UK pop-rock legends Deacon Blue have just announced a new album and UK tour, including a massive date here in Manchester.
The Scottish superstars and long-standing British band are back with their 11th studio album and have confirmed a slew of domestic tour dates along with the announcement.
Having been going since 1985, they are well and truly some of the most revered recording veterans to ever come out of the country, known for hit tracks like ‘Real Gone Kid’, ‘Dignity’, ‘Loaded’ and more.
Revealing a total of 20 dates across various arenas and theatres, Deacon Blue will be kicking things off their tour in their home country before sweeping across the rest of the nation.
But that’s not all… We will also be heading out not one, but two tours! In March 2025, we kick things off with an exclusive run of 5 theatre shows around the album release. pic.twitter.com/usNU0Cb5Dn
In addition to the new LP, The Great Western Road, Deacon Blue have plenty to celebrate next year as 2025 also marks the band’s 40th anniversary.
Speaking on the new album, founding members Ricky Ross and Dougie Vipond say it reflects on their journey as a group, as well as their lengthy career in the industry in this new album, as well the band’s shared age and experience after four decades making music on taking it on the road.
Commenting on the announcement, lead singer Ricky Ross said: “It’s just the next part of the adventure and it’s as exciting now as it was back then.”
“I love the idea that a circus coming to town is a temporary existence, a little bit of magic suddenly appears in the middle of a town or a village and then it goes away. It’s very similar to what you do live.
Perhaps most excitingly besides the upcoming album itself, one of the coolest things about this new tour is that it’s not going to be your average old headline gig: they’ve promised two different shows.
Explaining that they’ll be “curating a show that changes and evolves, pulling out little surprises every now and again”, the theatre shows will also be distinct from the bigger arena shows, allowing them to flick between the new music and the hits.
They’ve said they want to give fans “the best night of their lives” and make each show just as brilliant as the last – big words indeed.
“The live experience is so ephemeral, at the end of a show people lose all their inhibitions, and then it’s over. You have to be there. That’s what’s magical about it”, says Ross.
As for The Great Western Road – a tribute to Glasgow’s legendary street of the same name located between the city centre and its West End – the album drops on 21 March 2025, with Deacon Blue arriving in Manchester a few months later.
Deacon Blue will be coming to the AO Arena in Manchester city centre on 1 October 2025 and general admission goes live at 9am this Friday, 29 November.
Three mobile customers can also get exclusive presale access on Wednesday, 27 November from 10am.
Honorary Manc Ariana Grande announces huge world tour – but skips Manchester
Daisy Jackson
Ariana Grande has announced details of a huge world tour, but the honorary Mancunian will be skipping Manchester again.
The 32-year-old, Grammy Award-winning star has instead booked five nights at The O2 in London for her only UK stop on the tour.
Ariana Grande was made an honorary Mancunian back in 2017, in recognition of her work following the Manchester Arena terror attack.
She is the first person to have ever received this honour.
Since the atrocity in the city, which took the lives of 22 people, Ariana has only performed here twice more – once at the One Love concert she organised as a fundraiser for the victims and their families, and once as a headliner of Manchester Pride.
It’s been six years since her last tour, but Ariana Grande is now back, sharing details of her hotly-anticipated The Eternal Sunshine Tour next summer.
As well as her five-night residency in London, she’ll play four nights in LA and Brooklyn, as well as cities right across North America.
Ariana Grande has announced The Eternal Sunshine Tour
Her London dates will be her only European shows on The Eternal Sunshine Tour.
Eternal Sunshine was released in 2024 and was her seventh studio album, spawning singles ‘Yes, And?’, ‘We Can’t Be Friends’, and ‘The Boy Is Mine’.
Ariana Grande is now also an Academy Award and Golden Globe-nominated actress thanks to her starring role in Wicked as Glinda the Good Witch.
Tickets for her tour will go on sale from Tuesday 16 September with an artist presale as well as an O2 Priority Presale. Remaining tickets will be available during the general ons-ale beginning Thursday 18 September at 10am.
Ariana Grande – The Eternal Sunshine Tour Dates 2026
A rising Manc musician is supporting a global popstar on tour in America
Danny Jones
Up-and-coming Greater Manchester musician Elliot James Reay, from just down the road in Bury, has just joined fellow rising solo artist and already established US superstar Benson Boone on his upcoming American tour.
Yes, a lad from Bury is opening for the bloke who belts out that ‘Beautiful Things’ tune that’s been stuck near the top of the charts for what feels like the last year.
Fittingly joining Boone for the US leg of his American Heart tour supporting his sophomore album of the same name, 23-year-old Elliot James Reay has already played a trio of shows warming up the crowds ahead of the headliner and is quickly gaining new fans across the pond.
Especially since his music harkens back to some of their most famous music icons of all time.
The youngster is still having to pinch himself at the mere notion of being on the road with such a big name so early in his career, posting on social media this week, “How do I explain this one to my friends back in Bury?
“A dream come true to be opening for Benson Boone in St Paul last night, I’m eternally grateful for the opportunity to sing to you all and thank you for all the love you gave me!”
Roy Orbison-obsessed Raey – who also takes plenty of look and feel from the likes of Elvis and Billy Fury, among other old school, soulful American singers – has gone from releasing covers on YouTube to dropping his first-ever EP back in June and now playing full Stateside stadiums.
What a whirlwind journey it’s been for the local lad already.
The Manc songwriter and guitarist featured as one of our artists of the month last December, and we’re glad to see he’s only gone from strength to strength.
It’s fair to say that he’s matured a lot in the time since then, let alone the last 12 months or so, and booking a slot as a support act for as big as Benson Boone is right now is nothing short of huge.
We said late last year, and we’ll say it again: we see a bright future ahead for this talented young Macunian, and we wish him all the best for the dozen or so remaining US tour dates.
If you haven’t listened to his stuff before, you can get a little taste with his latest single HERE.
Or, if you want to take our advice, why not watch a great music video filmed around some very familiar city centre sites down below?
He’s certainly got his own style, even if it his heavily inspired by some of the greats.
Danny Jones -
26th November 2024 
