Beloved Manchester gig venue Gorilla has issued an update about the upcoming The 1975 gig.
The hugely popular band announced the intimate gig last month, with all proceeds going straight to War Child UK.
But frontman Matty Healy announced the gig way before tickets or other behind-the-scenes processes had taken place, leaving Gorilla batting away hundreds of thirsty fans trying to secure their place in the venue and even creating their own memes about it.
Getting tickets when they do eventually go on sale will be tricky – Gorilla has capacity for about 550 people, and The 1975 have sold out two nights at the 20,000-capacity O2 Arena (plus a night here at the AO Arena) on their upcoming UK tour, so demand will be through the roof.
People have even been offering the venue bribes for tickets, in the form of meal deals, homemade banana bread, and a cardboard cut-out of Matty Healy, as well as ‘48p and a Wispa‘ from Cadbury superfan @softest_yellow.
The 1975. Credit: Samuel Bradley
This week, Gorilla has finally been able to give eager fans the update and a breadcrumb of ticket information they’ve been gagging for.
The venue posted: “‘That’ gig is getting announced one day next week! So keep your eyes peeled, take some deep breaths & sign up to our newsletter. (That’s where we are going to be announcing it first, you’ll get an email on the day).”
N E X T W E E K 👀
‘That’ gig is getting announced one day next week!
So keep your eyes peeled, take some deep breaths & sign up to our newsletter. (That’s where we are going to be announcing it first, you’ll get an email on the day)https://t.co/09WyPPNbtDpic.twitter.com/1ON8wShgSQ
They then joked: “Ps // we are no longer accepting bribes x”
You can sign up to Gorilla’s newsletter here, which is where on-sale information will be announced first. They’ve confirmed that ticket sales will be entirely online.
Gorilla has previously had to warn fans about a ticket scam that appeared to start up way before the official on-sale begins, with people flogging fake tickets for The 1975’s charity gig.
They wrote: “TICKET WARNING. We are aware of people trying their luck and promoting tickets for sale for The 1975. This is false information. No tickets of any kind have been released. Do not buy tickets from anywhere for any show unless advertised directly by us. Stay safe X”
Gorilla had also previously posted, while being bombarded by hundreds of people on Twitter: “My god you lot are EXCITED and we love it!
We are still waiting to hear on when tickets will become available. As soon as we get the intel, you’ll be the first to know. Thank you for being so patient, we totally get how exciting/stressful this is.
“(It is kinda funny teasing you all though won’t lie. We are usually very organised, this is all Matty’s fault. Hehehehe).”
Featured image: Twitter, @thisisgorilla
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Drake postpones massive Manchester gig set to take place at Co-op Live
Daisy Jackson
Drake has postponed one of his scheduled shows at the huge Co-op Live Arena in Manchester.
The rapper has already performed two nights at the venue and was set to return on Monday for a third concert.
But with just 24 hours to go, organisers have announced that the show has been postponed due to ‘unforeseen logistics’.
Ticket-holders were notified of the cancellation via email from Ticketmaster.
A statement said: “Due to unforeseen ferry schedule and travel logistics, tomorrow’s performance in Manchester on July 28th has been rescheduled.
“The good news is that Drake will now perform in Manchester on Tuesday, August 5th, and it’s set to be an unforgettable night.
“All tickets remain valid for the new date – we can’t wait to see you there!”
Cheers Drake, cancelling Manchester show the day before, and rescheduling for the day I go on holiday 🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲 pic.twitter.com/0D7pJjlLGd
The Canadian hitmaker has just come off the back of three very impressive nights at one of the biggest music events of the year, Wireless Festival, and is now embarking on a tour of the UK and Europe.
Drake has solidified his position in the rap field, dropping bangers from 2006 and since then, he’s gone on to have some of the most streamed tracks of all time with ‘One Dance’ and ‘God’s Plan’.
The postponed Drake concert will take place at the Co-op Live in Manchester on Tuesday 5 August.
US rising star Reneé Rapp announces huge Manchester arena gig as part of European tour
Emily Sergeant
Reneé Rapp has just announced a European leg to her upcoming tour, and she’ll be stopping off in Manchester for a huge arena gig.
In just a few short years, Reneé Rapp has become a star… and her star is only rising higher.
At just 25-years-old, the critically-acclaimed musical theatre and TV actress has pivoted to become an undeniable pop sensation and film star – and an iconic figure in interviews too… which isn’t a job, but it should be – after landing her breakout role as Regina George in the Mean Girls musical on Broadway back in 2019.
Even though she chose to reprise her role as Regina George in the 2024 movie adaptation of the Mean Girls musical, since 2022, Rapp has largely turned her attention to her solo music career.
Reneé Rapp will be performing at Manchester’s AO Arena next March / Credit: Supplied
2022 saw Rapp release her debut EP, Everything to Everyone, before she then went on the channel her raw talent and authentic voice even further, and release her first full-length studio album Snow Angel in 2023.
Both 2024 and 2025 have been big musical years for Rapp too – so much so that she has now amassed more than 1.4 billion streams and counting across her entire discography.
An already-successful 2025 is about to become even more successful, as Rapp’s second album, Bite Me, is expected to be released on 1 August, and she’s also heading out on a highly anticipated US tour from late September through to late October.
Following on from her US tour, Rapp has today announced that she’ll be heading across the pond to Europe in the new year, and will be making her way over to Manchester to take to the iconic AO Arena stage in March 2026.
Amsterdam, Berlin, and Paris are just some of the other cities Rapp will be visiting before Manchester, ahead of closing out the tour at London’s Wembley Arena.
Reneé Rapp will be playing a huge gig at the AO Arena in Manchester on Wednesday 18 March 2026 as part of the ‘Bite Me Tour’, and tickets officially go on sale next week – with both pre-sales and general sale available.
The Three+ presale will begin on Wednesday 30 July at 10am, and the AO Arena presale will start on Thursday 31 July, again at 10am, before general sale launches on Friday 1 August at 10am.
Daisy Jackson -
6th January 2023 
