perfect environment,' he gushes. Backstage it's like a five-star hotel with 13 hospitality lounges – or 'clubs' – 14 dressing rooms, a gym, even a recording studio. Leiweke says: 'It's a city back there.' It's certainly gone down well with artists. Opera legend Andrea Bocelli told Leiweke Co-op Live was 'the best sound check he'd ever heard' while Liam Gallagher of Oasis said the only comparable arena in the world was Madison Square Garden in New York. 'We knew we had something special,' Leiweke says. 'We knew that would shine through. We just had to get people and artists in here.' Co-op Live has also given the local economy a £1.3 billion boost as concert-goers spent money in Manchester's bars, clubs, and restaurants. Leiweke is proud that the arena – and a new 460-room hotel that will come on stream nearby next year – have been built without a penny of taxpayer subsidy. As for his next project, Leiweke is eyeing an even bigger arena in London to rival the 20,000-seater 02. He points out that New York and Los Angeles each have four such venues whereas London has only one. But for now, his focus is on Co-op Live, where there are still a few 'nicks and nacks' to sort out before that night's extravaganza. Muhammad Ali once told him that the mark of a great champion was not the boxer who's never been knocked down – it's the boxer who gets knocked down and keeps on getting up. 'That advice was perfect for this building,' says Leiweke. 'When you get knocked down, get back up and keep on fighting.'
Bloomberg
28-05-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Entertainment Firms Oak View, Legends Face DOJ Antitrust Probe
The US Justice Department has been investigating whether live entertainment companies Oak View Group LLC and Legends colluded over bidding to develop a large arena in Texas, according to people familiar with the matter. The criminal antitrust probe is focused on whether the companies illegally coordinated on the bidding to develop and operate the Moody Center, a $338 million arena at the University of Texas at Austin, said the people, who asked not to be identified discussing a confidential investigation. Oak View ultimately won the contract in 2018 and the venue opened in 2022. Legends isn't involved in the project.
