Co-op Live

Ideal's advanced CNS and high-density Wi-Fi delivers an outstanding experience for 23,500 music lovers, 40+ bars, restaurants and concessions, and all operational management.

Situated in Manchester, Co-op Live is the largest, most socially responsible, and technologically advanced indoor music-first venue in Europe.

The challenge

Situated in Manchester, Co-op Live is the largest, most socially responsible, and technologically advanced indoor music-first venue in Europe.

The owners, Oak View Group (OVG), had a vision to create an amazing entertainment experience, with cutting edge visual technology, exceptional acoustics, an innovative sound bowl design and advanced high-density Wi-Fi.

The challenge for Ideal was to design a wired and wireless network to integrate 40 different building systems, ranging from lighting and sound to turnstiles and access control. The high-density Wi-Fi network needed to support up to 23,500 concurrent users. It also had to deliver a consistent end-user experience throughout 40+ bars, restaurants and concessions across four floors, and support the Co-op Live application, delivering a paperless venue.

The Solution

Ideal designed and delivered a 5000-port Converged Network System (CNS) and High-density Wi-Fi using Cisco Catalyst 9800 architecture and Catalyst 9K Access Points – the first UK arena with this technology fully deployed.

The arena has over 40 IP partners (everything from the Building Management System to beer taps and biometric turnstiles) connected onto the network. This smart integration helps OVG to manage operational efficiency for different styles and sizes of event, from legendary global music stars to more intimate stand-up comedy. Fluid data informs management decisions and is helping OVG to achieve its ESG goals by reducing the arena’s overall environmental impact.

The Result

Co-op Live is the largest, most technologically advanced indoor arena in the UK, and one of the most sustainable in Europe.

Ideal’s high-density Wi-Fi and CNS network is delivering an outstanding user-experience, whilst providing vital data to enable Co-op Live to be the most sustainable world-class arena in Europe.