One of the greatest musicals of all time is returning to Manchester later this as part of its UK tour, and tickets are now on sale.
That’s right – Chicago is back, and we already can’t wait.
Known, loved, and celebrated by millions worldwide, and having scooped up countless awards along the way since first hitting the Broadway stage all the way back in 1975, followed by the West End in 1979, and then its first UK tour back in 2021, it’s been announced this week that Chicago is back to entertain the masses.
The multi award-winning musical production is heading out on a tour of the UK in 2024 and 2025 – and, of course, it will be paying us a visit here in Manchester later this year.
📣 NOW ON SALE TO ATG+ MEMBERS 📣
CHICAGO, the "sexiest musical ever" (Metro), is back on Tour in 2024 and coming to the Palace Theatre this November!
The show’s talented cast and crew will be pulling into our city for one week only in early November.
ADVERTISEMENT
The beloved production’s tour of the UK kicks off in Milton Keynes on 12 October, and will stop off at other major cites such as Newcastle, Bradford, and Southampton, before arriving in Manchester and taking to the stage at our city’s iconic Palace Theatre from Monday 4 – Saturday 9 November 2024.
Further tour dates are a set to be announced in the coming weeks, and the cast for the show is to be named in due course too.
ADVERTISEMENT
Legendary musical Chicago is coming back to Manchester later this year / Credit: Tristram Kenton (via Supplied)
Unfamiliar with Chicago?
Set amidst the razzle-dazzle decadence of the 1920s, the musical tells the story of housewife and nightclub dancer, Roxie Hart, who murders her on-the-side lover after he threatens to walk out on her.
As she’s so desperate to avoid conviction, she dupes the public, the media, and her rival cellmate, Velma Kelly, by hiring Chicago’s slickest criminal lawyer to transform her malicious crime into a barrage of sensational headlines.
ADVERTISEMENT
It’ll be taking to the stage at the city’s iconic Palace Theatre this November / Credit: Tristram Kenton (via Supplied)
The show was created by musical theatre legends John Kander and Fred Ebb, alongside iconic choreographer Bob Fosse, and includes a score of famous songs including ‘All That Jazz’, ‘Cell Block Tango’, and ‘All That Jazz’.
It’s now the longest-running American musical in Broadway and West End history, and has played in a whopping 38 countries worldwide to an estimated 34 million people.
Chicago the Musical will be at Manchester Palace Theatre from Monday 4 – Saturday 9 November 2024, and tickets are now on sale from just £15.
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
Affiliate
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.
Emily Sergeant -
20th February 2024 
