Snoop Dogg has announced a massive gig at the AO Arena in Manchester in 2023 as he finally reconfirms tour dates.
The legendary rapper was meant to perform here in 2020 but had to move it due to the pandemic, and then pushed his show back again earlier this year.
But now his UK and Ireland tour is all set for next spring, with some huge names coming on tour with him – including Xzibit as a special guest for England and Scotland.
Also joining the tour will be West Coast hip hop royalty Warren G, Tha Dogg Pound, Obie Trice and D12, plus Irish rap duo Versatile.
With more than 25 years under his belt in his rap career, Snoop Dogg (previously known as Snoop Doggy Dogg and, briefly, Snoop Lion) will be performing from his massive collection of 19 solo studio albums and five collaborative albums at the AO Arena.
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His singles have included Drop It Like It’s Hot with Pharrell, Gin and Juice, and What’s My Name?, collaborating with the likes of 2Pac, Miley Cyrus, Bruno Mars, Stevie Wonder and Drake over the course of his career.
He was first discovered by Dr Dre in the early 1990s, and his debut album Doggystyle (produced by Dre himself) climbed straight to the top of the Billboard hip-hop charts.
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Now, he has the distinction for having the most Grammy nominations of any music artist— 17 to date – without having won one.
His success has spilled onto the screen too, with appearances in films like Starsky & Hutch and Training Day.
He’s also the face of that inescapably catchy Just Eat advert…
In 2015 he launched Leafs By Snoop, making him the first a-list celebrity to brand a line of cannabis products.
Snoop Dogg’s tour will bring him to Manchester in March 2023, alongside tour dates in Leeds, Glasgow, London, Dublin, Belfast and Birmingham.
Ticket presale starts at 9am on 22 December 2022 and general sale is from 12pm – get your Snoop Dogg tickets through See Tickets here.
Snoop Dogg UK and Ireland 2023 tour dates
14 March – Belfast, SSE Arena
15 March – Manchester, AO Arena
16 March – Glasgow, SEC Hydro
21 March – London, O2 Arena
26 March – Dublin, 3Arena
27 March – Leeds, First Direct Arena
28 March – Birmingham, Resorts World Arena
Featured image: Publicity picture
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The full 2026 MOBOs Fringe programme for the first-ever awards in Manchester has been revealed
Danny Jones
Now the BRITs have been and gone, it’s time to switch our focus to the next big awards show: the 2026 MOBOs, which is also coming to Manchester for the very first time, and they’re bringing the popular Fringe event along with it.
Get ready for more big showbiz hustle and bustle to hit the city centre before you know it; we, for one, are so ready.
Similar to the aforementioned BRIT Awards, the MOBOs also hold a regular ‘Fringe’ music, arts and cultural festival with each annual edition.
You can see the full range of this year’s largely free-to-attend MOBOs Fringe lineup and the extensive schedule in its entirety down below.
Manchester, it’s your time.
The full #MOBOFringe 2026 programme is here – nine days of music, culture, panels, parties and showcases across the city ahead of the #MOBOAwards on 26 March.
As you can see, there’s a lot on the cards this year, with different activities and activations happening all over central Manchester.
Featuring everything from exclusive live sets, sport and other entertainment, to various selectors and even a creative summit, it’s jam-packed with countless aspects beyond just that music that help make the industry as a whole tick.
Venues involved include The Whitworth Gallery, faithful Green Island Festival partners, the Niamos Centre, multi-purpose bars and events spaces like Side Street and Renae, as well as important music venues like The Deaf Institute and Aviva Studios – a.k.a. the home of Factory International.
Each hosting a variety of different dates over the course of its nearly week-long duration ahead of the MOBO Awards themselves, there’s something for everyone and anyone interested not just in Black music and entertainment but Black-British culture and more.
For instance, we already heard about the exclusive basketball match between Manchester and a fellow European competitor that just passed; you can see the full Fringe programme in more detail online.
Running from Thursday 19 to Tuesday 24 March, the event week is shaping up to be a cracker.
As for the inaugural Manc MOBOs ceremony at Co-op Live, it gets underway just a couple of days later on the following Thursday (26 Mar).
serving as the perfect way to close the Fringe and this year’s edition as a whole.
Tickets for the MOBO Awards Manchester debut are live as we speak, with general admission prices starting from less than £30. You can grab yours HERE.
As for those expected to be in attendance, the likes of Olivia Dean and local rapper Aitch have already been confirmed for the live music lineup, and to see the full list of nominees, look no further…
Featured Images — Publicity pictures (supplied via MOBO Awards)
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Manchester rock and blues veterans Proud Mary announce handful of reunion shows in 2026
Danny Jones
Veteran Manchester rock and blues band Proud Mary recently announced a limited run of UK reunion shows, including a fairly intimate hometown show.
The seasoned Northern outfit may have seen plenty of lineup changes and a long hiatus of sorts, but now they’re returning for just a small handful of comeback gigs across the country.
Ahead of their seminal debut album turning 25 years old this year, 2026 also seems them steadily creeping up on the best part of three decades as a group in some form or another.
For anyone uninitiated, the native 90s and early noughties name was the first band signed to Noel Gallagher’s Sour Mash Records in 2001.
Their first-ever LP, The Same Old Blues, still remains their most revered work to this day.
Dubbed by the older Burnage brother and legendary Manc musician as “a lesson in songwriting” in an interview with the NME way back when, they started out as long-time friends and turned into fellow studio peers.
As well as supporting the likes of Oasis, Neil Young, The Stereophonics, Paul Weller, Ocean Colour Scene, Ryan Adams, Noel’s High Flying Birds and more on various tours over the years, they also famously headlined Isle of Wight Festival in 2004.
Having collaborated with the likes of another Britpop legend, Gem Archer, as well as The Smiths’ Andy Rourke, not to mention gaining plaudits from so many other contemporaries, they’re likely one of your favourite bands’ old faithful bands.
It still sits as one of the biggest live highlights.
Moreover, in regional terms, rising local indie rock quintet Rosellas are also joining them on the road for all but one of the shows.
Unfortunately for us, it is their date at Manchester Academy 3 (sigh)…
However, we’re still getting a fairly nearby name, with fellow long-running Crewe icons The Train Set joining them here in 0161 on 16 May. You can grab your tickets HERE.
Both of the Manc bands have also featured in our artists of the month, by the way, in case you wanted to see who else was listed alongside them.
Daisy Jackson -
21st December 2022 
