Now then Manchester – if you were on the ball buying Elton John tickets at first release way back in 2018, it’s the night you’ve been waiting almost five long years for.
And as Elton appears on stage and kicks off his first night at the AO Arena on Wednesday evening, the arena erupts into monumental cheers. Clearly, it’s been worth the wait.
It’s been more than half a century of touring for Elton, and after performing over 300 concerts worldwide in his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour, he’s now reached the final UK leg.
Everywhere you look inside the venue you’re surrounded by glitter-clad baseball jackets (true to Elton’s iconic LA Dodgers baseball uniform), flashing LED glasses and bright feather boas.
Tonight, Elton appears with a swoosh of the lights, perfectly perched at his piano, in true Elton style, with signature rhinestone glasses and bejewelled white tails. The grin on his face is enormous – as is ours.
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Bursting straight into ‘Bennie and the Jets’, you’re instantly blown away by the true showmanship and speed at which he can chase the piano chords, still as dexterous now at 76 years old as he was when his career launched in the 1970s.
Playing ‘Candle In The Wind’, we get a glimpse into what could have been his and Bernie Taupin’s inspiration for one of his biggest hits. With his opening line of “Goodbye Norma Jean” we get the beginning of a beautiful montage of the late Marilyn Monroe.
Perhaps Elton isn’t as physically nimble as he used to be, however, his wit and charm are still untouched by the years.
He slams his piano hood at the end of each song and orchestrates the applause.
Besides, you don’t need to bounce across the stage anymore when your grand piano glides you from left to right as the night goes on…
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Elton confesses his love for the city of Manchester, claiming that it always did have the best audiences – and has always remained the same.
This was his 24th show in Manchester, his first in 17 years, and his last ever opening night here.
Signing off in his signature Elton John tracksuit, he glides up into the stars on his showbiz stairlift for what will be his last appearance for so many of his fans.
What a retirement party it was.
Elton John will perform two more shows at the AO Arena Manchester this weekend – final tickets are on sale now with Ticketmaster.
Legendary pop duo Erasure announces huge Manchester arena gig on 2027 UK tour
Emily Sergeant
Legendary pop duo Erasure have announced a UK arena tour next spring, and they’re set to stop off in Manchester.
Andy Bell and Vince Clarke – better known by their duo name, Erasure – have announced details of their long-awaited upcoming 20th studio album today, titled Radio!! Radio!!, alongside details of an arena tour in spring 2027 across the UK and Europe.
Described as a ‘deeply personal’ project, the BRIT and Ivor Novello award-winning duo’s first new studio album in six years sees Bell and Clarke continue to refine and deepen the pop catalogue they’ve been building over the past 40 years.
The album will be comprised of a set of songs about love, loss, and injustice that they hope speaks to our ’empathy-starved times’.
Erasure will take to the road in 2027 for an arena tour that kicks off at Cardiff’s Utilita Arena on 25 April before travelling throughout the UK, including a stop in Manchester at the AO Arena on 1 May, before finishing off in London and heading over to Europe, with more dates to follow.
Vince Clarke will be Musical Director for the tour, but will not be appearing onstage alongside Andy Bell, it has been revealed.
Bell says: “I’m so pleased that we were able to find a way for the tour to work for Vince. He’s always too modest but he’s so much more than the Musical Director, Vince is one of the great loves of my life and everything we do as Erasure we decide together.”
Erasure will be performing at the AO Arena in Manchester on 1 May 2027, and tickets go on presale this Thursday 1 October at 10am, before general sale begins a day later (2 October) also at 10am.
Sir Rod Stewart announces Manchester gig on final ever tour
Daisy Jackson
Sir Rod Stewart has announced his final ever tour, with the legendary singer set to perform in Manchester along with some of Europe’s biggest arenas in 2027.
The ‘The Final Encore’ tour will mark the end of a live career spanning more than six decades, with Stewart kicking off the run in Dublin next spring before heading across the UK and Europe.
The music icon will be heading to the Co-op Live in May next year, with support from synth-pop pioneer Howard Jones.
Announcing the tour, Rod Stewart said: “The time has come to say farewell to life on the road. After more than six decades, The Final Encore will most definitely be my last.
“I’ve been singing the music I love since I was 19 years old, and I’ve had the privilege of taking it around the world to all of you. It has given me a life beyond anything I could ever have imagined, and I hope I’ve given you some fond memories in return.
“I hope you’ll join me so I can thank you the best way I know how… with the music and one hell of a show. See you there.”
The Final Encore is expected to feature many of Stewart’s biggest songs, including Maggie May, You Wear It Well, Tonight’s the Night, Hot Legs, Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?, Young Turks, Baby Jane, Forever Young, You’re in My Heart, Rhythm of My Heart, The First Cut Is the Deepest, Sailing and Have I Told You Lately.
Credit: Denise Truscello Credit: Jonathan Kammen 2007
Stewart has sold more than 250 million records and singles worldwide and has amassed 31 UK Top 10 singles, including six number ones. His career has also seen him inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame twice and named a Grammy Living Legend.
His touring career has been just as remarkable, with Stewart having performed for an estimated 20 million fans around the world.
That includes his famous Guinness World Record-setting performance on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, where an estimated 3.5 million people watched him perform, as well as a 13-year, 200-show residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace.
Now, after more than 60 years on stage, Stewart is preparing to bring the curtain down on his touring career.
General release tickets for Rod Stewart’s The Final Encore will go on sale from 10am on Friday 2 October, with a number of presales taking place in the days prior.
Rod Stewart will perform in Manchester one last time on Thursday 6 May 2027 – tickets will go on sale HERE.
The Manc -
1st June 2023 
