Audio
Busted at Manchester’s AO Arena — tickets, support acts, stage times and more
They're back with pop-rock guitar riffs, irresistible Noughties nostalgia, plenty of jump kicks and we couldn't be happier.
Guys, we don’t know if you heard but Busted are back on tour— or, more accurately, back on top and they’re bringing all the hits and unparalleled energy levels to Manchester’s AO Arena for a second night in less than a week.
The Busted boys played an initial sold-out show last weekend but had to add a second Manchester date due to the massive demand and although they received rave reviews the first time around, it might as well have been a warm-up for the main event which is already shaping up to be a belter.
With some seriously good supports, another soon-to-sell-out crowd of 20,000+ and the trio now having had a ridiculously good practice run only a few days ago, Busted at the AO Arena night two is going to be insane.
That being said, here’s everything you need to know about their 20th-anniversary tour date and greatest hits show.
Are there tickets left for Busted in Manchester?
If you’re still scrambling around in the hope of getting a last-minute ticket to hear the likes of ‘Year 3000’ and ‘What I Go to School For’ live, you’re in luck: there’s still a very small handful of tickets to be snapped up if you’re quick enough.
There are still a few seats floating about, ranging from £42.50 to £53.50 on Ticketmaster, and you can obviously splurge on the AO Arena’s Champagne Experiences in the Electric Lounge if you fancy it.
As always, if you end up missing out you can also check out resale sites like Twickets and TicketSwap, we advise steering clear from ticket touts at all costs.
Support acts
Busted have brought some truly great support acts along with them this time, including 90s and 2000s US pop favourites, Hanson — remember them?
As well as the equally iconic trio, Manc pop band New Hope Club are playing the home crowd too. Go on the local lads!
Throwing together some of the era’s most iconic pop-rock together with another three-piece from the modern generation, you’re getting a proper value-for-money and for-all-ages show this Saturday.
Busted stage times for AO Arena night two
As for when you can expect to see each of these fantastic acts take the stage, doors will open from 6pm and New Hope Club will be getting things started at 7:30pm.
Finishing a quickfire set just a few minutes before Hanson, the American throwback best-known for ‘MMMBop’ with be playing from 8pm until 8:30pm — and you might even have a surprise in store. We’re saying nothing else…
Then, at 9pm, the main event gets underway with Busted set to play up until curfew around 11pm and we literally can’t wait.
20th Anniversary and Greatest Hits setlist
Thanks to the ever-reliable Setlist.fm (and the fact we already had multiple members of The Manc office go along to the first night), we even know what they’ll be playing:
- Air Hostess
- Meet You There
- Loser Kid
- You Said No
- Everything I Knew
- MMMBop (Hanson cover)
- Sleeping With the Light On
- Good One
- What I Go to School For
- Who’s David
- Falling for You
- Thunderbirds Are Go
- She Wants to Be Me
- 3am
- Crashed the Wedding
Encore
- Video (Brit Awards 2004)
- Teenage Kicks (The Undertones cover)
- Interlude
- Year 3000
All the hits — what more could you ask for? Oh yeah, and did we mention they’re number one!?
Read more:
It’s going to be another great night at the Arena, we just know it, no matter where you end up.
And, seriously, if you can afford it don’t sleep on the VIP experience — it’s worth every penny and perfect for a special occasion.
We recently went along to try ourselves for this year’s Davis Cup and it was a brilliant experience.
For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.
Featured Image — Busted/@chazzadnitt (via Instagram)
Audio
Celebrate the Manchester music scene with the return of Independent Venue Week
Danny Jones
The Greater Manchester music scene is one of the best in the world, no question about it, and what better way to champion our incredible city than with the return of Independent Venue Week?
Indie Venue Week 2025 kicks off on 27 January and it isn’t just a national observance, this celebration takes place over in the States too and is all about not only spotlighting both new, up-and-coming artists but also grassroots music spaces that help platform them.
The week-long music celebration concludes with one last hurrah on Sunday, 2 February, and we can’t think of anything we’d love more than to start the month on the right – by which we mean supporting local businesses and immersing ourselves in as much live music as possible.
We love it when our fellow audiophiles all band together (pun very much intended).
A total of 212 venues are taking part across the UK this year, from the tightly-packed 18-cap that is Grayston Unity in Halifax to the much fully-fledged live music halls like Troxy in East London and, of course, there are plenty of Manc rooms on the list too.
From Manchester’s newest intimate gig space, The Rat and Pigeon, to recently reinvigorated institutions such as New Century Hall and Night and Day Cafe, not to mention local small show favourites like The Castle Hotel and Gullivers, there’s some serious heritage to be soaked up.
Here’s what we’ve got on around these parts:
- The Rat & Pigeon – three-part gig series with Yasmin Coe, Martial Arts and Daffodils. (28-30th January)
- YES – post-punk band Do Nothing, alternative indie pop duo, Ten Fé, and US rapper E L U C I D. (27 and 31 Jan, 1 February)
- Gullivers – hosting Canadian singer-songwriter Julian Taylor. (30 Jan)
- Night & Day Cafe – four different gig nights including Opus Kink, The DSM IV, Willie Watson, All Now and more. (28 Jan-2 Feb)
- New Century Hall – shows by Lake St Drive, Kublai Khan and Cattle Decapitation. (28 and 31 Jan, 1 Feb)
- Rebellion – an all-day black metal festival with Barshasketh headlining. (1 Feb)
But it doesn’t stop there, with tonnes of other shows around the North West region as a whole. You can find a full list of nearby events taking place during the week down below.
Read more:
The best part about this week is that no matter if you’re based in the city centre or even just outside of Greater Manchester, there’s plenty of local talent to get stuck into.
It goes without saying that independent music venues are the lifeblood of the industry – don’t let anyone tell you any different – so supporting them not just during the week of Monday, 27 January and Sunday, 2 February but all year-round is paramount to keeping it alive and well.
You can find out more details and grab tickets for all the shows for Independent Venue Week HERE.
For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.
Featured Images — The Manc Group
Audio
Bright Eyes are heading back to Manchester on their new UK and European tour
Danny Jones
Beloved indie veterans Bright Eyes are coming back to Manchester for the first time in more than three years as part of a brand new UK and European tour.
Formed back in 1995, the Omaha outfit has remained a cult favourite among music lovers all over the world, exciting fans with their latest comeback after an 11-year hiatus in 2020.
However, the Nebraska band have struggled with touring issues ever since, having to postpone a raft of shows during Covid and even after the pandemic was over, they had to cancel the remainder of their 2024 shows back following frontman Conor Oberst’s persistent vocal issues.
Bright Eyes confirmed that the lead singer had “developed a condition that is exacerbated by excessive singing” back in September, but with their new album finally out Oberst and co. are crossing back over the Atlantic to pick up where they left off.
Releasing their fifth studio LP Five Dice All Threes towards the end of last year – their first new outing in half a decade – the long-standing group have already got back on the road in North America and are due to land in the UK this summer.
Kicking off a run of 16 continental dates at Rock City in Nottingham, Bright Eyes arrive in Manchester on Saturday, 21 June and are set to play the legendary Albert Hall – a venue singer-songwriter Oberst himself played as a solo act back in 2017.
The last Manc venue they played was the equally iconic O2 Apollo back in 2022 and while they might have been away for a hot minute, their die-hard fandom hasn’t gone anywhere.
As for the new self-produced record itself (recorded at Obert and Mike Mogis hometown studio), its been described as capturing an “uncommon intensity and tenderness, communal exorcism and personal excavation.”
Bascially, if you like the usual emotional introspection Bright Eyes deliver, this is more of it.
Read more:
Tickets for their Manchester gig go on sale this Friday, 24 January at 10am and we hope they bring all the ‘Bells and Whistles’.
You can get ready to grab your tickets HERE.
For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.
Featured Images — Press Images (supplied)/The Manc Group
