Sounds of the City returned to Manchester on Wednesday, courtesy of about as big an opening act as the festival has ever had before, with Avril Lavigne soaking in her first taste of Castlefield Bowl and proclaiming how much she loved the venue.
Us too, Avril – just not as much as it loved you.
That’s right, Canada’s pop-rock princess kicked off Sounds of the City 2024 with a Greatest Hits gig on the limited UK leg of her European tour just a couple of days after doing the ultimate outdoor gig at Glastonbury – which looked and sounded amazing, by the way.
You could tell how pumped she was to be bringing some of that ‘rock out under rainy British skies’ energy to Manchester’s iconic amphitheatre but, in one of those most magical moments that sometimes happens at festivals, the clouds broke and we got a stunning nostalgic sunset singalong.
The weather shifted just moments after fellow Canadian pop-punk veterans Simple Plan took to the stage as main supports just like they have throughout her tour, with six countries and nearly 30 more gigs to go, but it didn’t look like they were already several shows deep and well into their 40s.
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It can be a tough ask getting a crowd going before a headliner sometimes, but these lot didn’t struggle at all and that’s why they’re still going all these years later.
Be it making ‘it’s not a phase, mom’ jokes, inviting a bunch of blokes dressed in Scooby Doo onesies on stage as they played the classic cartoon’s theme song (yes, they sing that one), giant beach balls, playing classics like ‘I’m Just A Kid’ or a few quick covers, they very much understood the assignment.
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After getting the crowd to ‘Jump’ as they would at any other rock concert, the mood was just right for the main event and let’s just say a lot of current and ex-emos, moshers and noughties kids alike were very happy when ageless Avril Lavigne walked out in Castlefield Bowl.
A very wholesome warm-up. Well, apart from the ‘play with our balls’ jokes but still. (Credit: The Manc)
Well, that’s not entirely accurate: after some suspense-building graphics and lots of anticipant screaming, she burst onto the stage – quite literally – with one of her first big hits, ‘Girlfriend’, as Manchester welcomed her back after a very long time and she set off a sea of streamers into the air.
An early confetti cannon is always a sign of a good gig and it will surprise absolutely no one to hear that Avril Lavigne still sounds absolutely sensational, not to mention that the acoustics of the Bowl proved perfect for letting her voice travel across Castlefield and beyond.
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It’s also worth mentioning that even if you’re just a casual fan or think you ‘only know the hits’, as this latest album release and series of shows has proved, the girl has a lot more hits than you even think.
Song after song we found ourselves knowing the words and chants, which only increased the nostalgia factor even more as we watched countless fans of all ages dancing their heads off and singing at the top of their lungs.
That’s what it’s all about.
Some way to say helloThat famous logoJammy gets…A rather loud scream when she came out – and that was just us.
The 39-year-old (yes, we know she still looks like she’s in her 20s, don’t rub it in) also had a really charming manner when it came to interacting with the crowd; it may have been a little bit less bantery than her support act but you could tell she was rolling back the years just as much as we were.
Looking back on more than two decades of making music, she was taking it all in: the venue, the people with pink hair and those wearing official Avril uniforms (neckties and spike bracelets), not to mention the drinkers as she sprayed a bottle of champagne into the front row.
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She even welcomed Simple Plan back on stage for a duet and also used the opportunity to invite some die-hard fans and little kids whose parents are clearly passing their impeccable music taste on to their little’uns to join them, taking photos, signing skateboards to sing the chorus of ‘Addicted’.
Dream come true stuff and a moment in which we suddenly remembered she’s no longer the Avril Lavigne that burst onto the scene and the biggest thing on MTV when she was just a teenager – she’s a mum these days and all her fans have grown up with her.
We love that feeling when everything feels like it’s come full circle and we can all pretend we’re ‘just a kid’, as her openers so aptly put it.
There were pyros, wholesome fan interactions, a train driver up on the viaduct stopping to wave at the crowd, and much more.
Once again, we don’t think we need to convince you that classics like ‘Sk8er Boi’ and ‘Complicated’ were as good as you’d hope they’d be, perhaps even better, and we can now tick seeing Avril Lavigne live in Manchester off the bucket list.
The whole Sounds of the City lineup for 2024 is great and there’s lots of variety in genre too, which is always a bonus, but we have to say that the throwback feeling of this particular gig was wonderful and we can’t think of many better ways to kick off a festival.
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Now watch as queen Avril Lavigne turned Castlefield Bowl into a choir for her ultimate ballad, ‘I’m With You’, in a perfect choice of closing song.
Is there any more beautiful a sound than a sea full of Mancs singing in harmony? Not a chance.
Hip-hop, soul and R’n’B legend Mary J Blige is coming to Manchester for a massive arena show
Danny Jones
Manchester is getting ready to welcome a global icon of hip-hop, soul, pop and R’n’B as Mary J Blige is set to put on a massive arena show.
With a music career spanning more than 30 years, Mary J Blige is an absolute legend of the American music scene, with nine GRAMMY Awards and nearly 40 nominations, along with a plethora of BET, Billboard, and AMA nods over the years.
Currently on ‘The For My Fans Tour’, jetting quite literally all over and recently adding on even more dates, not only has London been given some love, but so has Greater Manchester – and rightly so.
Announcing the special one-off show and Co-op Live debut this Wednesday, 16 April, Mary J Blige won’t have to wait too long to be part of the ‘Family Affair’.
The 54-year-old from New York will be coming to the state-of-the-art, one of the biggest indoor entertainment venues in all of Europe, in just a few months’ time.
On top of the already well-established AO Arena, this is the pedigree of truly worldwide artists that Co-op Live was built to further attract – and it looks to be working.
It’s been the best part of a decade since she was last in these parts, so she’s sure to get a huge reception.
While most audiences in the likes of North America have been treated to fellow R’n’B favourite Ne-Yo, those watching Ms Blige will be keeping things domestic as long-standing London collective and producers, Soul II Soul, will be joining her for the show.
‘Back to life, back to reality…’
So there you have it! Mary J Blige will be coming to Manchester on Friday, 4 July 2025, with her own pre-sale going live at 10am on Thursday, 24 April, but Co-op members can get there even earlier, with the venue’s early access available from the same time the day before.
As for general admission, you can get ready to grab your tickets HERE from 10am on Friday, 25 April.
Fri 18 April – London, UK – OVO Arena Wembley (Sean Paul, Ashanti and Big Joe)
Sat 19 April – Birmingham, UK – Utilita Arena
Sun 20 April – Manchester, UK – AO Arena
22 April – Cardiff, UK – Utilita Arena
23 April – Brighton, UK – Brighton Centre (Sean Paul ONLY)
24 April – Bournemouth, UK – BIC (Sean Paul ONLY)
Sean Paul and Ashanti tickets for AO Arena gig
Just like Ashanti’s 2002 hit, you’d have been ‘Foolish’ not to get tickets when they first came out, however, there’s still a chance for you to ‘Get Busy’ like Sean Paul’s ‘02 throwback.
There’s a limited run of tickets left throughout the venue, including standing, seated and even an option to watch the show from ‘The Mezz’ if you’re after a VIP experience – AllHERE.
There’s no official setlist yet, however, if you consider the past selection of hits from their previous separate gigs, fans are in for a jam-packed night.
Sean Paul:
So Fine
Get Busy
Ever Blazin’
Cheap Thrills
Baby Boy
Bailando
Hot Gyal Today
Infiltrate
Breathe/ Make It Clap
Give It Up To Me
Got 2 Luv U
Mad Love
No Lie
Boasty
Love Me Ladies
Tip Pon It
Volcano
Bring It
Greatest
I’m Still In Love
Light My Fire
Punkie
Rockabye
Like Glue
Deport Them
Trumpets
She Doesn’t Mind
Temperature
Ashanti:
Happy
Rock Wit U (Awww Baby)
Mesmerise
Only U
Baby
Southside
Down 4 U
Body On Me
What’s Luv?
Ain’t It Funny
Always On Time
Foolish
What are the stage times for Sean Paul and Ashanti in Manchester?
AO Arena has a curfew of 11pm; anyone attending this link-up of a lifetime can enjoy their night knowing they’ll be ‘Ever Blazin” after a full night’s sleep.
Doors for the ‘Bring It Tour’ are scheduled for 6pm with a kick-off time of 7pm, with no confirmed or mentioned support acts as of yet.
For those of you heading to AO Arena, luckily, it’s connected to Manchester Victoria Station and it has an integrated Metrolink stop to make your life even easier.
Head along the pink, light blue or yellow lines directly to the Victoria stop, and you can get off the tram literally spitting distance from the arena. You can find the full map HERE.
Train
Considering this live entertainment venue is situated right in the middle of one of Manchester’s most frequented stations, concertgoers should find no problem getting to the arena wherever they are.
Bus
A variety of buses cover AO Arena andVictoria Station on their route, such as the 2 bus, which stops just a one-minute walk away from the venue.
A full list of buses and their routes can be found HERE.
Getting there by car and parking
The Arena has its own official CitiPark, with 958 car parking spaces including 40 Blue Badge parking bays, which can be booked in advance.
Alternatively, anyone attending a gig can park at their nearest train station and jump on a train service or the various Metrolink park and ride facilities.
Walk/cycle
Greater Manchester now also offers the option to hire bikes through the Beryl app, with riders able to locate, unlock, get to their destination and then safely lock up the bike all through an easy-to-use app.
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About the AO Arena
The AO Arena has a few strict policies to keep gig-goers safe, so make sure to check entry requirements carefully before you travel.
For example, only one small bag per person is allowed, and bags like backpacks, travel cases and laptop bags are not permitted inside the arena.
All bags are scanned on entry to check for prohibited items like laser pens, flares, projectiles, weapons, drugs and alcohol, and even selfie sticks.
Danny Jones -
4th July 2024 
