Everyone and their nan has been trying to get tickets to see Coldplay across one of their twelve UK dates next summer.
The nine-time BRIT award winners have continued to see immense success ever since their debut album in the millennium.
Their most recent achievement is one many artists can only dream of: selling out Wembley Stadium for a whopping 10 whole dates across August and September next year.
Unfortunately, fans of the world-renowned band have been left frustrated after tickets to the upcoming events followed the same fate of Taylor Swift and Oasis.
Coldplay announced their tour this month.Crowds are always special at Coldplay gigs.Credit: Stevie Rae Gibbs/Supplied
Coldplay seem to be skipping over Manchester this time round, they’re playing two nights at Craven Park in Hull and ten almost back-to-back dates at Wembley Stadium in London.
But ear not, us Mancs act fast – here is a rundown of plenty of Coldplay-inspired events happening soon to get your ‘Viva La Vida’ fix.
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Coldplay-inspired events this year
The Music of Coldplay By Candlelight – The Monastery, Openshaw
The first event eases you into the hits of one of the best-selling music acts of all time. Instead of the usual guitars and drums that are heard in their most famous songs, an orchestra takes the lead.
Originally there was one date available on Friday, 15 November but due to the event selling out unexpectedly, an additional concert has been added on Friday 25 October which still has tickets left.
Prices start at £30 for Band B, £35 for Band A, £40 for Premium and £45 for VIP tickets. Access tickets are also £30 with a free companion too with proof of ID. You can grab tickets HERE.
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There are Coldplay tribute acts galore, as it turns out. (Credit: Facebook)
Ultimate Coldplay – Manchester Academy, City Centre
Is that Chris Martin? No, it’s Ultimate Coldplay, who have an uncanny lookalike taking on the role of the famous frontman and live band.
For £18.15 you and over 2,000 fans can be transported through Coldplay’s musical timeline as this tribute act makes your night one to remember, at a fraction of the price.
Playing at Manchester Academy on Saturday 7 December, doors will open from 7:15pm and there’s a curfew of 11pm meaning attendees can get home in time to ‘dream of para-para paradise’. Tickets HERE.
Coldplay-inspired events in 2025
A Head Full Of Coldplay – The Witchwood, Ashton-under-Lyne
The UK’s self-proclaimed ‘number one Coldplay tribute act’ are setting their sites on one of Manchester’s many boroughs, choosing Ashton-under-Lyne to show off their talents.
On Saturday 1 March, audiences are treated to ‘A Sky Full of Stars’ when they leave the venue as this event doesn’t finish until the early hours, with a curfew of 1am.
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They double down on the statement before saying they’re ‘The number one Coldplay tribute act in the world – fact’, so if you fancy hearing them live catch them while you can. Sort your tickets for the tribute night HERE.
Whether this is your closest stop on the tribute acts tour or you’ll be following them all around the North-West, these boys are making sure everyone gets a chance to have an ‘Adventure of a Lifetime’.
This time Ultimate Coldplay are painting the town ‘Yellow’ as they travel across Manchester, reaching The Met in Bury on Saturday 29 March.
Tickets are categorised by two prices, £24 for seats and £22 if you’re up for standing with the other 400 people in this more intimate and up-close performance space.
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Ultimate Coldplay – Irlam Live 2025, Manchester
If you haven’t had enough of these cheeky chaps yet, they’re back but this time at a festival with a wide range of other tribute acts.
‘Harry Styled’, ‘Bootleg Blondie’ and ‘VengaLive’ are just a few of the acts listed on the lineup for the Manchester festival which is taking place at the start of summer next year.
With this being a festival ticket prices are dependent on how long you’re planning on attending. ‘Ultimate Coldplay’ and the acts listed above are all gracing the stage on Friday 30 May.
Major international girl group tipped for reunion tour after teasers at big UK arenas
Danny Jones
A major international girl band appear to be gearing up for a big reunion tour following a number of teasers popping up at some of the largest arenas around the country – including here in Manchester.
In case you haven’t already guessed it from the thumbnail, we’ll give you another hint: there used to be six of them, though it remains to be seen how many will be returning…
Yes, the once-huge all-female pop group, The Pussycat Dolls, looks set to reunite once again, though the full lineup and exact nature of the shows are yet to be fully verified.
They were a big chart-topping act throughout the noughties, and some of the famous faces are still doing bits in around showbiz today; they’ve been away for a long time, but Co-op Live and more have just fans getting ready to “loosen up their buttons”.
Sharing the big digital advert splashed at the top of the venue on Wednesday, 11 March, Co-op couldn’t have made it any easier for fans to guess.
Choosing one of the most obvious lyrics turned puns and asking Mancs, “Don’t Cha Wish you knew who we’re announcing tomorrow (Thurs, 12 Mar)”, it didn’t take any time at all for people to figure it out.
With the comments across social media platforms now filled with people sharing gifs of their old performances and dance routines, or simply sharing their general excitement, the hype train is already well and truly on the way.
The O2 in London also appear to be readying their announcement, though Co-op Live will have the luxury of being the biggest venue on the list at a capacity of 23,500.
And then, as if things weren’t already blatant enough, the Pussycat Dolls’ official page has also shared a short clip ahead of the inevitable reveal featuring the words, “PCD Forever”, along with pointing them towards a website listed under the same name.
Now, the last time they performed was not long before the pandemic, with most of the original lineup performing on The X Factor, releasing their first new song in over a decade, ‘React’, which was supposed to signal the start of a reunion.
However, the planned comeback tour was ultimately cancelled in January 2022, and we hadn’t heard much else since – until now. Fans are crossing fingers that they get at least a trio of Nicole Sherzinger, Ashley Roberts, Carmit Bachar, Kimberly Wyatt, and Jessica Sutta, but we’ll find out very soon.
They’re not the only big female artist set for a big Manc date this year – and, fortunately, this one’s already been confirmed.
Gig Review | The ‘West End Girl’ heads up North – Lily Allen at Aviva Studios in Manchester
Lonnie Bowes
Last night at Aviva Studios, the home of Factory International, Lily Allen performed the first of two intimate theatre shows in Manchester – here’s our review…
As part of her ‘West End Girl Tour’, Allen is performing in more considered spaces up and down the country alongside the bigger sold-out venues you might normally expect.
It’s a refreshing change of pace. Seeing a pop star slow things down and lean fully into theatre, something that perfectly aligns with the drama that’s surrounded her in recent years.
Supporting the show was a special ‘Dallas Minor Trio’: an orchestral string group that elegantly warmed up the crowd, taking on instrumental Allen classics, including ‘F**K You’ and ‘LDN’ to set the tone nicely, with a screen behind them as the patient Manchester crowd settled in and enjoyed an early singalong.
When the lights dimmed, Allen emerged through the curtains and opened with the tour’s namesake, ‘West End Girl’. From the moment she stepped onto the stage, she asserted herself firmly in the space – a set designed to resemble her own small apartment.
This is when the real show began. As Allen moved through the performance, the set behind her transformed from song to song, adding to the theatrical feel of the evening.
During ‘Madeline’, she appeared armed with a feather duster, fully committing to the domestic setting, while for ‘Relapse’, she dramatically spills the contents of her handbag across Factory International‘s adjustable floor.
Anyone who has listened to Allen’s recent material will know she’s been keeping all the receipts on her ex (can’t remember his name).
Credit: Henry Redcliffe (supplied via Factory International)
Elsewhere in the set, Allen delivered standout performances of ‘Pussy Palace’, ‘Nonmonogamummy’ and ‘Beg for Me’, songs that leaned fully into the confessional tone of the evening.
Each track landed with a mix of sharp humour and raw honesty, with Allen balancing moments of biting lyricism with the kind of self-aware storytelling that has long defined her songwriting.
By the end of the night, the performance felt less like a traditional pop concert and more like a piece of confessional theatre.
In the intimate surroundings of the Aviva Studios space, Lily Allen proved that sometimes scaling things down can make a story feel much bigger – and that her ability to turn personal chaos into compelling performance remains as sharp as ever.
Thomas Melia -
6th October 2024 
