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Rick Astley to play Co-op Live on major UK arena tour – with big-name supporting act

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Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 1st September 2025

Rick Astley has announced a major UK and Ireland arena tour, and of course he’ll be playing a huge gig here in Manchester.

The Newton-le-Willows native started his remarkable career all the way back in 1987 when he became an unlikely global phenomenon after his era-defining smash ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ established him as an international chart-topping, BRIT Award winning global star, following by a debut album that sold a whopping 15.2 million copies worldwide.

But then he stepped away from the spotlight, and seemingly left that chapter of his life behind – that was until he returned to the charts in 2016 and has stayed at the top of his game ever since.

He has collaborated with everyone from Foo Fighters to Blossoms along the way, and even did a double-bill of festival sets at Glastonbury in 2023, before releasing his latest album titled ‘Are We There Yet?’.

Throughout his career, Rick has released eight studio albums, sold more than 40 million records worldwide, and has played and toured around the world multiple times.

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And now he’s heading back out on the road, and will be taking to the Co-op Live stage here in Manchester next April.

He’ll be playing Co-op Live on Friday 17 April 2026, and support for the tour comes from none other than the legendary Gabrielle herself.

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Other major cities Rick’ll be stopping off at along the way include the capitals London, Cardiff, Belfast, and Dublin, as well as Glasgow, Leeds, Birmingham, Newcastle, Liverpool, and more.

Rick Astley – The Reflection Tour 2026

With special guest Gabrielle

  • Friday 10 April – Glasgow OVO Hydro
  • Saturday 11 April – Newcastle Utilita Arena
  • Monday 13 April – Belfast SSE
  • Tuesday 14 April – Dublin 3Arena 
  • Thursday 16 April – Liverpool M&S Bank Arena      
  • Friday 17 April – Manchester Co-op Live
  • Saturday 18 April – Leeds First Direct Bank Arena
  • Monday 20 April – Bournemouth International Centre
  • Tuesday 21 April – Cardiff Utilita Arena
  • Wednesday 22 April – Nottingham Motorpoint Arena
  • Friday 24 April – Birmingham bp pulse LIVE
  • Saturday 25 April – London The O2

After taking a break in 2025, Rick says he’s excited to head out on his UK and Ireland arena tour next year, and is looking forward to performing live again.

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Rick Astley begins The Reflection Tour on 10 April 2026, before he arrives in Manchester on 17 April, and tickets go on sale this week – with presales for Co-op Live members starting at 9:30am this Wednesday (3 September), before general sale begins this Friday 5 September, again at 9:30am.

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You can get tickets when they go on sale here.

Feeling a little fancier? You can treat yourself to some VIP tickets to Rick’s Co-op Live show via SeatUnique, with a range of different packages available here.

Featured Image – Supplied

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Legendary rock band Pixies announce Manchester gig at leading arts venue for anniversary tour

Danny Jones Danny Jones Pixies Manchester Aviva Studio gig tickets

Legendary band Pixies have announced a brand new global tour to mark an incredible landmark anniversary, and will be coming to one of our favourite Manchester venues.

The Boston rock icons are celebrating 40 years as a band in 2026, and as part of the newly announced ‘P40’ world tour, they have revealed a run of European dates and a dedicated leg of live gigs right here in the UK.

In terms of dates here in England, the Manc show is also one of just three, so count yourselves lucky.

With a fandom as die-hard as the one they’ve maintained for going on 40 years, you can expect this one to sell out rather quickly.

The major live plans will see founding members Black Francis, Joey Santiago and David Lovering, as well as bassist Emma Richardson, visit Britain, Ireland and beyond – including their very first performance at London’s iconic Royal Albert Hall.

Seems hard to believe given their legacy, right?

As for the Manchester date, Pixies will be playing at our leading city centre arts and cultural venue, Aviva Studios, located right next to the banks of the River Irwell.

Not only a thriving live music space, but the home of Factory International’s hub here in Greater Manchester, it’s fast become one of our favourite places to watch a gig.

You can find the rest of the P40 UK/EU live shows down below.

Pixies’ 40th anniversary tour UK and Europe dates

  • 20 May – Barbican, York
  • 21 May – Alhambra theatre, Dunfermline
  • 25 May – Aviva Studios, Manchester
  • 28 May – Royal Albert Hall, London
  • 31 May – Live at the Castle, Limerick
  • 2 June – Olympia, Dublin
  • 30 June – Zitadelle Spandau, Berlin
  • 1 July – Parkbühne Clara-Zetkin-Park
  • 2 July – myticket Jahrhunderthalle, Frankfurt
  • 14 July – Parco Della Musica, Milan
  • 17 July – Maassilo, Rotterdam
  • 18 July – Muziekcentrum, Enschede
  • 19 July – PLT, Heerlen

This announcement comes amid their ongoing worldwide tour, which kicked off back in August and wraps up this November.

Not only is it approaching four whole decades since their formation as a band, but it’s also 35 years since their groundbreaking Platinum-certified third album, Doolittle, and the 20th anniversary of their reunion at Coachella.

Commenting underneath the post, Factory International‘s official account replied: “Cannot wait to welcome you to Manchester.”

Tickets go on sale this Friday, 26 September at 10 – get ready to grab yours HERE.

Another groundbreaking group of musicians are celebrating the exact same milestone this year and couldn’t resist booking a Manchester date either.

Influential indie veterans The Wedding Present to embark on 40th anniversary tour

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For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — Travis Shinn (supplied)/Audio North

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Jordan North and William Hanson are bringing their hit podcast to a massive Manchester venue

Danny Jones Danny Jones Help I Sexted My Boss live Manchester tickets

British podcasting pair Jordan North and William Hanson are bringing their beloved comedy podcast, Help I Sexted My Boss, to one of the biggest venues in Manchester.

That’s right, the unlikely but undeniably funny duo are bringing their smash hit pod and YouTube show on the road once again in 2026, after a slate of successful shows last year at the likes of the legendary London Palladium.

Burnley-born North and near-Bristol native Hanson have emerged as a somewhat surprising, albeit almost perfect, double act over the last few years, becoming one of the most popular podcasts in the UK and regularly breaking into the top 100 on the comedy charts.

After plenty of demand for more live shows following the 2024 shows, Help I Sexted My Boss is going on tour once again this coming March.

Confirming just a small handful of UK dates, these are nevertheless their biggest gigs yet, with the team booking some of the biggest arenas in Britain.

In addition to the legendary AO Arena here in Manchester, they’ll also be heading to Wembley, Glasgow and Cardiff – but you already know we Mancs will bring the best crowd.

Announcing details online, the official Sexted My Boss account wrote: “Oh yes, we’re going on tour. Join William Hanson and Jordan North as they bring their hit comedy podcast to arenas across the UK…

“Experience what happens when William and Jordan’s wildly different worlds collide, as they take on the hilarious challenges of modern life live on stage. Expect laugh-out-loud stories, brutally honest moments and lots of surprises.

“It doesn’t matter if you’ve listened from day one, you’re new to the podcast, or you’re being dragged along, everyone’s welcome!”

Now, if you’ve never heard this modern take on the classic ‘agony aunt’ fan correspondence format, we don’t think there’s a single clip that sums up this nonsense better than this one…

Be warned, this is a very NSFW listen.

Commenting underneath the post, long-time collaborator and fellow radio hosting peer Siân Welby said, “Seriously, one of the best nights out you can have! Podcast meets panto meets Bongo’s Bingo!”

Pre-sale tickets for Help I Sexted By Boss in Manchester will arrive first for official Three Mobile customers on Wednesday, 24 September, the AO Arena’s own early access window opening the following Thursday – both of which will go live from 10am.

General admission will then be available from the same time on Friday, 26 September. You can get ready to grab yours HERE.

There are plenty of laughs coming to the AO over the next 12 months.

Stand-up sensation Mo Gilligan has announced a massive arena gig in Manchester

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For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — Press shots (supplied)

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