The Co-op Live Arena in Manchester, England, has become the first arena in the United Kingdom to implement the enhanced Apple Wallet ticket experience offering the fans a more intuitive, content-rich digital journey in the lead-up to and during live events.
‘ticketmaster BUSINESS’ stated that the enhanced Apple Wallet pass (available for Safetix™ tickets only) provides fans using iOS 18 or later with a seamless way to access essential event information directly from their digital ticket. This includes arrival guidance, venue maps, parking instructions, journey planning tools, local weather updates, curated Apple Music playlists, and interactive modules such as links to the venue apps, food and beverage (F&B) options or merchandise.
The 23,500-capacity Co-op Live is an indoor arena in Manchester, England (UK) sited in the Etihad Campus next to the 52,900-capacity Etihad Stadium. It opened on May 14th, 2024.
‘ticketmaster BUSINESS’ further stated that this is a self-serve experience enabling the venues to build, update and customize these enhanced Apple Wallet passes themselves.
Shared Guy Dunstan, General Manager, Co-op Live, “Innovative technology underpins much of Co-op Live and continuously cements our commitment to a seamless, forward-thinking fan experience. Working with our partners at Ticketmaster to be the first arena in the UK to implement the upgraded Apple Wallet features further showcases this drive offering the ticket holders an elevated, intuitive offering as they prepare for, travel to and enter the venue.”
Enhancing the Fan Journey before Arrival
Rather than simply acting as an access credential the enhanced pass supports communication with the fans in advance of their visit. The key features allow Co-op Live to proactively assist and engage the ticket holders while also driving traffic back to the venue app, connecting and extending the entire fan experience and encouraging greater app engagement.
These features include:
- Venue maps and parking instructions;
- Arrival guidance and journey planning tools;
- Pre-event engagement opportunities;
- Local weather updates and realtime information; and
- Interactive modules linking to venue apps, F&B or merchandise;
Passes can be updated in the days leading up to an event to ensure the fans receive the most relevant and up-to-date information though teams must actively push any changes.
Adoption Across the Industry
While Co-op Live is the first UK arena to go live with the enhanced Apple Wallet ticket experience the additional clients have already begun implementation including the Academy-Music Group (AMG)-managed venues and the 13,600-capacity Utilita Arena Sheffield in Sheffield, England. This reflects increasing momentum towards mobile-first live event journeys and deeper digital ticket engagement across the industry.
A Benchmark for Future-ready Venues
Co-op Live has consistently pushed boundaries in technology, sustainability and digital innovation. Early adoption of the enhanced Apple Wallet pass demonstrates its commitment to delivering next-generation fan experiences and sets a new benchmark for how venues can harness digital tools to enhance fan engagement.
Stated Sarah Slater, Managing Director, Ticketmaster UK, “Enhancing the ticket experience through Apple Wallet is an important step in supporting fans earlier in their event journey. By surfacing key information directly in the pass the venues can help streamline arrival and improve engagement. It’s great to see Co-op Live leading the way in adopting this technology and encouraging to see more of our clients beginning to follow.”
Continue to follow Coliseum for latest updates on venues business news. Coliseum is dedicated towards building the best global community of sports and entertainment venue executives and professionals creating better and more profitable venues.
Become a member of the only Global Sports Venue Alliance and connect with stadiums, arenas and experts from around the world. Apply for membership at coliseum-online.com/alliance and make use of the 365Coliseum Business.