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Rick Astley is returning to Manchester for his 2024 Swinging Christmas show

Rick rolling into the festive season. (this article contains affiliate links)

Danny Jones Danny Jones - 7th October 2024

The mighty Rick Astley is heading back to Manchester this festive period for the return of his smash hit Swinging Christmas show.

Move over, Mariah and Micky Bubble, ‘r Rick needs room to thaw out in time for the holiday season too.

The past couple of years have seen Rick Astley more than re-endear himself to the British public and beyond, not just getting himself back on the map thanks to big gigs with Blossoms and stunning festival sets at the likes of Glastonbury and Kendal Calling but with some genuinely wonderful new music.

To be brutally honest with ourselves, we all took the ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ singer for granted; he’s well and truly reminded us of what a wonderful performer he is and with the holiday season coming up, he set to deliver his stunning Christmas set once again.

This tour is just the second time ‘Swinging Christmas’ has been brought to the masses after its debut back in 2022 and follows Rick’s lifelong passion for the golden age of big band and swing.

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He’ll be performing festive classics in stunning venues, including right here at Manchester Bridgewater Hall, to truly capture the magic during the most wonderful time of the year.

For a man who is arguably the contemporary king of covers in this country, the first iteration of the show was a dream come true and he’s even more excited to be pulling these old classics once again to a crowd who have been crying out for another edition.

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Speaking on the upcoming tour, Rick said: “These classic songs have been a part of me for so long. Singing them with a big band was a dream come true. I can’t wait to share this special experience with you again this Christmas. See you there!”

Trust us, with plenty of Rat Pack covers under his belt, not mention numerous nods to iconic old-world orchestras, he knows a thing or two about big band-style cabaret celebration.

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Better yet, Manchester is fittingly the final festive stop of Rick’s seasonal tour, rounding off a run of shows in Brighton, Wolverhampton, Portsmouth, London and Edinburgh.

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The Newton-le-Willows-born singer brings his festive show to Bridgewater Hall on Friday, 20 December 2024 and now we’re thinking more about this than we are the big day itself.

What better way to get into the festive spirit than a true celebration of Rick’s love of music, the roaring swing sound, classic tracks and many more?

Tickets for Rick Astley’s Swinging Christmas go on sale at 9:30am on Friday 11 October – you can get ready to grab yours HERE.

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

Featured Images — Raph_PH (via Flickr)/Press Images (supplied)

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Stereophonics announce huge Stadium Anthems tour – but Manchester is set to miss out

Thomas Melia Thomas Melia Stereophonics skip out Manchester on Stadium Anthems tour

Welsh rock band and all-round music legends Stereophonics are embarking on their first tour together in three years next summer, announcing a series of massive ‘Stadium Anthem’ dates.

Formed in 1992, the band have enjoyed plenty of commercial and critical acclaim over the years, with 11 UK top ten hits and despite only managing one chart-topping single in 2005, the unforgettable ‘Dakota’, they’re known for countless other hits like ‘Maybe Tomorrow’ and ‘A Thousand Trees’, just to name a few.

Led by the instantly recognisable voice of frontman, Kelly Jones, the band has gone from making music together as neighbours to becoming one of Wales’ biggest exports and a beloved British group. It’s no wonder that more than 30 years later they’re still headlining huge stadiums.

However, we’re sure you were right on track to ‘Have A Nice Day’, but we sadly have to break the news that they’ll be skipping Manchester as well as other big Northern cities like Leeds, Sheffield and more.

Announcing the ‘Stadium Anthems’ tour on Monday, 7 October, the boys from Cwmaman village in the Cynon Valley are doing their bit to back that same small-town feel and show some love for cities that often get overlooked when it comes to big arena tours.

Notably including Cork and Huddersfield’s John Smith Stadium among the small handful of sure-to-be sell-out concerts.

They aren’t the only ones heading to a somewhat surprising part of Yorkshire either, as fellow UK giants Coldplay also revealed a date at Craven Park Stadium in Hull.

Crowds can expect all the usual suspects: ‘The Bartender And The Thief’, ‘Mr Writer’ and ‘Pick A Part That’s New’, their iconic ‘Handbags and Gladrags’ cover, alongside songs from their discography which dates all the way back to 1997 and their debut LP, Word Gets Around.

As well as hearing all the favourites in the flesh, crowds can also expect to be treated to some more live music from special guests, although the support act(s) will be announced at a later date.

The rock band are ready to deliver an unforgettable performance to a crowd of almost 25,000 as they bring their UK and Ireland tour to the home of Huddersfield Town and Giants on 14 June 2025, but Manchester fans will have to travel for a change.

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On top of their incredible achievements with smash hit singles, the band also managed to amass eight number-one albums, a feat which many aspiring artists dream of.

Catching attention throughout the turn of the millennium, their second studio album Performance and Cocktails released in 1999 was when Kelly Jones’ unmistakable vocals got us all hooked for the foreseeable future.

Eager fans who want a bigger chance of securing tickets can do so by pre-ordering the band’s newest album, the title and artwork for which are yet to be revealed.

Tickets for Stereophonics’ stadium tour including the West Yorkshire date go on general sale Friday 11th October at 9am 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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Childish Gambino cancels all remaining North American and European tour dates due to health issue

Danny Jones Danny Jones rest of Childish Gambino North American and European tour cancelled

US rapper and R’n’B sensation Childish Gambino has sadly confirmed that the rest of his North American and European tour dates have now been cancelled. Gutting.

The news comes just over weeks ahead of his scheduled Manchester show, which was set to land at the AO Arena on 26 November.

Gambino – real name Donald Glover – was set to play a concert in Houston, Texas back at the start of September which had to be postponed due to illness, but just a few days later he had to break the news to his followers that the rest of the North American tour would be pushed back too.

Cut to just less than a month later and the 41-year-old has now unfortunately confirmed that the rest of the tour, along with all of his UK and European shows have now been cancelled – we’ll have to wait for the rest of our Childish Gambino send-off.

Detailing the reason in a post on X, Gambino wrote: “After my show in New Orleans, I went to the hospital in Houston to make sure of an ailment that had become apparent.

“After being assessed, it became clear I would not perform that night, and after more tests, I could not perform the rest of the US tour in the time asked. As of now I have surgery scheduled and need time out to heal.

“My path to recovery is something I need to confront seriously. With that said, we have made the difficult decision to cancel the remainder of the North American tour and the UK and European dates. Tickets will be refunded at point of purchase.”

The multi-talented hip-hop star, writer, director, comedian and more was set to play multiple nights in Manchester, London, Birmingham, Glasgow here in the UK following the release of his final album (at least under the Gambino moniker) Bando and the Stone back in July.

He concluded by insisting, “I want nothing more than to bring this show to the fans and perform. Until then, thanks for [the] love, privacy and support.”

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There have been no more details regarding the exact nature of Glover’s illness or what surgery was required but, as far as reasons for cancellation go, you can’t really argue with this one.

As for the more than 30 dates that have now been cancelled, fans will likely be waiting a good long while before they hear any news of a rescheduling.

We wish Gambino all the best and a swift recovery; fingers crossed it’s nothing too serious and he’ll back out on the stage stunning fans with his high-energy performances sooner rather than later.

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

Featured Images — RCA Records/The Manc Group

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