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The Black Keys announce huge Manchester arena gig during Co-op Live’s opening week

This is going to be massive. (Contains affiliate links)

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 4th March 2024

The Black Keys have just announced a huge arena show here in Manchester, which will form part of the new Co-op Live arena’s opening week.

The multi-Grammy Award-winning rock band will be performing at the venue very soon, with the show taking place on 27 April 2024.

The acclaimed duo have been behind hit songs like Lonely Boy, Gold On The Ceiling, and Howlin’ For You.

They already have 11 studio album behind them, with a 12th – Ohio Players – set for release early next month.

The Black Keys’ latest album will feature collaborations with names including Noel Gallagher, Beck, Greg Kurstin, Dan “The Automator” Nakamura and more.

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The band are going to be one of the very first artists to perform at Co-op Live, which will be the UK’s largest live entertainment arena when it’s officially opened by Peter Kay on 23 and 24 April.

The rest of the venue’s opening season will be packed with more than 30 artists across 50 shows, including a seven-night Take That residency, a five-night UK exclusive residency as part of The Eagles’ final ever tour, Barry Manilow’s only UK arena show and Eric Clapton’s first Manchester performance in 10 years. 

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The venue was also recently announced as the host venue for the 2024 MTV EMAs, which will see the biggest names in music flock to the city for the first time.

Gary Roden, executive director and general manager at Co-op Live, said: “We are thrilled that a band of The Black Keys’ calibre will be taking to the stage.

“The show will be part of an amazing week of performances that kicks off a jam-packed opening season.Tina – The Tina Turner Musical is coming to Manchester on first-ever UK tour

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“At Co-op Live our aim is to bring world-class talent to a city that lives and breathes music, and this line up epitomises that ambition. With our doors opening in a matter of weeks, we can’t wait to welcome the world to Co-op Live.”

When it launches next month, the state-of-the-art arena will have capacity for 23,500 gig-goers, with an innovative music-first design and 32 bars, restaurants and lounges around the site.

The huge venue stands beside the Etihad Stadium and is a joint venture between Oak View Group and City Football Group.

It also has a ‘smart bowl’ design that will bring gig-goers closer to the artist, and there’ll be no corporate branding to detract from the spectacle on stage.

Co-op members will gain first-in-line access to The Black Keys tickets through a designated presale from 10am on Wednesday 6 March 2024.

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General sale tickets for The Black Keys show in Manchester will be available through See Tickets from 10am on Friday 8 March 2024.

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Featured image: Larry Niehues

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The UK’s much-loved ‘day rave’ with Vicky and Jon McClure returns to Manchester for New Year’s Eve

Thomas Melia Thomas Melia

One of the UK’s most popular new club events and pioneering ‘day rave’ is returning to Manchester this New Year’s, featuring founders Jon and Vicky McClure, as well as some very special guests.

The Line of Duty star and Reverend and the Makers frontman started the parent-friendly event back in January of this year as an alternative day out for those looking to have a party and still manage an early bedtime. Since then it’s gone on to become a real phenomenon and is only getting bigger.

With Vicky swapping UK dramas and crime thrillers for the discotheque and ‘Big Jon’ switching lanes from his usual rock, indie and alternative roots to favour timeless dance tracks to still get people up on their feet, Day Fever has gone down a storm all over the country.

With their first year coming towards a close, they now look set for arguably their biggest day rave to date as Day Fever will be hosting a special New Year’s Eve for their final hurrah of 2024 right here in Manchester city centre – and no, you don’t need to be able to stay up until midnight.

The two McClures – unrelated, by the way, they just share a name and a fantastic taste in music – and the rest of their crew will be partying between 3-8pm for a much more tame and friendlier night (day) out, commanding the decks alongside some other special guests.

Not only does this alternative way to party promise a more responsible curfew, meaning clubbers don’t have to worry about missing the last train home but it’s also geared towards over 30s whilst still being super inclusive.

This day-time clubbing event is designed to reminisce on the old days and all those dance-filled memories of evenings spent out on the tiles, just minus the late-night finish – and hopefully the hangover but that’s down to you really, isn’t it?

In their words: ‘There’s no dress code, no egos—just pure positivity’; there’s nothing we love to hear more than the sweet relief of not having to get dolled up for a big night when we just can’t be bothered.

With New Century Hall hosting the Day Fever once again for their first-ever NYE party here in Manchester, along with two other events being held simultaneously in Edinburgh and Birmingham, you can get all your partying done way with plenty of time to get cosy in bed before the calendar turns over.

Just in time to watch Jools Holland’s famous Annual Hootenanny, as they put it.

Jon McClure and Vicky’s co-star, Martin Compston
Vicky McClure leading the dance routines

This is guaranteed to be an evening to remember for everyone in attendance, especially when you’re joined by stars of stage and screen who will be powering you through with some proper dance bangers as they have done all year long.

The New Year’s Eve party isn’t just the last dance of the year either, it’s also effectively the prequel to next year’s raft of shows as Day Fever has already announced more than a dozen big dates in January and February.

This batch of 2025 dates sees the gang taking on lots of other cities, including North West neighbours Liverpool, Sheffield, Leeds and Hull over in Yorkshire, two Newcastle shows and plenty more.

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So, if you’re feeling those clubbing blues, that pesky seasonal affective disorder or just still not booked up for NYE 2024, why not make the most of this day-time opportunity?

Tickets for both the New Year’s Eve and the rest of their 2025 events are available on the official Day Fever website HERE.

Oh yeah, and help get Rev to Christmas number one – it’s for a good cause and they deserve it!

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — Publicity Picture via Supplied

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Sean Paul and Ashanti are hosting a massive Manchester show in 2025

Danny Jones Danny Jones Sean Paul Ashanti Manchester AO Arena tickets

The one and only Sean Paul is coming to Manchester next year and we’re about to be smashing that buy ticket button it’ll be left sticking like glue.

A terrible pun, we know, we’re just very excited.

Better yet, he’s bringing a fantastic co-headliner along with him as fellow noughties and R’n’B throwback Ashanti will be sharing the stage too.

Landing at the AO Arena in spring 2025, they’ll be upping the ‘Temperature’ ahead of the summer and just in time for the festival season to start getting underway.

Having both enjoyed the scene for many years back in its 2000s heyday and each still boasting their own long-serving fan bases no matter how long it’s been, we wouldn’t think of this as a Sean Paul headline gig with a support act but two very special guests doing what they do best.

The Jamaican-born rap, reggae and dancehall artist as well as all-round popstar needs no introduction really but we’ll give him one anyway: you have to pronounce his name funny and he’s best known for countless club classics like ‘Got 2 Luv U’, ‘Get Busy’ and ‘Gimme The Light’, just to name a few.

As for Ashanti – who came close to a highly-anticipated studio collab with Sean Paul back in the day – the ‘Foolish’, ‘Rock Wit U’ and ‘Always On Time’ singer hasn’t put out new music of her own for a couple years but celebrated two decades since her debut album with a deluxe version re-release in March 2023.

Coming back to Manchester for basically a celebration of what many still revere as one of the golden eras for the genre will no doubt be an unbelievable night and playing the AO Arena after all this time is no mean feat.

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General admission goes live from 10am, Friday 20 December but presale will be available for Three mobile users who want exclusive early access from Wednesday onwards from the same time.

The ‘Bring It’ Tour comes our way on 13 April 2025, with other dates including Leeds, Birmingham, Cardiff and a massive London show with Fat Joe joining too.

You can get ready to grab your tickets for Sean Paul and Ashanti’s AO Arena date HERE.

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — Press Images (supplied)

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