Peter Kay has added even more dates to his already-massive UK after teasing a “big announcement” was on its way.
In case you somehow missed it, Greater Manchester – and much of the UK, to be honest – went into a bit of a meltdown last month when the legendary Bolton-born comedian and actor announced that he is to play a whole slew of huge Manchester shows from this month as he makes a return to live comedy on his first stand-up tour in 12 years.
Rumours began circulating that the 49-year-old was preparing for a 2023 comeback tour earlier this year, but it was first confirmed that Kay was to first kick things off by doing two massive shows at the AO Arena on Friday 2 & Saturday 3 December 2022.
After that, the comic announced he would head on over to Birmingham to close out 2022, before making his way across the rest of the UK and Ireland in 2023.
Peter Kay has added even more dates to his already-massive UK tour / Credit: Peter Kay
Due to the absolutely overwhelming demand to see the comedy legend take to the stage for the first time in over a decade, with hundreds of thousands of people in online queues and tickets being snapped-up almost instantly when they went on sale, Kay decided to keep adding extra dates to the tour schedule to give all fans the chance to catch his comeback moment.
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It may have just started out as two humble shows, but now, Kay is set to play a total of 42 gigs just at the AO Arena alone – running from December 2022 until May 2025.
Sales for this tour have also significantly surpassed the record Kay back in 2010 too, where he played to more than 1.2 million in a single tour.
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The comedian said he was “absolutely blown away” by ticket sales.
His return to the stage after 12 years last weekend not only visibly moved Kay to tears, with heartwarming footage of the moment going viral on social media, but it also proved to be such a success with audiences that he took to Twitter on Wednesday to tease that more could be on its way – but didn’t reveal what exactly.
In a heartfelt message to fans, Kay said: “I’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone who came to the first shows in Manchester. It was incredible to be part of such a happy experience. Everybody deserves a bit of joy.
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“Here’s to a lot more in the shows to come.”
He then added that a “big announcement” was coming on the Sara Cox Drivetime Show on BBC Radio 2, and urged fans to tune in after 6pm.
While many were speculating, given the fact he had chosen to reveal the news on a Drivetime radio show, that Kay would be announcing more episodes of his beloved smash-hit TV series Peter Kay’s Careshare, but while that was a pretty educated guess, it wasn’t the announcement lined up.
Instead, Kay confirmed that, yet again, he would be adding more dates to his tour schedule.
Peter Kay announces extra dates have been added to his live stand-up tour for 2023 and beyond!
Telling the also Bolton-born radio DJ, Kay said: “First of all, I want to say thanks to everyone who’s bought tickets to my tour, and I really do appreciate it.
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“We’ve finally managed to book some more extra dates.”
Promising to keep prices as low as they were for his last tour, tickets for Peter Kay shows this time round start from £35 and go all the way up to £50, £65 and £135.
Tickets will go on sale this Sunday from 10am for shows in cities including Manchester at the AO Arena, as well as in Newcastle, Leeds, Manchester, Sheffield, Birmingham, Glasgow, and a whopping record-breaking 28th night at London’s O2 Arena as part of his residency.
Find out more and grab yours from See Tickets here when they go on sale.
Featured Image – BBC
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Pete Tong’s Ibiza Classics is returning to Manchester next year
Clementine Hall
IconicDJ and radio presenter Pete Tong MBE is making his way back to Manchester with a whole host of guests ready to help you dance the night away.
Known for his live radio shows such as the ‘Essential Mix’ on BBC Radio 1, Tong is bringing back his widely successful Ibiza Classics club night to Manchester with an equally impressive roster of guests.
The ‘Ibiza Classics’ concept originated and debuted back in 2015 with Tong and co. taking on Royal Albert Hall as part of BBC Radio 1’s Proms schedule, paying homage to the island’s infectious anthems.
Since then, the English DJ has built a music event bigger than he could have ever imagined, and after a milestone year marking the 10th anniversary of the acclaimed Ibiza Classics show, Pete Tong has announced a brand-new run of UK arena dates for 2026.
Some of Tong’s notable releases include ‘Where’s The Music Gone’ and ‘Apocolypse’, alongside some very respectable dance music artists.
Other tracks to his name include ‘You Got The Love’ and ‘Time’, both collaborations with Jules Buckley, one of the famous faces you’ll get to see on this special Ibiza Classics tour.
The seven-date arena tour kicks off in Glasgow’s before heading to Manchester’s AO Arena on Friday 4 December 2026.
He will also be playing in Leeds, Birmingham, and Nottingham, culminating the tour with two huge nights at The O2 London.
Ibiza Classics Live 2026
Thursday 3 December – Glasgow, OVO Hydro
Friday 4 December – Manchester, AO Arena
Saturday 5 December – Leeds, First Direct Bank Arena
Wednesday 9 December – Birmingham, Utilita Arena
Thursday 10 December – Nottingham, Motorpoint Arena
Friday 11 and Saturday 12 December – London, The O2
He will be joined by long-standing collaborators Jules Buckley and The Essential Orchestra.
This night is expected to be filled with pure dance hits, and based on recent shows, there might even be appearances from even more musical talents and special guests.
Pete Tong, Jules Buckley, and The Essential Orchestra are bringing Ibiza Classics to AO Arena on Friday 4 December 2026.
Tickets go on sale next Monday 15 December, and you can get them here.
Featured Image – Supplied
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A big battle of the bands is happening in Manchester this week – and it’s all for charity
Danny Jones
A massive battle of the bands event is happening in Manchester this week, and it’s helping raise money for crucial grassroots organisations.
Better still, it’s happening at one of our favourite venues in the city centre: Band on the Wall.
Now, the beloved Northern Quarter institution hosts all kinds of live music throughout the year, so they’re no strangers to events like a battle of the bands competition. Teaming up with homegrown charity Forever Manchester and some other well-known faces, this is set to be a big one.
This brand new event will see local businesses and employees come together to form a band for one night only, to see who is the best of the best up on stage. Who knows? You could be about to see the best-kept secret…
Yes, Manc worker bees are banding together (quite literally) to form the exclusive super group and will be judged by a panel of audiophile aficionados.
It doesn’t matter whether you work in the industry, you do office admin or work in a cafe all day long; at the debut ‘Forever Manchester Rocks‘ competition, consider yourself a music god in the making.
The live on-stage battle is open to pre-existing bands who have already played together, but we’ll confess, we’re looking forward to seeing what those cobbled together specifically for this contest are going to sound like.
Finalists not only have the opportunity to perform at the most iconic venues, but the winners of this year’s competition will claim the inaugural ‘Manchester Business Rocks Legends’ trophy, as well as being invited to play the annual Forever Manchester Birthday Party at the Kimpton Clocktower in February.
Once again, the best part of this new battle of the bands event at Band on the Wall is that it’s all for the greater good, with important funding being generated for local community groups – a cause that both pursue with 24/7, 365 days a year.
If you’re interested in a last-minute sign-up, the rules for entering the competition are as follows:
A majority of band members must work at the same company or in the same industry
Covers or originals welcome – just bring your best 15-minute set
You bring the instruments and tunes – the backline, PA and sound engineer will be provided
Acts will be judged on talent, energy, crowd reaction, showmanship and amount of money raised.
Nick Massey CBE, chief exec at Forever Manchester, said: “As a region famed for its musical prowess, entrepreneurial spirit and its sense of community, Forever Manchester Rocks just made total sense to me as our next big occasion.
“It is a battle like no other, and we’re calling for businesses across the region to trade their KPIs for killer riffs to show us how they shine on stage… And it’s all in support of a fantastic cause, with the money raised helping to fund vital community initiatives in the Greater Manchester region.
“We can’t wait to see colleagues from across the region unleash their hidden talents and bring that Manchester energy to Band on the Wall on 10 December!”
For those looking to come along this Wednesday (10 Dec), you can grab your tickets HERE.
Emily Sergeant -
9th December 2022 
