The Libertines are back, and are set to make a return to Manchester later this year with a major gig at the Albert Hall.
It’s been nearly a decade since the London indie legends graced the music world with a full body of fresh material, as their last studio album, Anthems for Doomed Youth, was released all the way back in 2015.
But now, the rockers are gearing up to launch their hotly-anticipated new album, titled All Quiet On The Eastern Esplanade, in just a couple of weeks time.
And to celebrate, they’ve announced they’re going on a tour of the UK and Ireland later this year.
Kicking off in the Irish capital of Dublin on 23 September, before stopping off in Belfast the day after, some of the other major UK cities the four-piece band will be taking to the stage at along the way include Birmingham, Bristol, Glasgow, Cardiff, and Nottingham.
ADVERTISEMENT
Liverpool, Leeds, Sheffield, and Newcastle are the other Northern locations on the list, with the stand-out being two huge shows at London’s prestigious The Roundhouse on 30 and 31 October.
Their tour is set to culminate here in Manchester with a massive gig at the Albert Hall.
ADVERTISEMENT
Pete Doherty and co will be entertaining the Manchester masses at one of the city’s best-loved venues for their final show of their 2024 tour on Thursday 7 November, and tickets are set to go on sale within a matter of days.
The Libertines UK Tour Dates 2024
September
Monday 23 – 3Olympia Theatre Dublin
Tuesday 24 – The Telegraph Building Belfast
October
Thursday 3 – O2 Academy Birmingham
Fridy 4 – UEA Norwich
Saturday 5 – The Corn Exchange Cambridge
Monday 7 – Great Hall Cardiff
Tuesday 8 – O2 Academy Bristol
Friday 18 – Barrowland Ballroom Glasgow
Saturday 19 – Mountford Hall Liverpool
Monday 21 – Rock City Nottingham
Tuesday 22 – O2 Academy Leeds
Wednesday 30 & Thursday 31 – London Roundhouse
November
Monday 4 – The Octagon Sheffield
Tuesday 5 – NX Newcastle
Thursday 7 – Albert Hall Manchester
The Libertines are returning to Manchester for major Albert Hall gig later this year / Credit: Publicity Photos (Supplied)
As fans of the band will tell you, The Libertines’ live shows are a “once-seen-never-forgotten” experience.
And with this UK tour, the band are apparently back to, and we quote, “save humanity from holograms, virtual reality, and AI auto-tuned bullsh*t”, so they’re inviting crowds to switch off their mobiles and “come and experience raw analogue euphoria”.
ADVERTISEMENT
Tickets to see these self-professed “delirious musical chaos-mongers” on their 2024 UK tour officially go on sale this week.
Anyone who heads to The Libertines’ website and pre-orders the band’s fourth studio album, All Quiet On The Eastern Esplanade, will be given exclusive pre-sale access to grab tickets from 9am this Wednesday (21 February), all before the rest of the tickets go on general sale this Friday (23 February) – with prices settling at around £37.50 plus booking fees.
There’s a big listening party for Taylor Swift’s new album happening in Manchester this week
Emily Sergeant
One of the biggest, if not the biggest, popstars in the world right now will be releasing a brand-new album this Friday, and there’s a dedicated listening party happening in Manchester especially for the occasion.
In case you aren’t a Swiftie, or you just generally weren’t aware, Taylor Swift announced back in early February that she would be unleashing her eleventh studio album, titled The Tortured Poets Department, on the world on 19 April.
Just like anything the 34-year-old singer-songwriter does, the surprise announcement of the new album – which is a follow-up to her 2022 critically-acclaimed and GRAMMY award-winning album, Midnights – pretty much broke the internet when it happened, and her dedicated fans have been counting down the days ever since.
Now, after months of eagerly waiting, the big day is finally happening this Friday, and in a bid to properly mark what a massive day it will be, one popular Manchester venue has decided to host a dedicated listening party, so that Swifties can unite under one roof and celebrate the special occasion together.
Fairfield Social Club (FSC) which has recently opened its doors in the heart of Manchester city centre, is inviting fans to “gather with your closest Swifties” and head on down to its Green Quarter venue this Friday for a night that’s “dedicated to Tay Tay and her legacy”.
Not only will you get to hear The Tortured Poets Department in full from start to finish surrounded by dozens of fellow fans, but there’ll also be a bunch of other Swift-themed activities too.
There’s a big Taylor Swift new album listening party happening in Manchester this week / Credit: FSC
These include a Taylor Swift pub quiz with questions to all about her life and groundbreaking career to test your knowledge, friendship bracelet-making sessions, and just the chance to share the love and swap stories with other Swifties.
If all of that didn’t sound brilliant enough as it is, there’s also set to be a selection of themed cocktails to sip whilst you spend time ruminating on what Taylor meant in the lyrics of her songs only released a few hours prior.
Oh, and the best bit? FSC promises there “won’t be a Scooter Braun in sight” on the night.
The Tortured Poets Department Listening Party is taking over Fairfield Social Club this Friday 19 April from 7pm right through until 10pm – with tickets now on sale setting you back just £6 each, and already selling fast.
Smash-hit musical Kinky Boots starring Strictly’s Johannes Radebe is coming to Manchester next year
Emily Sergeant
Smash-hit musical Kinky Boots is heading out on a tour of the UK next year, and the talented cast will be stopping off here in Manchester.
The Broadway and West End phenomenon, which is based on a true story and is an adaptation of a 2005 film of the same name, has become known and loved by musical theatre fans all across the globe since its stage debut back in 2012, and has scooped up several Tonys, Olivier Awards, and GRAMMYs along the way.
And now, it’s set for a revival starring Strictly Come Dancing‘s Johannes Radebe, and the production will be touring the UK and Ireland from January 2025.
Kinky Boots The Musical features a score by Cyndi Lauper and a book by Harvey Fierstein, and this new production will be directed by Artistic Director, Nikolai Foster – who has famously helmed productions of The Wizard of Oz and Billy Elliot, to name a few – as well as starring the fan-favourite Strictly pro as Lola, alongside and rising star Dan Partridge as Charlie Price.
Smash-hit musical Kinky Boots starring Strictly’s Johannes Radebe is coming to Manchester / Credit: Ollies Rosser (via Supplied)
In case you’re unfamiliar with the Kinky Boots story, here’s brief rundown.
After inheriting his family’s failing shoe factory and with a relationship on the rocks, life is proving to be very challenging for Charlie Price, but that is until he meets Lola – a drag queen whose “sparkle and unsteady heels” might just hold the answer to saving the struggling business.
The 2025 revival production is already being billed as “guaranteed to raise you up” and “celebrate everybody’s individuality” when it arrives here in Manchester next February.
👢 On sale to ATG+ members 👢
Kinky Boots The Musical, is strutting back to Manchester in a new production starring Strictly Come Dancing’s Johannes Radebe and rising star Dan Partridge.
“Kinky Boots is one of the things I’m proudest of in my career,” commented Cyndi Lauper, on the musicals return to the road across the UK.
“I’m so excited that audiences will get to see it again, in a new production, as it’s like a happy pill, and we could all use some of that right now, so I can’t think of a better time or place to relaunch this special show in its place of origin.”
Emily Sergeant -
19th February 2024 
