Richard Ashcroft has been confirmed as the first support act for Oasis – which should come as a surprise to no one.
Liam Gallagher has been heavily hinting for weeks that the former Verve frontman would be joining them on their massive tour next year.
And now both Oasis and Richard Ashcroft have confirmed that the fellow 1990s music legend will support their run of 2025 shows.
The news was announced with a nostalgic video
The Oasis reunion gigs are starting to feel very real now as new details get released – though if you were hoping to buy tickets, all shows are (obviously) very sold out.
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The Gallagher brothers will be getting back together for five hometown shows here in Manchester, taking over Heaton Park on 11, 12, 16, 19 and 20 July.
That’s alongside stadium shows in London, Cardiff, Edinburgh and Dublin.
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Richard Ashcroft has said that he’s ‘buzzing’ to be joining what he’s described as a ‘momentous tour’.
‘Buzzing’ Richard Ashcroft shared nostalgic photos with Oasis as he was confirmed as their support act. Credit: Instagram
Speaking of the chance to support Oasis for their reunion concerts, Richard Ashcroft wrote (and we have added some punctuation to help you translate): “Buzzing to announce my special guest slot on this momentous tour.
“We go back along way as you can see. Gonna be some big tunes being played.
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“Thanks to the brothers for getting me on board, time to make more history, love and peace RA.”
Oasis meanwhile said: “Just Announced. Richard Ashcroft will be joining as a special guest for all UK and Ireland Oasis Live ’25 shows.”
Over on X, one fan said: “Least surprising news ever. Really hope you give some new artists the chance aswell,” to which Liam Gallagher himself replied: “There all sh*t I’m afraid.”
On Instagram, someone commented on the announcement: “This post should be titled: another reason you should feel sad about not getting oasis tickets.”
Major DJ forced to pull out of Parklife festival on doctor’s orders
Thomas Melia
A well-known techno and trance DJ will no longer be playing at Parklife this weekend, he’s announced, with just one day to go until his major set.
Anyone heading to Heaton Park over the weekend for Manchester-based festival, Parklife, may notice the lineup looks a little different after one distinctive DJ has pulled out due to doctor’s orders.
Marlon Hoffstadt, who also goes by the moniker ‘DJ Daddy Trance’, was expected to play out on the Matinée stage on Saturday 20 June from 6.30pm – 8pm.
The Germany-based act was taking to the decks right before Manchester’s own Morgan Seatree, who has become recognised for his material which is an ode to house music and is likely to be one of the busiest sets of the weekend.
Hoffstadt had two gigs this weekend; the first being Parklife in Manchester and the second Fête de la Musique in Paris, both of which he has since pulled out of in a newly-published social media announcement.
The Berlin-born music maker has reluctantly called off these upcoming appearances and justified his decision by saying: “As much as I hate missing shows, I need to put my recovery first”.
To much dismay, Hoffstadt received doctor’s advice who deemed him ‘currently not fit to fly’ following surgery, urging him to rest and recover.
Marlon posted today: “I’m so sad to have to share this, but unfortunately I won’t be able to play Parklife in Manchester and Fête de la Musique in Paris this weekend.
“I recently had a surgery and, following my doctor’s advice, I’m currently not fit to fly and need rest and recover.
“I know many of you made plans and were looking forward to it, and I’m so sorry to let you down.
“As much as I hate missing shows, I need to put my recovery first so I can get back to doing what I love as soon as possible.”
As much as the presence of this world-class performer will be missed, there’s still plenty of notable names set to make their mark on Parklife including Zara Larsson, Calvin Harris, Skepta and more.
The outdoor big music weekender has established itself as a rave haven with mainly dance artists and DJs making up its lineup through a variety of curated b2b sets and live performances.
If you’re after immersing yourself in some jungle music, Bradford-native Nia Archives will have you transfixed over at The Valley with her jungle-heavy tunes from 6.30pm – 7.30pm or there’s three more stages to take your pick from.
We’re sure that anyone eager to see the ‘Hands Up In The Sky’ producer live may be frustrated by this brand-new social media announcement however as Hoffstadt mentions it’s so he can “Get back to doing what I love as soon as possible”.
Lily Allen at AO Arena, Manchester – tickets, times, setlist and more for West End Girl UK tour
Lydia Mastrolonardo
The ‘Nonmonogamummy’ herself, Lily Allen, is visiting AO Arena in Manchester for her theatrical and unforgettable West End Girl UK tour.
After releasing one of 2025’s biggest albums West End Girl, a run of intimate gig dates up and down the country were announced including right here at Aviva Studios in Manchester in March.
The demand for this British pop star to add more dates was inevitable and that’s exactly what Allen did, as she now kicks off an arena tour across the UK.
Once wasn’t ‘Just Enough’, and we’ve been blessed with not one, but two nights of Lily Allen at the AO Arena in Manchester, on Friday 19 June and Saturday 20 June – lucky us.
Although the ‘Smile’ singer refrains from playing some of her older smash hits, this gig is still remarkable, with the Hammersmith-born singer performs the previously mentioned tongue-in-cheek LP in full.
Meet us at the ‘Pussy Palace’ (aka the AO Arena) for an evening of messy lyrics and quality vocals, fulfilling all of our nosey desires, she even provides text receipts for us to read.
Expect to feel like you’re having your friend relay the truth about their toxic relationship post-break up and then celebrating them finally leaving that loser – Lily just gets us.
Gig Guide | Lily Allen at AO Arena, Manchester
Lily Allen returns to Manchester for two gigs at AO Arena. Credit: Henry Redcliffe
Lily Allen UK tour dates
16 June – Newcastle Utilita Arena
17 June – Glasgow OVO Hydro
19 June – Manchester AO Arena
20 June– Manchester AO Arena
21 June – Leeds First Direct Bank Arena
23 June – Nottingham Motorpoint Arena
24 June – Cardiff Utilita Arena
26 June – Birmingham BP Pulse Live
27 June – London The O2
30 June – Dublin 3Arena
Are there tickets left for Lily Allen at AO Arena?
Yes and it’d be a real ‘Shame For You’ to miss out on this one.
Lily’s gone for a rather novel support act on her West End Girl tour, which is proving to be quite a laugh at arenas so far.
She’s pulled in Dallas Minor Trio to warm up the crowds, a trio of cellists who perform a setlist of Lily Allen’s biggest hits from through the years.
And if that’s not enough, they put the lyrics on screen too, so it’s like a true karaoke moment.
Lily Allen setlist for 2026 tour
The show ‘Lily Allen Performs West End Girl‘ will see the singer/songwriter play her brand-new album in its entirety, in the order the songs appear on the record:
West End Girl
Ruminating
Sleepwalking
Tennis
Madeline
Relapse
Pussy Palace
4chan Stan
Nonmonogamummy
Just Enough
Dallas Major
Beg For Me
Let You W/In
Fruityloop
Stage times for Lily Allen at AO Arena, Manchester
Lily Allen has announced a gig at the AO Arena in Manchester. Credit: Charlie Denis
These are the only times that are confirmed, but it’s expected that Lily Allen will be on stage around 9pm:
Doors open 6pm
Starts 7.50pm
Getting to AO Arena
Tram
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
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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.
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.
Daisy Jackson -
22nd October 2024 
