Nicki Minaj has now finally confirmed the rescheduled date for her Manchester gig following her arrest in Amsterdam over the weekend.
In case you need bringing up to speed, the Trinidadian-born rapper and singer-songwriter was due to be flying from the Dutch capital over to Manchester this past Saturday (25 May) to perform a handful of sold-out shows at the city’s newest state-of-the-art arena, Co-op Live, as part of her ‘Pink Friday 2’ world tour.
But, in what was a chaotic and rapidly-developing saga, the 41-year-old was arrested at Amsterdam Schipol Airport after allegedly trying to take what was described as “soft drugs” into another country, according to Dutch Police.
Unsurprisingly, despite fans being let inside the arena and waiting several inside the brand-new premises hoping that Minaj would come on stage to perform, the Co-op Live, gig had to be called-off right at the last minute.
A statement from Co-op Live announcing the gig’s postponement on the night said: “Nicki Minaj’s scheduled performance at Manchester’s Co-op Live on Saturday 25th May has been postponed.
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“Tickets will remain valid for the rescheduled performance which will be announced ASAP.
“Despite Nicki’s best efforts to explore every possible avenue to make tonight’s show happen, the events of today have made it impossible. We are deeply disappointed by the inconvenience this has caused. More information will be available at your point of purchase.”
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The ‘Starships’ and ‘Anaconda’ singer was providing a live commentary of her arrest saga on her official social media platforms on Saturday night, and was very vocal on how her situation was being treated and handled by authorities, before eventually issuing a public apology to all fans who had travelled to see her in Manchester on the first night of her shows.
Nicki Minaj has confirmed the date for her rescheduled Manchester gig after Amsterdam arrest chaos / Credit: Nicki Minaj (via Facebook)
“Please please please accept my deepest and most sincere apologies,” Minaj wrote on X.
“[Dutch police] sure did know exactly how to hurt me today, but this too shall pass. They’ve been doing this over and over and over and over and over again, and I’ve tried so hard to not discuss it because you guys deserve to just get the good stuff. I hate involving you in anything that isn’t for entertainment purposes only.
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“We will have another date for [the 25 May] show shortly, and I’ll probably be able to share it tomorrow.
“One July option and one June option is currently being discussed. I’ll find a way to not only make up the date with the performance, but I’m going to create an added bonus for everyone that had a ticket for this show. Promise.”
Minaj also expressed her gratitude to Co-op Live’s willingness to keep the venue’s doors open until past 11:30pm on the night, in the event that she may have been able to perform.
OK guys, I was JUST RE-ADVISED that we actually CAN NOT do any other date for the make up #gagcityMANCHESTER date besides JUNE 3rd. So JUNE 3rd is the new official date for all ticket holders who originally had tickets to the MAY 25th #Manchester show. I apologize for all the…
And now, following days of discussion to agree on the plan of action – and following ‘confirmation’ of an incorrect reschedule date, which was already booked for Kings of Leon – Minaj and Co-op Live have now officially confirmed the date for the rescheduled show.
The ill-fated 25 May show has now been rescheduled for next Monday (3 June 2024), it has been confirmed.
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“OK guys, I was JUST RE-ADVISED that we actually CAN NOT do any other date for the make up #gagcityMANCHESTER date besides JUNE 3rd. So JUNE 3rd is the new official date for all ticket holders who originally had tickets to the MAY 25th Manchester show.
“I apologize for all the inconvenience this has caused. I really hope you can make the #JUNE3rd show. It’ll be really special.
“Ticketmaster will contact you to advise officially. Love you.”
Featured Image – Nicki Minaj / Live Nation / Ticketmaster
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Andy Burnham ‘deeply grateful’ as 322 Labour MPs back him to become Prime Minister
Emily Sergeant
Andy Burnham says that he is ‘deeply grateful’ after 322 Labour MPs have backed him to become the next Prime Minister.
Need bringing up to speed first? Let’s get to it. After it was announced last month that Andy Burnham had clinched the victory in the crucial Makerfield by-election, winning 24,927 votes (54.8% vote share) and a majority of 9,231, he then went onto announce his intention to run for Labour Party leader, and therefore Prime Minister, after Keir Starmer confirmed he would be stepping down.
Last week, Burnham delivered his first speech as part of his ongoing campaign, addressing how he plans to take the country in a ‘new direction’.
He declared that he wants to bring the ‘Greater Manchester way’ to Westminster.
In a video posted to social media yesterday morning, on the first day of the leadership contest process, Burnham confirmed that he had formally nominated himself to become leader of the Labour Party.
Since then, it has been confirmed that Burnham has secured 322 nominations from Labour MPs to take on the role, meaning he is just one nomination short of securing enough so that no other candidate could secure the 81 backers that are necessary for someone to proceed to the next stage of the contest.
At this time, no other MP has been nominated.
Burnham says he is ‘deeply grateful’ to the MPs who have put their trust in him to become the next Labour leader.
As the first day of nominations draws to a close, I am deeply grateful to the 322 Labour MPs who have put their trust in me and nominated me for Leader of the Labour Party.
Their support comes from across the PLP and reflects a shared belief that Britain needs a new approach to…
In a statement on X yesterday, Burnham wrote: “As the first day of nominations draws to a close, I am deeply grateful to the 322 Labour MPs who have put their trust in me and nominated me for Leader of the Labour Party.
“Their support comes from across the PLP and reflects a shared belief that Britain needs a new approach to politics. That is the circuit breaker I am offering – power out of Westminster, an economy rewired for ordinary people, and good growth in every postcode.
“I want to empower MPs to bring the experiences of their constituents into the heart of government, and harness the full breadth of our Labour movement, drawing on all its traditions and beliefs in pursuit of a common purpose.
“I want to thank every colleague who has nominated me for their commitment to that vision.”
Nominations will end next Wednesday, after which Burnham will need the backing of three Labour affiliates, including at least two trade unions, and then if he crosses that threshold, he is then expected to become Labour leader next Friday, and become Prime Minister the following Monday.
Featured Image – TfGM
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Road to Victory is all set to turn Manchester’s Castlefield Bowl into the latest World Cup fan zone
Danny Jones
Manchester’s smash-hit Road to Victory is hoping to bring its first-ever open-air World Cup fan zone to the city, as the event is set to take over Castlefield Bowl – on one condition.
It’s just the simple matter of if/when* we make it through.
The famous amphitheatre might be in the middle of their 2026 edition of the annual Sounds of the City festival, but given that England have advanced to the quarter-finals of the 2026 tournament, they’ve naturally decided to make some changes.
It might not be in time for this next game against Norway, but should we make it past the Scandinavian side, Castlefield Bowl will be welcoming roughly 9,000 fans for the semis and (touch wood) the final.
Announced this week, the Road to Victory (RtV) team – backed by production company and promoters AIX Live, who specialise in multi-sensory, immersive fan experiences – is pledging to move into their latest Manc venue for the upcoming fixture at the very least.
Having started over at Depot Mayfield before moving to the likes of Diecast and most recently AO Arena, they’re planning to make the most of the ongoing heatwave by securing the beloved Bowl.
With the Manchester Storm ice hockey team returning to the Arena, they’ve had to vacate ahead of preparations, but it could mean that we’re now looking at one of the biggest outdoor supporter parks in the country, let alone the North West.
Once again, we’ve already had The K’s, Wet Leg and Johnny Marr play the multi-date music series this year, and there are more concerts booked, but some understandable exceptions are now being made.
Obviously, how many Road to Victory dates we get here all depends on whether or not Thomas Tuchel’s side make it past Haaland and co., but it’s sure to be a memorable night nonetheless.
Should the boys make it to the semi-final, tickets for the supporter park right after the match and, unsurprisingly, the demand is expected to be huge. For context, more than 40,000 joined the party for the 2022 World Cup, and the previous Euros final in 2024 sold out the AO Arena. Wow.
With that in mind, we’d say be quick on the draw and get down early with doors from 5pm, as the Road to Victory pre-show will kick things off pronto, alongside live DJs, entertainment and bars – all of which promise to deliver an unparalleled festival-like matchday atmosphere.
You can get ready to register your interest and grab yours as soon as they go on sale right HERE; in the meantime, if you’re still wondering where the best places to watch England vs Norway in Manchester are, look no further:
Emily Sergeant -
28th May 2024 
