But that doesn’t always have to be because of the clubbers themselves and their preferences, sometimes it’s actually about the clubs instead, as often, people can find these spaces to be too loud or overcrowded for them, and crucially, open too late into the night (or should we say early hours of the morning).
Luckily, former BBC Radio 1 DJ Annie Mac is back to solve that very problem, as she’s set to host a series of club nights across the UK and Ireland that end before midnight.
Following the success of her big outdoor shows this past summer, the Dublin-born DJ, broadcaster, and writer has now announced that she’ll be bringing her Before Midnight clubbing concept back for more later this year, and she’ll be taking to a famous Manchester city centre stage in early November.
Annie Mac is hosting a club night in Manchester for people who want to go bed early / Credit: Eva Pantel (via Supplied)
For this upcoming series, the popular clubbing concept – which launched in 2022 – will be moving back inside, and the shows are set to be “darker, sweatier, and more intimate” this time around.
As well as taking over Manchester’s iconic Albert Hall in the hearty of the city centre, Annie will also be heading to several other major cites – including London, Belfast, and Dublin.
Annie said she created the Before Midnight clubbing concept especially for “a generation of people who grew up with clubbing in their DNA, but who weren’t being served by the industry”, such as those who work on the weekends, who have exams to study for, who can’t afford a babysitter to stay over, or who feel particularly self conscious at a typical nightclub.
Essentially, if you like to go to bed early, then this is also a night for you.
“I wanted to try and recreate the mood and atmosphere of a nightclub at a time that was accessible for me,” Annie said ahead of her tour later this year.
“I figured you can go and see any band, or play, or art show at accessible times, but there were few opportunities to see your favourite DJ in a nightclub at 9pm.”
She added that the upcoming shows, including the one here in Manchester, will combine the best of everything she’s learnt from all her previous shows so far, and the main aim of the tour is to ensure parties are thrown for people who want to feel “safe, included, celebrated, and no matter what age they are, want to dance”.
Annie Mac’s Before Midnight tour will coming to Manchester’s Albert Hall on Saturday 2 November, with tickets set to go on general sale this Friday 20 September at 10am, as well as a presale the day prior (Thursday 19 September), also at 10am.
You can find out more and grab tickets to the one-off special club night here.
Featured Image – Supplied
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Kaiser Chiefs continue debut album’s 20th anniversary celebrations with more tour dates
Danny Jones
Northern music veterans Kaiser Chiefs are set to continue the celebrations of their debut album’s 20th anniversary with even more milestone tour dates next year.
It’s hard to believe it’s been two decades since their very first LP, Employment, was first released, just before the onslaught of indie landfill took over the UK and beyond back in the 200s, but it really has been that long.
2025 has seen the beloved Yorkshire band rolling back the years and playing all the hits from the seminal debut record, and since the scenes at Glastonbury, Kendal Calling, Tramlines, Latitude and more have been such good vibes, they’ve decided to keep the party going even longer.
Announcing further tour dates next February, the Leeds legends will be heading back on the road before you know it and playing all of the hits.
Confirming a dozen new live shows, the noughties hit-makers behind ‘I Predict A Riot’, ‘Ruby’, ‘Oh My God’ and many more will be heading to Manchester for just the second stop on their upcoming tour.
Heading to O2 Victoria Warehouse on Saturday, 14 February, the ever-familiar British five-piece haven’t yet announced a hometown gig.
That being said, we have a feeling you can expect something extra special – perhaps a Temple Newsam 2.0 – to be revealed for them not too far down the line.
Speaking on the tour extension, frontman Ricky Wilson said: “This summer, we played a load of shows to mark the release of our debut album, Employment. It went well. Probably better than our first summer 20 years ago.
“It was the year after that first year that things really took off, so we hope you will join us in February to help celebrate with us ‘the year it really took off’.
“If you were with us the first time, or unfortunately missed out due to other commitments, we hope you will join us for a joyous lap of honour. (Plus, I spent quite a bit on a new blazer and want to get my money’s worth)”.
NEW: @kaiserchiefs NEW: Kaiser Chiefs are heading on the 'MORE Employment' tour, playing their debut album in full plus their greatest hits at #O2VictoriaWarehouseManchester on Sat 14 Feb!
— O2 Victoria Warehouse Manchester (@O2VicWarehouse) August 15, 2025
Our Audio North followers will be glad to hear that there a plenty of gigs taking place up at the top end of the country, and you can see the full list of ‘More Employment‘ shows down below.
Kaiser Chiefs’ 2026 UK tour dates:
13 Fri – Bradford, Live
14 Sat – Manchester, O2 Victoria Warehouse
15 Sun – Stockton, Globe
17 Tue – Dundee, Live House
18 Wed – Glasgow, Barrowland
20 Fri – London, Eventim Apollo
21 Sat – Hull, Connexin Live
23 Mon – Norwich, UEA
24 Tue – Swansea, Building Society Arena
26 Thu – Bournemouth, International Centre
27 Fri – Cambridge, Corn Exchange
28 Sat – Wolverhampton, The Halls
Tickets for the Kaiser Chiefs’ show here in Manchester, as well as all other nights live on Friday, 22 August from 9am; you can get ready to grab yours HERE.
We’ll see you there.
And until then, why not see what the lads had to say to our friends over at The Hoot when we interviewed them back in May?…
Featured Images — Cal McIntyre (supplied)/press shots/The Manc Group
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US rising star Reneé Rapp announces huge Manchester arena gig as part of European tour
Emily Sergeant
Reneé Rapp has just announced a European leg to her upcoming tour, and she’ll be stopping off in Manchester for a huge arena gig.
In just a few short years, Reneé Rapp has become a star… and her star is only rising higher.
At just 25-years-old, the critically-acclaimed musical theatre and TV actress has pivoted to become an undeniable pop sensation and film star – and an iconic figure in interviews too… which isn’t a job, but it should be – after landing her breakout role as Regina George in the Mean Girls musical on Broadway back in 2019.
Even though she chose to reprise her role as Regina George in the 2024 movie adaptation of the Mean Girls musical, since 2022, Rapp has largely turned her attention to her solo music career.
Reneé Rapp will be performing at Manchester’s AO Arena next March / Credit: Supplied
2022 saw Rapp release her debut EP, Everything to Everyone, before she then went on the channel her raw talent and authentic voice even further, and release her first full-length studio album Snow Angel in 2023.
Both 2024 and 2025 have been big musical years for Rapp too – so much so that she has now amassed more than 1.4 billion streams and counting across her entire discography.
An already-successful 2025 is about to become even more successful, as Rapp’s second album, Bite Me, is expected to be released on 1 August, and she’s also heading out on a highly anticipated US tour from late September through to late October.
Following on from her US tour, Rapp has today announced that she’ll be heading across the pond to Europe in the new year, and will be making her way over to Manchester to take to the iconic AO Arena stage in March 2026.
Amsterdam, Berlin, and Paris are just some of the other cities Rapp will be visiting before Manchester, ahead of closing out the tour at London’s Wembley Arena.
Reneé Rapp will be playing a huge gig at the AO Arena in Manchester on Wednesday 18 March 2026 as part of the ‘Bite Me Tour’, and tickets officially go on sale next week – with both pre-sales and general sale available.
The Three+ presale will begin on Wednesday 30 July at 10am, and the AO Arena presale will start on Thursday 31 July, again at 10am, before general sale launches on Friday 1 August at 10am.
Emily Sergeant -
18th September 2024 
