Shania Twain, the queen of country music, will visit Manchester next week on her huge tour.
It’s her first world tour in almost five years (though there was a lengthy Las Vegas residency in between).
Shania Twain is set to perform at the AO Arena in support of new album Queen of Me on 3 February 2023 – her sixth full-length album.
The 49-date tour will see her performing in London, Dublin, Glasgow, Birmingham and Manchester next year.
Shania, a five-time Grammy Award-winner, has become the best-selling female artist in country music history thanks to hits like That Don’t Impress Me Much, Man I Feel Like A Woman, and I’m Gonna Getcha Good.
Here’s everything you need to know.
Tickets for Shania Twain in Manchester
Shania Twain. Credit: Publicity picture
It’s slim pickings for tickets for Shania Twain’s AO Arena gig.
At the time of writing, the gig isn’t completely sold out, but most of the tickets are single seats.
There’s better availability in a couple of blocks which are essentially behind the stage, and that means an obstructed view. So not ideal.
Tickets are priced at £83.50 each, with quite a few tickets also being sold through Ticketmaster’s resale service.
What are the stage times?
Exactly stage times for Shania Twain aren’t likely to be announced until the week of the event itself.
But we do know that doors to the AO Arena will open at 6pm, and the show will start at 7.30pm.
Based on stage times from previous shows, Breland will perform at 7.30pm.
Shania Twain is then likely to hit the stage at around 8.30pm.
We’ll be sure to update this article as soon as stage times for Manchester are announced.
Country and hip-hop star Breland – who has long cited Shania Twain as an inspiration for his music – will be supporting her on her Manchester tour date.
He stunned audiences across the US supporting that leg of the Queen of Me tour, and will now be heading over to this side of the pond too.
Breland’s breakout single My Truck established him as a force on the current music landscape ahead of releasing debut album CROSS COUNTRY last year.
Setlist for Shania Twain’s Manchester concert
The below is Shania Twain’s setlist from The O2 in London earlier this month, which is likely to be simiiar (if not the same) as what we’ll get in Manchester.
Waking Up Dreaming Up! Don’t Be Stupid (You Know I Love You) I’m Gonna Getcha Good! Come on Over You’re Still the One Giddy Up! Any Man of Mine Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under? Honey, I’m Home Inhale/Exhale Air (with Breland) Party for Two (with Breland) Nah! / She’s Not Just a Pretty Face / Waiter! Bring Me Water! / When / Thank You Baby! (for Makin’ Someday Come So Soon) Pretty Liar From This Moment On Come on Over (A capella snippet with fan) When (A capella snippet with fan) Number One Forever and for Always Rock This Country! Encore: That Don’t Impress Me Much Man! I Feel Like a Woman!
The venue
The AO Arena has a few strict policies to keep gig-goers safe, so make sure to check entry requirementscarefully before you travel.
For example, only one small bag per person is allowed, and bags like backpacks, travel cases and laptop bags are not permitted inside the arena.
All bags are scanned on entry to check for prohibited items like laser pens, flares, projectiles, weapons, drugs and alcohol, and even selfie sticks.
Ed Sheeran announces ‘intimate’ Manchester date later this year
Danny Jones
The king of contemporary male pop music, Ed Sheeran, is returning to Manchester for one of his biggest dates ever, as well as his venue debut.
Yep, Teddy’s coming to Co-op Live.
The 34-year-old solo star and songwriting extraordinaire hasn’t played a standalone Manchester show since 2023, when he played the legendary AO Arena barely a year on from playing four sold-out nights at the Etihad Stadium.
And now he’s back for more with his first-ever gig at the city’s newest and Europe’s biggest indoor entertainment space.
Confirmed on Wednesday, 3 September, Ed Sheeran is set to play just a small handful of huge headline spaces this winter, including dates in Paris, Munich, Coventry and Dublin, as well as here in Manchester.
Announced ahead of his new LP and eighth studio album, Play, of which we’ve already heard four new tracks: ‘Sapphire’, ‘Old Phone’, ‘A Little More’ and ‘Azizam’ – the latter of which went straight to number one and stayed there for five whole weeks after it dropped.
These upcoming shows will be an extra and rare chance to see Sheeran before his all-new ‘Loop’ stadium tour, which kicks off in Australia next January.
Revealing details about the limited number of EU dates via his own social media channels, Sheeran wrote: “Coming to play some shows in Europe. These shows will be more intimate than a stadium show, obvz, but still will be incredible.”
We don’t know how he plans to make a room as big as the Co-op Live arena ‘intimate’, but we’re looking forward to seeing what he has in store…
He went on to add that he loves “playing these venues so much”, urging fans to pre-order the new record if they want to get their hands on tickets ASAP.
Play releases on Friday, 12 September, and those who pre-order the album exclusively through Amazon.co.uk before 7pm BST this Sunday, 7 September, can put themselves in with a chance of securing pre-sale tickets.
Elsewhere, early access will also be available to official Co-op members next Wednesday (10/9/25) ahead of general admission going live on Thursday, 11 September.
You can get ready to grab your tickets for Ed Sheeran at Co-op Live on Sunday, 7 December HERE.
Featured Images — Press shots (supplied)/Ed Sheeran (via Instagram)
Audio
A new online series spotlighting Manc songwriting is set to debut this month
Danny Jones
This region has produced some of the greatest songwriters of all time; it’s just straight-up facts, and now the brand-new digital docuseries entitled Manchester:Unplugged is set to spotlight that treasured truth online.
Created by StreamGM – the non-profit digital streaming service dedicated to showcasing and supporting the music, nightlife, and culture of Greater Manchester, which evolved from the all-important ‘United We Stream’ project back in lockdown – this is just as much a hometown celebration as it is a show.
They’re the same team behind the Spill The Sound series presented by Louise Schofield, and given they’re now a few seasons deep into old-school music telly, we’d wager this new programme is going to be a similar success.
Getting underway on Thursday, 4 September, the very first episode of Manchester:Unplugged is nearly here. Keep reading to find out more.
The new show is filmed at various familiar venues, such as The Freemount and Bay Horse Tavern in NQ. (Credit: StreamGM)
Put in the simplest terms, this new series is all about our many marvellous Manc lyricists and the best of local and contemporary songwriting.
The new free-to-watch online documentary series uncovers the stories behind the songs that make Manchester one of the world’s greatest cities for music.
Available via the streaming platform itself as well as uploaded directly to YouTube, each 10-minute episode follows the journey of one song born in the region, from the spark of an idea to the creative process of writing, recording, release and its eventual impact on us listeners.
Better yet, the show is filmed in iconic and grassroots local venues, rehearsal rooms, pubs and creative spaces and more, all portrayed at their cinematic best, blending stripped-back performances with intimate interviews from the artists reflecting on their work.
With a focus on both the city’s rising stars and its more established names,Manchester: Unplugged captures the energy of the city’s diverse and constantly evolving scene, while staying rooted in its ever-growing history and heritage.
The Covasettes after their performance at New Century Hall. (Credit: Supplied)
Speaking on the new project, producer Laura Graham told The Manc: “Manchester: Unplugged is about more than music, it’s about memory, place, and the moment and reason why a song was brought to life.
“Each episode is a personal narrative by the songwriter. At its core, it’s about meaning and connection: between artist and audience, song and place, past and present.
Daisy Jackson -
21st September 2023 
