has confirmed its food menu will be 100% plant-based as it welcomes legendary trip hop pioneers Massive Attack for their only UK arena performance on Thursday 5th June 2025.
Marking a first for the venue, Co-op Live will commit to a fully plant-based food menu, in alignment with Massive Attack’s longstanding dedication to environmental action. This one-off initiative underscores both the artist’s and the venue’s shared mission to lead the future of sustainable live entertainment.
Committed to being a net zero building since opening, Co-op Live already leads the way in sustainability with a football pitch-sized array of solar panels, rainwater harvesting systems, intelligent energy controls, reusable cups, and a zero waste-to-landfill policy. The Massive Attack show on 5th June marks a further step forward in sustainable touring, with the arena going fully plant-based for the night.
The move echoes the band’s innovative Act 1.5 gig last year, which the BBC* described as having “cut emissions by being 100% battery powered and selling 100% vegan food.” This is the first time the venue has tailored its food and drink offer entirely to reflect the values of a specific artist, showcasing the flexibility and responsiveness of its food and drink strategy.
Robert “3D” Del Naja of Massive Attack said: “The Co Op Live gig allows another iteration of the show to materialise and for us to underpin that production with the lowest emissions measures possible. We’re pleased that this event will be the first ever 100% plant based major show in Manchester with an extensive, curated menu, and that the arena is powered by renewables. We’ll also be taking the train on part of this tour leg, and if fans can do the same, we’re then acting in unity to create smarter, cleaner events without avoidable pollution, which has to be the future.”
Mark Donne, lead producer of Act 1.5, said: “Massive Attack are synonymous with creative innovation and an insistence on the cleanest production possible, and in climate terms, so much of what Co-op Live are doing is sector leading – so the venue-artist match is such a strong one. Fans will notice the collaborative attention to detail, and can also enter into the invitation to form part of a super low carbon production, with an extremely stimulating artistic experience assured.”
