Liam Fray has announced he’ll be playing a special one-off acoustic Christmas gig here in Manchester this December.
The Middleton-born musician has, of course, made his name by being the frontman of Manchester indie rock band, Courteeners, for nearly two decades now – but more recently, he’s also been going solo too, and has been performing some special unplugged acoustic sets to hundreds of adoring fans.
And in just a few weeks time, he’ll be returning to his home city to do just that once again.
The 38-year-old will be taking to the stage at one of Manchester’s best-loved music venues for one night only in the lead-up to Christmas.
But many will remember that his last show in our city, however, was a sold-out headline gig at Heaton Park back in June of this year, where a whopping 50,000 indie rock fans all came together to celebrate the 15th anniversary of Courteeners’ debut album St. Jude.
St. Jude ended up going straight to the top of the UK Album Charts when it was re-released in January this year, which made Courteeners only the third band to hit number one with a reissue after The Beatles and The Rolling Stones.
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Liam Fray has announced one-off acoustic Christmas gig in Manchester / Credit:
So now, to round-out what has clearly been a successful year, Fray has announced one last live show.
He’ll be performing a one-off acoustic Christmas set at Albert Hall in Manchester city centre on Sunday 17 December, with tickets set to go on sale this Friday (27 October).
Westlife announce extra Manchester arena show for huge 25th anniversary tour
Daisy Jackson
Legendary pop group Westlife have announced the European leg of their 25th anniversary tour, which includes not just one but a trio of Manchester Arena gigs.
The beloved boyband will be hitting the road from September next year to celebrate a quarter of a century of timeless ballads and chart-topping pop songs.
Westlife, which is made up of Nicky Byrne, Shane Filan, Kian Egan and Mark Feehily, are behind massive hits like ‘You Raise Me Up’, ‘Flying Without Wings’, ‘Swear It Again’, and ‘If I Let You Go’.
The upcoming ‘Westlife 25: The Anniversary World Tour’ will include shows right across the UK and Ireland, including Leeds, Sheffield and one extra show here in Manchester.
The initial news came ahead of the group performing two sold-out nights at the Royal Albert Hall, and a sell-out success in Dublin and Belfast already.
Following an overwhelming reaction and huge demand, Co-op Live have seen fit to add another Westlife show to their calendar and double up on their venue debut, with other multiple cities now looking at more shows, too.
Over the last 25 years, Westlife have become one of the most successful pop groups of all time, with three billion streams globally, 36 number one albums worldwide, and 14 UK number one singles (ranking only behind Elvis Presley and The Beatles).
In fact, Westlife still remain the UK and Ireland’s top-selling album group of the 21st century.
Westlife have also just released a new single, ‘Chariot’, written by Ed Sheeran, Johnny McDaid from Snow Patrol and Will Reynolds, as well as being co-written and produced by Steve Mac.
And in February next year (just in time for Valentine’s Day), they’ll release 25 – The Ultimate Collection, a greatest hits album of 21 fan favourites.
Credit: Supplied
Westlife said: “This year marks 25 years since we started this incredible journey together, and it still feels like only the beginning.
“The support from our fans has been unbelievable, and to celebrate with this world tour, new music, and a brand-new album feels truly special.
“We can’t wait to see you all on the road and share this next chapter together.”
Westlife will perform their first night at the Co-op Live arena on Friday, 23 October 2026, before playing a second and third night in Manchester over the weekend.
General sale tickets are already on sale HERE, with affordable VIP packages also available through Seat Unique HERE.
What do you make of the new Westlife song?
Westlife UK/IE tour dates
Thu September 10 2026 – DUBLIN, 3Arena
Fri September 11 2026 – DUBLIN, 3Arena
Sat September 12 2026 – DUBLIN, 3Arena
Tue September 15 2026 – DUBLIN, 3Arena
Wed September 16 2026 – DUBLIN, 3Arena
Fri September 18 2026 – DUBLIN, 3Arena
Sat September 19 2026 – DUBLIN, 3Arena
Sun September 20 2026 – DUBLIN, 3Arena
Tue September 22 2026 – DUBLIN, 3Arena
Wed September 23 2026 – DUBLIN, 3Arena
Thu September 24 2026 – DUBLIN, 3Arena
Fri September 25 2026 – DUBLIN, 3Arena
Sat September 26 2026 – DUBLIN, 3Arena
Tue September 29 2026 – ABERDEEN, P&J Live
Wed September 30 2026 – GLASGOW, OVO Hydro
Thu October 01 2026 – GLASGOW, OVO Hydro
Sat October 03 2026 – NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, Utilita Arena
Sun October 04 2026 – NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, Utilita Arena
Reggae legends UB40 announce massive Manchester arena gig
Danny Jones
UK reggae icons UB40 have just announced a massive run of domestic arena dates, including a huge show at an equally legendary venue here in Manchester.
The Brummy veterans of the British reggae and ska scene have been going for more than four decades now, blending both pop and rocksteady styles, as well as other Caribbean influences into their music.
A cult favourite group since their inception, whose lineup has always remained fluid – sometimes featuring more than nine different musicians on stage – they’re known for their brilliant live sets just as much as their studio material.
Started by the Campbell family, the current roster still includes four of the six founding members, and with singer Matt Doyle now serving as the modern lead singer since 2021, there’s still plenty of energy, youth and experience to their spirited gigs.
Revealing a return to Manchester and yet another trip to the AO Arena on Monday morning, 3 November, UB40, this isn’t the first time they’ve played these hallowed halls.
They will also be joined by R’n’B/reggae-fusion artist Maxi Priest, as well as fellow contemporaries, Aswad – another seasoned act who have been making music in the genre and performing live since way back in 1975.
Speaking on the comeback, co-founder Robin Campbell said: “For more than 40 years, we’ve been one of the hardest working touring bands in pop music.
“We aim to have a party every show. As much as we enjoyed our Zoom chats [about more shows] during lockdown, there’s no substitute for the relationship and synergy we have with our live audiences.”
Dropping a definitive UB45 compilation featuring their greatest hits back in April 2024 – and celebrating as many years in their recording career – UB40 are also set to release another new album next year, in line with the fresh UK tour dates.
We’re pleased to announce our June, 2026 UK Arena Tour with special guests @MaxiPriest & @aswadband! Sign up to our newsletter via the link below for more info on how to access the ticket pre-sale and to find out more about how to pre-order our new studio album coming in 2026.
Emily Sergeant -
24th October 2023 
