Nearly 50 years later and heavy metal legends Iron Maiden are still going strong and despite having only just finished playing a whopping run of 139 gigs back in October, they’re at it again with another world tour and arrive in Manchester on Friday, 30 June.
The legendary Leyton rock band formed all the way back in 1975 might have tweaked their lineup over the years but they’re still one of the biggest musical names on the planet and their current ‘The Future Past Tour‘ has been a sellout across the globe.
Kicking the latest shows off in Arena Stožice, Slovenia this past May, the Irons have now made their way back to Britain and the AO Arena, specifically, and it’s set to be one spectacular show.
With their classic shredding guitars, explosive pyros and Bruce Dickinson still on vocals, you can expect a night of music you’ll never forget. For those of you going along, here’s everything you need to know about Iron Maiden’s return to Manchester‘s AO Arena.
If you we’re hoping to get tickets for Iron Maiden at the AO Arena on Friday, then we’ve got some bad news: you never stood a chance of getting these bad boys.
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Given that not they are not only one of the most iconic bands of all time but this will be their first Manchester show since 2018 (yes, it’s been that long), they were always going to sell out fast and we’re afraid to say that even the most luxurious VIP packages aren’t available for this one.
There’s always next time.
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Of course, you can obviously keep your eyes out for spares going on trusted resellers like TicketSwap and Twickets but, as always we advise caution and avoid ticket touts at all costs — there’s no point in getting stung for a large sum and still potentially not getting in.
Credit: Iron Maiden (via Instagram)
Supports
Now, as for those chosen to help warm the crowd up ahead of the mighty Maiden — not that they’ll even need it — that responsibility falls on a single support acts in German rock band, Lord of the Lost.
Trusted with playing a pretty decent set, the Hamburg-based gothic and industrial metal outfit ar ealso playing their first Manchester gig since 2018 when they played The Ruby Lounge, may she rest in peace.
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Fronted and formed by singer Chris ‘Lord’ Harms back in 2007, their sound is the perfect accompaniment for a band like Iron Maiden and have a die-hard following of their own, with the five-piece also set to play Manchester Academy 3 late this year.
We expect they’ll carry over a fair few converts from Friday night’s gig come their return to 0161 on 29 September.
So, what time is all kicking off? Well, according to the information on Ticketmaster and AO’s website, doors are set to open around 6pm with opening act Lord of the Lost starting at 7.30pm.
Given they are the only support, you can hopefully expect a set of anywhere between 30 mins to a full hour. There’ll obviously be an interval before the main event and with that in mind, you should see the headliners step out on stage at 9pm.
AO Arena usually has a curfew of around 11pm as well, we imagine Iron Maiden will be beating you over the head with two hours of non-stop bangers, which still leaves you plenty of time to heard over to the after-party at Rebellion.
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Sounds like a dream Friday night, to be honest.
The Future Past Tour setlist
Now, last but not least we have our predicted setlist and while we can go off the previous tracks played thus far, bands can always switch things up on the night, so take this with a pinch of salt.
Nevertheless, Iron Maiden have stuck to a fairly rigid 15-song format since the start of the tour in Slovenia and as well as the obvious classics, we think we have a rough idea of what you can expect.
BRIT Awards 2026 nominations and first performer announced live in Manchester
Daisy Jackson
The full list of nominations for the BRIT Awards 2026 have been announced today live from Manchester, as the landmark music awards ceremony moves up north for the first time in its 30-year history.
With just weeks to go until the Co-op Live arena hosts one of the biggest nights in music, all eyes are firmly on Manchester.
And now, thanks to a live broadcast from the venue this afternoon, we know exactly who’s up for an award – and have our first live performer confirmed too.
Olivia Dean is set to perform live at the BRIT Awards when they take place in Manchester on Saturday 28 February.
She’s out in front as one of the most-nominated artists too, with five nominations including MasterCard Album of the Year, Song of the Year (for Man I Need), and Artist of the Year.
Also coming out on top with five nominations is Lola Young, marking a key moment for the next generation of British talent.
With four nominations, there’s Sam Fender, following on from his Mercury Prize win.
And with three nominations apiece is Lily Allen, Wolf Alice, Dave, Fred Again, and Jim Legxacy.
Representing as one of the north’s greatest bands are Sheffield’s Pulp, who have their first BRIT Awards nomination in 30 years.
Other artists to be recognised include Jade, Chapel Roan, Taylor Swift, Sabrina Carpenter, Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars, Little Simz, Skye Newman, Sombr, Wet Leg, and loads more.
The live-streamed announcement has been hosted by Charley Marlowe and Sarah Storey, with artists nominated across 15 categories revealed today at Co-op Live, and viewers given a glimpse inside the new home of the BRIT Awards.
There was also a performance from this year’s Critics Choice winner, Jacob Alon.
The actual awards will take place on 28 February, hosted by Jack Whitehall, with an amazing new trophy designed by Manchester-born designer Matthew Williamson.
The BRIT Awards 2026 nominations have been revealed in Manchester
Some winners will be determined by public vote, including Song of the Year with Mastercard, and International Song of the Year – voting is open on the BRITs WhatsApp channel and socials from Friday 30 January until Friday 13 February.
Stacey Tang, Chair of the 2026 BRIT Awards Committee and Co-President of RCA Records at Sony Music UK said: “The breadth of artists nominated reflects a thriving year in music and reaffirms that British artists continue to capture imaginations across the globe. I think this list is a powerful demonstration of how vibrant and varied music is right now, with artists across different genres and generations reflecting music that is both commercially successful and has lasting cultural impact.
“At its core, the BRIT Awards exists to celebrate creativity, and these nominations set the stage for an exciting and memorable night.”
BPI Chief Executive, Dr Jo Twist OBE, said: “It’s fantastic to see British talent doing so well across the board, especially a next generation of brilliant artists who have broken through with such impact on the global stage in the past 12 months led by Olivia Dean, Lola Young, Sam Fender, PinkPantheress, Skye Newman, among others – our congratulations to all The BRITs nominees and their labels.
“The BRIT Awards with Mastercard in Manchester will provide a compelling moment for them all to shine brightly and to spotlight the diverse breadth of talent drawn across the UK and internationally.”
Manc rock band left ‘broke as f***’ despite just finishing EU arena tour as industry concerns grow
Danny Jones
Manchester musicians Witch Fever have revealed that they are now almost completely “broke” despite having just finished touring with a major rock band on a lengthy arena run across Europe, as concerns continue to grow around shows in the EU.
Post-Brexit, it has become increasingly more difficult for UK bands not only to make money playing around the mainland but to even book support slots in the first place.
From more stringent visa requirements that limit the amount of time they can perform on the road, as well as other essential work permits, to tax, transport and wider logistics, almost every aspect of the live music landscape has become more complicated on the continent.
Unfortunately, ‘Doom-punk’ outfit Witch Fever is one of countless groups being affected by these issues; opening up on a recent podcast appearance, they said that this is simply “what the music industry is like at the moment.”
As you can see, speaking in the most recent episode of the 101 Part Time Jobs with Giles Bidder – a fellow artist as well as pod and radio host – two members of the local outfit put it as plainly as they could: “we’re broke as f***”.
Breaking things down into as basic terms as possible, bassist Alex Thompson said that while the “fees are [already] low, the costs are getting higher and higher” relative to what they can afford.
Thompson went on to admit that she is now relying on the remainder of her late mother’s pension to get by and that no one in the band can even get a steady enough job right now because they’re heading back out on tour again this March.
As explained by lead singer Amy Walpole, the band has only just finished supporting Danish veterans Volbeat, but any potential ‘profit’ from the two-months’ worth of shows is currently “stuck in withholding taxes across Europe” – a common problem for most British artists trying to play overseas right now.
Surprisingly, they even received a little bit of backlash on social media since the interview (which you can watch in full HERE) went live.
This just in, JK Rowling super fan celebrating us struggling coz the music industry is impossible rn because *checks notes* it’s karma for disagreeing with JKs views lol
It wasn’t long ago that the Witch Fever gang booked a big hometown gig here in the city centre, either, as their warm-up shows for Volbeat also involved a trip to the AO Arena back in November.
We’ve seen them live a couple of times now, and if those shows were anything to go by, we really think you should go see them on their upcoming tour.
As it happens, we put them on our artists of the month round-up in January 2024, and they’ve only got bigger since then; it’s more important than ever that we support rising bands and grassroots venues on our doorstep when we can.
If you’re interested, you can grab your tickets now. Even if not, in the meantime, you can see what we had to say about them and four other fantastic Greater-Manchester-based bands down below.
Danny Jones -
30th June 2023 
