One of the biggest names of the 2000s and 2010s and most successful R’n’B artists of all time, Akon, is officially back and returning to the UK in just a few months’ time and, of course, he’s coming to Manchester.
The American-born music icon, who dominated the charts when it came to both R’n’B, hip-hop and pop throughout the noughties and beyond, hasn’t played any British shows in over a decade but is now set to bring ‘The Superfan’ tour to our shores.
Of Senegalese descent, he also remains one of the richest men in Africa with an estimated worth of more than $83 million, having taken a step back from music to carry out extensive humanitarian work and use his money for good, such as providing solar electricity to 14 different African countries.
Now though, Akon is heading back out on the road and returning to Manchester this spring to replay all the hits, including tracks like ‘Locked Up’, ‘Smack That’, ‘Lonely’, ‘Bananza’ and many more.
Set to take the stage at the legendary O2 Apollo on Tuesday, 30 April, Akon (real name Aliaune Thiam) will be picking out the best of the bunch from his five studio albums to date, his last being released back in 2019.
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Having sold upwards of 35 million albums worldwide and won countless awards for his numerous smash-hit singles, not to mention all the amazing charity work he’s carried out down the years, he’s amassed a loyal following that will no doubt be buzzing to see the nostalgic name back touring.
Speaking on the announcement, Akon said: “I hope my UK and European fans are ready for a show filled with good music and energy! It’s been 10 years since I’ve done shows out here, so I cannot wait!”
A Pulp pop-up pub is coming to Manchester this weekend to celebrate their Wythenshawe Park gig
Daisy Jackson
A pop-up pub dedicated to Pulp, complete with a jukebox programmed by Jarvis Cocker himself, is coming to Manchester this week.
The temporary boozer coincides with the legendary band’s upcoming sold-out gig at Wythenshawe Park, where they’ll play to a 30,000-strong crowd.
To celebrate their return to Manchester, Pulp will be taking over the Rat & Pigeon in the Northern Quarter for three days.
As well as the Jarvis-programmed jukebox, fans of the band will be able to join a series of events, grab some limited-edition merch, and take part in competitions curated by the band.
The Rat & Pigeon – temporarily rebranded to The Pulp Pop-Up Pub – will be completely decked out in rare Pulp paraphernalia borrowed from the band’s archive.
A special, limited edition Wythenshawe Park t-shirt will be sold exclusively at the Rat & Pigeon while stocks last.
Fans will also be in with a chance of winning test pressings of Live!, an album document of the band’s 2025 show at The O2 in London.
There will also be a number of giveaways at Piccadilly Records across the weekend.
Pulp will perform at Live From Wythenshawe Park on Friday 28 August, one of five huge artists performing at the venue this summer.
Also playing this weekend will be Courteeners, and The Prodigy, with Lewis Capaldi and The Cure having already performed their huge shows at the venue.
The Pulp Pop-Up Pub will be open at the Rat & Pigeon between 12pm and 7pm on Friday 28, 12pm until late on Saturday 29, and 12pm until 2pm on Sunday 30 August.
Featured image: The Manc Group / Publicity picture
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Tame Impala announces another HUGE Manchester gig after chart-topping success
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.
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).
Danny Jones -
5th February 2024 
