Man City set for major Co-op Live clashes amid Paul McCartney, Slipknot and Janet Jackson dates

Thousands of Paul McCartney fans will be heading to the Co-op Live arena at the same time as 55,000 football fans exit the Etihad Stadium in December for the Manchester derby.

Manchester City face rivals Manchester United on the weekend of December 14 at the Etihad in the first Premier League derby of the season. The sides are both taking part in the Community Shield at Wembley in August ahead of the season opening, but the December fixture marks the first league meeting of the campaign.

Confirmation of that fixture provides authorities with a logistical headache around what is already set to be a high-profile fixture, after music legend Paul McCartney confirmed two dates at Co-op Live that weekend. City vs United will almost certainly take place on one of those two dates to satisfy Greater Manchester Police and the relevant broadcasters.

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A Friday game is not possible as United will be in Europa League action on the Thursday, while Carabao Cup fixtures the following week make a Monday fixture extremely unlikely, leaving Saturday or Sunday as the only realistic options for the fixture to take place.

Both Premier League derbies last season took place on a Sunday with a 3.30pm kick-off, with the 2022/23 meetings kicking off at 12.30pm on a Saturday and 2pm on a Sunday. If that later kick-off time was replicated in December, thousands of rival fans could be set to leave the Etihad at around 5.30pm, just as McCartney fans were arriving in the area to take their seats for their concert.

A handful of events took place at the end of the season in April and May