Yorkshire high-flyers and Mercury Prize-winners, English Teacher, are embarking on a UK tour with a date set for Manchester at the end of the year.
It has been quite a whirlwind experience for this four-piece from Leeds recently and now they’re taking their hits on the road to play across the UK.
In September last year, they bagged the 2024 Mercury Music Prize for their landmark first album This Could Be Texas, beating the likes of Charli XCX’s Brat and Early Twenties by Cat Burns, as well as a big nod at the inaugural Northern Music Awards.
They kicked off 2025 with a bang too getting a spot on BBC Radio 1’s Sounds of 2025 list, ranking at number five and performing a rousing rendition of their track ‘Nearly Daffodils’.
The indie rockers have also managed to use their Northern charm enough to bag a support act slot for Franz Ferdinand, joining them for a one-off gig in Glasgow this August.
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And finally, the band are nominated for ‘Best Newcomers’ at this year’s BRIT Awards, they’re quite literally making history.
It’s fair to say English Teacher have already left an impression on music critics but now they’re continuing to put themselves out there to the UK public who are already becoming firm fans.
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This won’t be their first time educating a Manchester audience either, as the band brought their unique energy backed up by some Lancashire roots to Gorilla back in May last year.
English Teacher’s 2025 UK tour sees them travelling all around the country with stops at Nottingham, London, Newcastle and obviously Manchester.
Set to play songs from last year’s debut ubiquitous LP, expect to hear favourites such as’R&B’, title track ‘This Could Be Texas’ and, of course, hit single ‘The World’s Biggest Paving Slab’
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New 2025 shows. Our mailing list will get first access to tickets. Presale starts 10am Wednesday 26 Feb / General Sale from 10am Friday 28 February x
If the Manchester date isn’t the one, you still have another chance to catch them as they’re playing just over the hill in their hometown of Leeds two days after.
You just know that’s going to be a belter of a show.
English Teacher are coming to Albert Hall in Manchester on 20 November with pre-sale tickets live on 26 February and general on sale from 10 am on 28 February HERE.
Featured Image: Publicity Picture via Denmarc Creary
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James Arthur to play massive Manchester show on UK arena tour next year
Emily Sergeant
James Arthur is the latest act to announce a massive UK arena tour, and he’ll be paying a visit to Manchester next year.
On the day that Manchester’s newest live entertainment arena,Co-op Live, is set to welcome one of the world’s current biggest pop star, Sabrina Carpenter, another major pop act is set to take to that very same stage around this time next year, as James Arthur has today announced a huge arena tour.
The former X Factor winner is heading out on an 11-date tour of the UK in early 2026, and that includes a visit to our city in mid February.
After performing in some of the UK’s biggest cities in the days prior – including London’s O2, the bp pulse LIVE in Birmingham, and shows in other northern cities such as Sheffield and Liverpool – the will 37-year-old singer-songwriter will stop off Manchester to close out his impressive tour.
He’ll be performing at Co-op Live on Saturday 21 February 2026.
The announcement of next year’s UK tour next year’s coincides with the upcoming release of Arthur’s highly-anticipated next studio album, PISCES.
In recent years, Arthur has cemented himself as one of the biggest names in contemporary pop and soul, amassing 11 Platinum hit singles, more 38 million monthly listeners on Spotify, and two UK number one albums along the way – including his most recent release, Bitter Sweet Love, which was celebrated with a sold-out UK and Europe arena tour, culminating in a historic performance in his hometown of Middlesbrough to an audience of 25,000 fans.
James Arthur UK arena tour dates 2025
3 February – Nottingham Motorpoint Arena
4 February – Glasgow OVO Hydro
6 February – Newcastle Utilita Arena
7 February – Aberdeen P&J Live
10 February – Birmingham bp pulse LIVE
11 February – Bournemouth International Centre
13 February – Sheffield Utilita Arena
14 February – Liverpool M&S Bank Arena
16 February – Cardiff Utilita Arena
18 February – London The O2
21 February – Manchester Co-op Live
James Arthur is playing a massive Manchester show on his UK arena tour next year / Credit: Wikimedia Commons
With the upcoming release of PISCES on 25 April, Arthur is said to be ‘diving deeper into his personal struggles’ to create a collection of songs that is ‘as introspective as it is sonically adventurous’.
Tickets to James Arthur’s 2026 UK arena tour, including the Manchester Co-op Live gig on Saturday 21 February, go on pre-sale next Wednesday 19 March at 9am, and then on general sale on Friday 21 February at 9am.
Find out more and get tickets when they go on sale here.
Featured Image – Wikimedia Commons
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Popular Manchester comedy festival returns with impressive lineup of local talent and ‘cult sensations’
Emily Sergeant
A popular comedy festival is returning to our city with yet another impressive lineup of local talent and ‘cult sensations’.
That’s right… some of the UK’s best comedy names are coming to Manchester.
Following the success of events held the last two years, renowned production company, A Lovely Time, has once again put together an absolutely jam-packed lineup of television names, internet sensations, hotly-tipped newcomers, and even critically-acclaimed comedians for a weekend full of comedy shows in the heart of the city centre.
Taking place at Fairfield Social Club – which is tucked away down at the Green Quarter – the weekend-long festival, aptly called A Lovely Weekend, will kick off on Friday 6 June.
You can expect three full days of laughter at the hands of an expertly-curated lineup, who’ll mostly be staging ‘work in progress’ shows and sets.
Popular comedy festival A Lovely Weekend is returning to Manchester this summer / Credit: Kristyna Baczyna | Caro Ferretti
This year’s festival is bringing 19 new shows to the mix, including the likes of Edinburgh Comedy Award winners John Kearns and Jordan Brookes, and local talent done-good Rachel Fairburn and Josh Jones, as well rising stars Sharon Wanjohi, Ayoade Bamgboye, and Molly McGuinness.
Plus, you can also catch cult sensations like Mark Silcox and the formidable Frankie Monroe, making for a truly unmissable weekend of comedy.
“It’s such an honour to bring this amazing lineup of comedians to Manchester, which is quickly becoming the most exciting city for comedy in the UK,” commented festival organiser John Stansfield ahead of this summer’s event.
Co-organiser Chris Cantrill, who is also a comedian himself, added: “As a comedy fan I have to say I cannot wait for this year’s festival. It feels positively decadent.”
A Lovely Weekend 2025 will take over Fairfield Social Club from Friday 6 – Sunday 8 June, and tickets are on sale now – with tickets to individual shows, and specific day and weekend-long passes all available to get your hands on.
Thomas Melia -
26th February 2025 
