We recently went to one of the biggest gigs of the year here in Manchester and got to see the show from the luxury of a VIP suite for less than the standard price – here’s how you can do the same.
The idea of watching not only one of the greatest musicians of all time, but doing so from hospitality or a posh box at an arena, might seem far too out of pocket for plenty of gig-goers; however, after stumbling across a criminally unknown hospitality provider, we’re here to tell you you’re wrong.
We’re talking about Sport and Music, a promotion company that specialises in corporate, hospitality and VIP tickets to some of the biggest live entertainment dates across the UK and beyond.
Heading for our first visit on one of these tickets, we went to see none other than the legend that is Bruce Springsteen, and this is what greeted us when we arrived:
Stylish and well-situated.We managed to catch a wave and some brief eye-contact from our swanky balcony spot.Credit: Audio North
Not a bad place to watch a concert, eh?
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What you’re looking at is the view from one ofCo-op Live VIP suites, where we were hosted by Sport and Music team as well as the venue’s wonderful hospitality staff.
Although there are plenty of boxes located around the arena, this particular has the advantage of not only being located nice and near to the stage – seriously, Brucey was so close we could practically smell him – but even before sitting in the luxurious seats, there was a really nice cosy atmosphere to the room.
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Perfect for getting a small to medium-sized group of mates together, you and your family, or perhaps a fun idea for a work outing, there was plenty of room, storage, and even a sofa nook tucked behind a curtain in the corner.
As well as a full TV and speaker set-up to suit all your AV needs before and after your event of choice, there was a fully stocked fridge and a designated server just for us.
Besides being greeted with a drink on arrival, you can obviously keep topping up your drinks throughout the night without ever having to leave the comfort of your seat.
That being said, the wider VIP area and the likes of the arena’sBackstage Club promise a cool and vibrant atmosphere, making this extra special experience more value for money.
Also, there is, of course, room to order yourself some food to keep you ‘Dancing In The Dark’ long into the night; offerings include stonebaked pizzas, loaded fries and plenty more.
Or, you know, if you just want a simple snack, you can always make the most of Co-op’s ironically convenient little mini-convenience stores located around the arena.
Nothing keeps you grounded like grabbing a quick sausage roll from the bakery as well.
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Cocktails from the Backstage Club at Lionel Richie’s show.We had some solid slices on our next visit.(Credit: The Manc Group)
All in all, our review of the Sport and Music hospitality experience is a glowing one: not only was it nice to spoil ourselves with some special treatment (we all deserve it from time to time), but the attractive deals available make it a genuinely viable way to make your night extra memorable.
Especially if you’re then going to split the cost of, say, aVIP suite at Co-op Live between you and even just one friend.
You can find out more information and see what events they currently have ticket availability forHERE.
Oh, and if you’re wondering if ‘The Boss’ is still up to the job at 75, we think this picture proves that his ‘Glory Days’ are far from over…
Clubland Live is returning to Manchester with an arena show that will be ‘the biggest night of your life’
Daisy Jackson
Clubland will be back with a live arena show in Manchester next year, following massive success and feel-good parties for the last few years.
There’ll be five cities on the newly announced tour, which will fill arenas with classic dance tunes and the full Clubland experience.
As well as Manchester, the tour will visit Leeds, Glasgow, Newcastle and Aberdeen in May next year.
The three-hour action-packed show will bring together some big names from as far back as the 90s in the dance music world, along with some of the biggest new names on the scene.
Each city will have a slightly different line-up, but for Manchester it includes Cascada, Ultrabeat, and Ben Nicky.
The new Clubland show at the AO Arena will be reliving the times where dance music produced the best tunes, energy and feel-good factor from throughout the generations.
Clubland started life as a series of compilation albums in 2002, and become the umbrella brand for an entire movement of commercial dance music, spawning countless classic hits over the years.
That’s included artists like Cascada, Scooter, BassHunter and Ultrabeat amongst many, many more – selling 30 million albums.
And Clubland TV remains one of the most popular music channels on UK music TV, bringing a mix of the both the classics and new tunes to thousands of people every day.
Clubland Live launched in 2008 and played to tens of thousands of people across the UK, in a landmark moment for the dance music industry.
And now it’s back again for a live show at the AO Arena.
Clubland Live will be at the AO Arena in Manchester on Saturday 2 May 2026, with tickets on sale from 10am on Friday 7 November HERE.
Outbreak Festival announces hard-hitting lineup for 15th anniversary in Manchester
Danny Jones
Outbreak Fest is celebrating 15 years in 2026, and they’re toasting the milestone with a hefty lineup full of trash, metal, punk, hardcore and more.
The cult favourite alternative and annual music festival that takes place at the Bowlers Exhibition Centre, a.k.a. BEC Arena, every year has only gotten bigger over the past few years, and their landmark 15th anniversary is set to be another rager.
Approaching a decade and a half of delighting alt-kids and Manc rocks next summer, the Outbreak lineup down in London was always going to be impressive, but we just weren’t quite expecting so many big hitters in just the first wave alone up here.
Here’s the Outbreak Fest Manchester lineup for 2026 so far:
Promising plenty more to come and soon, the festival organisers have already confirmed that there will be a standalone Friday show to kick off the carnage come June 2026.
As explained in the social media post, which has been met with an incredible reaction from fans, “you will be able to upgrade your weekend ticket to include this show once the line-up is announced, if you would like.” Bang for your buck.
They went on to write: “This festival is nothing without the community of people around it. It doesn’t exist without your support, and we are grateful to still be doing this all these years later.”
This devil-horned, weekend-long celebration has always given off a great style and aesthetic, too; we particularly enjoyed their cinematic preview released on Halloween.
Put together by Charles Fitzgerald, a digital content creator who has worked with the likes of Bring Me The Horizon and their frontman Oli Sykes’ Drop Dead clothing range, these are the kinds of teasers we want to see more of…
With names like the resurgent Alexisonfire (set to play their seminal third album Crisis in its entirety), Ipswich rockers Basement, as well as post-hardcore heroes, Touché Amoré, topping the bill, we cannot wait to see what comes next.
Safe to say you should keep your eyes peeled on their social media for more announcements and information on Outbreak 2026.
Following up to the reaction online, they added: “Two-day passes on sale now. That was a crazy reaction to the first announcement and we are grateful.
“Truthfully, we were 60% sold before we announced yesterday! This is us giving you a heads up. If you can, and you f*** with this lineup – get your ticket soon! Thank you.”
General admission went live on their official website on Monday morning, and you really don’t want to wait around with this one; grab your tickets HERE.
Danny Jones -
4th July 2025 
