Affiliate

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

This article contains affiliate links.

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.

ADVERTISEMENT

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.

ADVERTISEMENT

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.

ADVERTISEMENT

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.

Read more:

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

Affiliate

Tame Impala announces another HUGE Manchester gig after chart-topping success

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

Tame Impala has announced another UK and EU tour in 2027 to celebrate recent chart-topping success.

Following sold-out runs across the globe in 2025 and 2026 – including here in Manchester – and currently in the midst of a North American arena tour, Tame Impala has announced a new run of dates for next year – with a mix of headline and festival appearances.

The announcement arrives as Kevin Parker – better known by his project name, Tame Impala – continues an extraordinary run with his latest studio album Deadbeat, released last year.

On Deadbeat, Parker aimed to sculpt a collection of ‘wickedly potent’ club-psych explorations as a vehicle for some of his most direct, ear-wormy songwriting to date.

Tame Impala has announced another huge Manchester gig after chart-topping success / Credit: Julian Klincewicz (Supplied)

After recently being featured in the new Marvel film, Spiderman: Brand New Day, the lead single from the album, ‘Loser’, has just hit number one on the Global Spotify chart.

Not only that, but the remix of the hit song ‘Dracula’, featuring JENNIE, also remains in the top 10 on various global charts, and the original version has also nominated for Best Alternative at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards.

Critics described this most recent run of gigs as ‘one of the best live shows of the year’, so it only makes sense that he’d be back for more.

Kicking off on 28 May 2027 in here in Manchester, Tame Impala will be taking to the Co-op Live stage once again, before heading down to the capital for two nights at The O2 on 1 and 2 June, and then popping over to Paris, Rotterdam, and Cologne to.

Wet Leg will open all headlining dates next year, including here in Manchester.

Read more:

Tickets go on sale this week, with Co-op Member Presale kicking off at 9am on Wednesday (26 August), followed by General Sale also at 9am on Friday (28 August).

Get your tickets when they go live here.

Featured Image – Julio Enriquez (via Flickr)

Affiliate

A reimagined dance music celebration is coming to Manchester later this year

Thomas Melia Thomas Melia

Get ready to hear some of the biggest anthems in dance music, reimagined and given an orchestral transformation right here in Manchester city centre. 

Powerhouse music business Ministry of Sound has been uplifting and promoting dance music through its varied and electric live events for over three decades. 

Now, it’s putting an all-new take on all your favourite dancefloor fillers that have been released over the past 30 years with a 31-piece orchestra, a whole team of vocalists and a stacked setlist. 

Expect to hear the likes of Fatboy Slim with his huge tune ‘Right Here, Right Now’ alongside Darude’s standout hit ‘Sandstorm’, as performed by a live orchestral arrangement and light production. 

After receiving a great reception at major music settings like Gone Wild, The Big Feastival and Silverstone Festival, paired with a sold-out show at the Royal Albert Hall, this all-new live show now visits the music capital of the North. 

Of course, it’s only fitting that Manchester gets the chance to experience this innovative twist on classics and anthems, considering the city’s vibrant club contributions like the Madchester scene and legendary music institution the Hacienda. 

Now, dance, house and trance spanning the past 30 years come together courtesy of the Ministry of Sound Classical, playing out across UK locations like Brighton, Newcastle and Birmingham, as well as Manchester. 

The show is playing out at city-centre gig hotspot O2 Apollo, and is about to teach 3,500 Mancunians dance music history through a dance-meets-orchestra concert like no other. 

Read more:

This live music extravaganza is organised and led by dance music pioneers Ministry of Sound, who developed and defined the 1990s house music scene in London and across the country. 

Ministry of Sound Classical is heading to O2 Apollo in Manchester on Friday 18 December with tickets and more information available HERE. 

Featured Image – Press Shot (Supplied via Ministry of Sound)

More Affiliate

Kendal Calling festival guide 2026 key info

Affiliate

Kendal Calling festival guide 2026 – stages, times, travel, and everything you need to know

Where to watch the 2026 World Cup in Manchester city centre

Affiliate

The best England fan zones, screenings and places showing the World Cup in Manchester

Affiliate

Peter Kay adds MORE hometown charity gigs in aid of Bolton Hospice

Audio

Clint Boon takes us around Manchester's iconic Deaf Institute

Eats

We go meatballs deep with Mira's traditional Neapolitan sandwiches