Man City to bring Mamma Mia! The Party to Etihad
Forming part of the club’s £300m Medlock Square leisure quarter, the immersive, theatrical dining experience will be housed in a three-storey venue next to the stadium.
Manchester City FC has applied for planning permission for the Mamma Mia! The Party scheme, which is the second in the UK and third globally. The other two are in London and Stockholm.
The 600-capacity venue will recreate the wedding venue on the island of Skepolos from the 2008 musical Mamma Mia! The scheme is being delivered in partnership with Pophouse Entertainment.
Pophouse chief executive Jessica Koravos added: “Manchester is known for its enthusiasm and innovation in music and entertainment and we cannot think of anywhere better to bring one of the world’s most popular and ground breaking theatrical productions.
“Mamma Mia! The Party has been hugely successful in London, with audiences continuing to love the experience even seven years after its opening, and we are excited to be able to expand on that success, with plans to give it a new home in Manchester for many more people to enjoy.”
Situated at the north-east of Medlock Square, the proposed three storey event venue has been designed to complement Co-op Live, located nearby, the club said.
Work on the 7,700 seat North Stand expansion at the Etihad, designed by Populous, and a 400-bed Radisson hotel, is ongoing. Other elements of Medlock Square include a 3,000-capacity covered event space, food and beverage offer, museum, and roof walk attraction.
Danny Wilson, managing director, Manchester City operations, said: “Working with Pophouse, the club’s latest proposal to further develop the Etihad Campus is an incredibly exciting opportunity for both East Manchester and the wider city more generally.
“We know there is ever increasing demand for more immersive, entertainment experiences in the North of England and we are incredibly proud to have put forward plans for consideration by Manchester City Council to bring a world-renowned event to Manchester’s newest entertainment destination, Medlock Square.”
Fantastic
By Bob
World class football, music and entertainment in Manchester.
What a place to be.
By Chris Mercer
Another example of people being able to make this kind of thing just happen in Manchester.
Compare and contrast to Steve Rotheram’s Beatles Hologram Show – yes, even more Beatles – which sounded like a new announcement last November except he first announced it in 2021 when he said they’d already been working on it for 3 years. There was supposed to be £2 million from the Sunak & Friends to work up a plan, but now he’s after the tourist tax.
Perhaps tourists would like to visit Mayor Steve’s office on Mann Island instead, where they can pose for selfies in front of the World’s Largest Drawing Board? Or just head to Manchester…
By Penny Pain
Whilst even more investment in the area is welcome, I’m wondering if there is going to have to be some kind of events management plan put in place that looks at how many venues can be used concurrently. For anyone who’s been on a match day where there’s also a Co-Op Live event on, there’s certainly strain on infrastructure, particularly around transport links. Add in additional attractions like this, a decent F&B offer, an added 3,000 seat venue, hotel guests and potential for a further 7,700 football spectators, and the existing pinch points narrow further if everything is in use at once.
By Anonymous
Jurassic Park!
By Alan Partridge
In March 2010 the City Council entered into a Memorandum of
Understanding to work together to create a transformational plan for the
area around the Etihad Stadium and to create a nationally significant destination.
This announcement is to be welcomed as it shows the Club resolutely still committed to delivering on the agreement it entered into sixteen years ago. Fantastic news.
By Anonymous
They need to improve transport links to this part of the city. A dinky tram service simply does not cut it.
By Anonymous
This area, the city centre, Salford Quay, and Trafford City are great examples of successful regeneration projects. They all now need to be linked with an underground system which would help alleviate traffic congestion associated with events taking place in these locations.
By Anonymous