It’s here, it’s finally here – it’s time for arguably one of the biggest gigs of the year: Sam Fender playing two utterly massive nights at Co-op Live.
Everyone’s favourite Geordie songwriter is heading to the state-of-the-art entertainment arena for the very first time this weekend for what is set to be a blockbuster double-header.
You already know the drill with these things, so let’s not waste your time.
Here’s everything you need to know about Sam Fender’s return to Manchester and Co-op Live debut.
Sam Fender at Co-op Live – all the important info
Credit: SuppliedCredit: The Manc GroupDriving his way to the Co-op Live arena for a maiden Manchester arena show.
Tickets – all hope’s not lost
Ok, no point in tormenting ourselves with this one, we all know that tickets for the last chance to see Sam Fender this year sold out pretty much all over the country.
In fact, to put things into context, all three of his Newcastle stadium shows at St James’ Park sold out in less than half an hour. Yeah, the UK loves this man. So, it will come as no surprise for you to hear that both dates here in Manchester are virtually all but gone. Almost…
Yes, perhaps down to some of the flak the 30-year-old has gained for the cost of these shows, there is still a decent handful of resale tickets for both the Friday (6 December) and the Saturday (7 Dec), so you don’t need to scramble around on other reseller sites. Seated starts from £54.95 but no standing.
If you have the spends before Christmas, you can grab yours HERE.
Who is supporting Sam Fender?
Now this is one we’re super excited about. If you’ve been keeping any sort of tabs on our music coverage over the past year or so, you may or may not have picked up on our very serious obsessions with a little band called Wunderhorse. Not that they’ll be staying ‘little’ for much longer, mind.
The Cambridge-formed four-piece are up there with the best bands coming out of the UK and Ireland right now, behind the likes of Fontaines D.C. and ‘r Sam, of course. We’ve seen them multiple times this year and will be doing so again if we can grab some last-minute spares for their May shows.
We even had the pleasure of chatting with frontman Jacob Slater about the release of their sensational sophomore album, Midas, back in August. They supported Sam back in 2022 when we first saw them and they’ve only got more incredible since then; trust us, you’re in for an incredible time.
Now, as for when you can expect these two to take the stage on Friday and Saturday, respectively, doors to the Co-op Live arena will be open from 6:30pm and Wunderhorse should start around 7:45pm.
The warm-ups will be playing eight songs and finishing with ‘Teal’ and ‘July’ to get the crowd’s energy nice and high by the end of their roughly 45-minute set.
This should give you a half-hour window to nip to the loo, grab your next pint or just mentally prepare for the main event at 9pm, with Sam Fender’s performance due to conclude around 10:40pm.
Setlist
Moving on to what you’ll be hearing on the night, we’ve heard plenty of grumbles about the length of the setlist – suppose it comes down to personal preference – but it does look like he’s at least listened to the fans and added ‘The Dying Light’ straight back into the running order after leaving it out it in Dublin.
Wise choice, Sam.
The Kitchen
Getting Started
The Borders
Wild Long Lie
All Is on My Side
Nostalgia’s Lie
Arm’s Length
Will We Talk?
People Watching
Spice
Howdon Aldi Death Queue
Get You Down
Spit of You
The Dying Light
Seventeen Going Under
What do you think, is 15 songs (less than his last headline tour) worth the money?
Encore
Hypersonic Missiles
We can also vouch for these as our Audio North delegation over at The Hoot were there in the flesh in Leeds and had an absolute blast.
For those of you heading to Co-op Live, luckily it’s right next door to a rather famous big blue stadium and its integrated Metrolink stop.
Head along the light blue or orange lines directly to the Etihad Campus or Ashton-under-Lyne and you can get off the tram literally spitting distance from the arena. You can find the full map HERE.
Trams run frequently on the Ashton-Eccles line to the Etihad stop, with services leaving every six minutes from the city centre and until 01:00 on Fridays and Saturdays.
Bus
If you want to take another new and improved arm of Manchester’s public transport system, not only is there a whole host of routes that drop you off close to the venue but there’ll also be a free shuttle bus from the city centre to and from events between 20 April-30 June 2024.
You can find the full list of bus routes HERE, with the one in closest proximity to the venue being the 53 bus which runs from Cheetham Hill through to Higher Crumpsall, Old Trafford and Pendleton, leaving just a two-minute walk to Co-op Live. You also get free Bee Network travel with any valid event ticket.
Getting there by car and parking
If you’re driving, there is limited parking available at the venue but this must be pre-booked ahead of time and there are designated drop-off areas.
The postcode is M11 3DU and you can follow the signs towards the wider Etihad Campus as you get closer; directions to the adjacent drop-off points will also be signposted.
Keep in mind that congestion on the roads close to the stadium is expected to gather around two hours prior to any event, so if you are travelling on the road, these are the suggested times they provide come event day – though estimates will obviously vary:
Alan Turing Way (both directions): plan an additional 20 minutes into any journey by road.
Hyde Road (eastbound): expect an additional 15 minutes to be added to your journey.
Mancunian Way (westbound): plan for an extra 10 minutes of travel time.
There are also three park-and-ride facilities near Co-op Live but be advised that the Velopark and Holt Town stops will be closed post-event to help safely manage crowds:
Ashton West (Ashton line) – 184 spaces and 11 disabled spaces
Ladywell (Ashton-Eccles line) – 332 spaces and 22 disabled spaces
Walk/cycle
Lastly, Co-op Live is only a half-hour stroll from Manchester Piccadilly and you could even walk along the canal all the way to the front door if you fancy taking the scenic route.
Greater Manchester now also offers the option to hire bikes through the Beryl, with riders able to locate, unlock, get to their destination and then safely lock up the boke all through an easy-to-use app. There are hire points just near the south-west corner of the Etihad Stadium on Ashton New Road.
For more information on all travel options, you can check out the enhanced journey planner.
Sam Fender – Live From Wythenshawe Park, Manchester: tickets, times, supports and more
Thomas Melia
North Shields indie rocker Sam Fender is making his way to Manchester to play a massive summer date at Wythenshawe Park.
UK singer-songwriter Sam Fender is ready to hear the roars of the Manchester crowd as he heads to one of the city’s biggest outdoor gig venues ahead of the ‘Live From Wythenshawe Park‘ summer series.
The BRT award-winning artist released his third studio album, People Watching, back in February, and you can expect to hear quite a few of this LP’s staple singles like ‘Arm’s Length’ and ‘Rein Me In’.
It wasn’t too long ago that Fender last paid a visit to the music capital of the North with his performance being described as ‘one of the world’s greatest live acts’ (by us, in fairness…) last December.
Gig guide – Sam Fender at Wythenshawe Park: all you need to know
Now, get your ‘Seventeen Going Under’ “Oh woah oh ohs” ready as Mr. Fender is set to play out to a crowd of 30,000 this weekend as he takes on the mighty feat that is Wythenshawe Park.
Sam Fender is playing Wythenshawe Park in Manchester on Saturday, 16 August (Credit: Supplied via Mac Scott)
Sam Fender tickets for Wythenshawe Park gig
As you would expect, ‘You’re Not The Only One’ who wants to see this Geordie musical mastermind in action as they’re completely sold out.
However, if you want to ‘Play God’, you can try your best on verified fan ticket reselling platform, Twickets, right HERE. Ok, we’ll calm it with the puns now, promise – we’re just very excited.
As always with second-hand tickets, proceed with caution; it’s never worth getting stung by the touts.
Sam Fender setlist
Although the setlist isn’t confirmed, at recent festivals and events, he’s performed a more condensed collection of the hits and tracks from his newest album.
However, this is his biggest show in Manchester to date – a fair few thousand more than Co-op Live, in fact – so you can expect something closer to a full-blown headline set. Here’s what we’re expecting based on what was played at Newcastle United’s St James’ Park stadium in his hometown:
Going Home: Theme of the Local Hero (Mark Knopfler cover)
UEFA Champions League Anthem
Getting Started
Will We Talk?
Arm’s Length
The Borders
Howdon Aldi Death Queue
Crumbling Empire
Tyrants
Rein Me In (with Olivia Dean)
People Watching
Get You Down
Spit of You
Seventeen Going Under
Encore:
Remember My Name (with Easington Colliery Brass Band)
The Dying Light
Something Heavy (with CMAT, Liam Fender and Niles Krieger)
Hypersonic Missiles
One very stunning solo support act for Sam Fender at Wythenshawe Park
Olivia Dean is supporting Sam Fender amid his ‘Live From Wythenshawe Park’ gig this weekend / Credit: Supplied
You might have noticed one rather big name among the setlist there, and you’d be right to have paid attention because she makes this a truly great value-for-money live music billing.
Opening up for Mr. Fender is no easy feat, but this rising soul singer and incredibly talented ‘Lady Lady’ will no doubt take it in her stride.
London-based Olivia Dean is travelling up North to kick things off with her neo soul prowess, airy vocals and lovestruck tracks like ‘Nice to Each Other’, ‘It Isn’t Perfect But It Might Be’, ‘Carmen’ and more.
But that’s not all…
Sam Fender has two more support slots, which are confirmed to be indie/punk artist Bugman and folk singer-songwriter Charlie Noordewier.
It really is shaping up to be one of the biggest and best nights of the year, and we’re quite literally counting down to the moment Olivia Dean joins Sam on stage for ‘Rein Me In’.
What are the stage times for Sam Fender at Wythenshawe Park?
Gates for this gig are opening from 4pm, with Bugman ‘Getting Started’ at 5:15pm and Charlie Noordewier slowly after at 6:25pm.
Olivia Dean takes to the stage at 7:35pm, with the main man himself gracing us with his presence from 9pm onwards.
With a curfew of 11pm, this should give you plenty of time to get back home and tucked in bed – though we’re sure there’ll be little room for sleep as you replay the night over and over again.
Here’s a little taster of one of the warm-ups, Bugman.
How to get there
Last but not least, there’s just the small matter of getting there. While we’d always recommend travelling as green as possible/using public transport where you can, there are still some car park tickets that you can buy online from the Live From Wythenshawe website.
As for those of you catching a ride, there is yellow signage to the north of the site, which will lead you to the pick-up/drop-off point on Wythenshawe Road, M23 0AB.
There are also three tram stops to choose from: Wythenshawe Park, Moor Road and Baguley. However, it’s worth noting that both Wythenshawe Park and Baguley will be closed from 9pm, so you won’t be able to get back home this way.
Big Green Coaches travelling to the gigs will also be available from various locations.
Finally, you can always catch one of the shuttle buses back into the city centre. The service will be operating in a loop from Sale and the city centre, running from 1pm-8pm on the way to Wythenshawe Park and then from 8pm-1:30am when heading home.
For more information, you can find all the up-to-date travel stuff HERE, or check out (TfGM) Transport for Greater Manchester’s full guidance via the Bee Network app.
Featured Images – Niall Lea/Sarah Louise Bennett/Press shots (Supplied)/ Raph_PH (via Flickr)
Audio
Fontaines D.C. at Wythenshawe Park – tickets, times, supports, setlist and everything you need to know
Danny Jones
Besides Oasis’ glorious Heaton Park homecoming, the two biggest headline gigs in Greater Manchester are happening this weekend, with Fontaines D.C. kicking off Live From Wythenshawe Park 2025 this Friday, 15 August.
The Irish giants are bringing their now global, groundbreaking and critically acclaimed musical exports to Manchester for the second time in less than a year, only this will be their biggest gig in this city to date.
Fontaines last visited Manchester back in November as one of the biggest rock, indie and alternative bands to play Aviva Studios, home of Factory International; it’s fair to say it was a stormer.
And now scenes like THIS are set to be scaled up to a field full of Mancs and tourists alike, so it’s best to know what you’re in for…
Fontaines D.C. at Wythenshawe Park – all the important info
Fontaines Wythenshawe Park tickets: are there any left?
For starters, if you’re wondering whether there are tickets left for Fontaines at Wythenshawe Park, we’re afraid to inform you that general admission unfortunately sold out in a flash.
There are still VIP options available via Ticketmaster if you fancy treating yourself, but they will set you back a pretty penny.
Of course, you can always keep your eyes out via trusted resale sites like Twickets and TicketSwap, but as always, proceed with caution – let’s help the kick touts out of the music industry.
'I'M GON' HIT YOUR BUSINESS IF IT'S MOMENTARY BLISSNESS—UGHHHHH!' 🔥
We’ll confess, one of the things we’re most excited about ahead of the Dublin County icons returning to 0161 is the lineup of supports booked for Fontaines D.C. at Wythenshawe Park.
There are no warm-ups; we would and have already happily paid full whack to see some of these supports headline both here in Manchester and around the North.
Not only will fans be getting to see fellow Irish post-punk band The Murder Capital kick off the live music proceedings, but Leeds’ very own Mercury Prize-winning English Teacher will be following them up, before Gaelic rap trio, Kneecap from Northern Ireland, really ramp up the energy.
There’s even going to be DJ sets from So Young record label and magazine, as well as none other than The Stone Roses’ Gary ‘Mani’ Mounfield.
Fortunately, the DC boys have also made things nice and simple when it comes to stage times, too, with a full running order for each artist’s set already published.
They are as follows:
The Murder Capital – 16:25
English Teacher – 17:35
Kneecap – 18:50
Fontaines D.C. – 20:30
Doors to the massive outdoor Wythenshawe music venue will be open from 4pm, and the aforementioned DJ sets will be played in between each of the support acts, before the main event gets underway slightly earlier than most other headliners.
As for what the lads will be playing, an added bonus of their ongoing world tour is that it’s given us plenty of time to get to grips with the current Fontaines setlist – or at least the bulk of it.
This is based on their last big standout headline show at Cardiff Castle in Wales (courtesy of Setlist.fm).
Starburster / In Heaven (Lady in the Radiator Song)
Last but not least, there’s just the small matter of getting there. While we’d always recommend travelling as green as possible/using public transport where you can, there are still some car park tickets that you can buy online from the Live From Wythenshawe website.
As for those of you catching a ride, there is yellow signage to the north of the site, which will lead you to the pick-up/drop-off point on Wythenshawe Road, M23 0AB.
There are also three tram stops to choose from: Wythenshawe Park, Moor Road and Baguley. However, it’s worth noting that both Wythenshawe Park and Baguley will be closed from 9pm, so you won’t be able to get back home this way.
Big Green Coaches travelling to the gigs will also be available from various locations.
Finally, you can always catch one of the shuttle buses back into the city centre. The service will be operating in a loop from Sale and the city centre, running from 1-8pm on the way to Wythenshawe Park and then from 8pm-1:30am when heading home.
For more information, you can find all the up-to-date travel stuff HERE or check out (TfGM) Transport for Greater Manchester’s guidance and even use their interactive map.
Simplest of all, your best bet is downloading the Bee Network app, where you’ll find all the key details in one convenient place.
We also want to remind everyone to get there with plenty of time to avoid queuing and congestion on public transport in and around Greater Manchester.
Last but not least, make sure to mind the weather, drink plenty of water, look after each other and, above all else, have an absolute belter.
See you in the pit for ‘Here’s The Thing.’
Oh, and if you’re booked in for a double bill at Wythenshawe Park this weekend, you’ll find all you need to know for Sam Fender‘s headline show on the following Saturday down below.
Danny Jones -
5th December 2024 
