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James Morrison is BACK with new music and coming to a beautiful Manchester venue

He's releasing new material for the first time in more than half a decade.

Danny Jones Danny Jones - 29th May 2025

Noughties favourite James Morrison is back with his first new album in six years and is putting on a small handful of special shows in a select few cities to celebrate, with Manchester being one of them, and tickets are going on sale next week.

With five records to his name over the course of a career spanning more than 20 years, it may have been a while since we’ve heard his instantly recognisable and raspy vocals, but he’s making his return later this year with his sixth studio LP and this limited run of live performances.

The Rugby-born singer-songwriter, acoustic guitarist and one-time regular in the pop charts enjoyed a successful period in the 2000s, even collaborating with the likes of Nelly Furtado, Demi Lovato, Olly Murs, Kelly Clarkson and more.

Having just announced his latest project, Fight Another Day, which is scheduled for release this autumn, we’re looking forward to seeing him not just back on stage but at a truly beloved and beautiful Manc music space.

Morrison, now 40, said of his latest music: “When I leaned into how I was feeling, that’s when the songs started coming. I started writing about what I was going through. My own struggles with myself. Every day being a bit of a battle. Trying to eke the light out after what felt like darkness for ages.

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“I’m really proud of the album in terms of the creative, sonic elements and how I dealt with truthful stuff. But also it’s an album of songs that hopefully make you feel better and make you nod your head and stamp your feet and singalong.”

“It just sums up what the record is. It’s about reminding yourself what’s good. About convincing yourself you’ve got enough strength to keep the fight going”, he went on to add.

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Having helped co-produce the entire thing with the likes of two-time Ivor Novello winner, Eg White; Daniel Merriweather, Connor Reeves and Andy Platt (Young Gun Silver Fox), fingers crossed it’s everything fans are hoping for.

As for the gig venue itself, the ‘Broken Strings’ and ‘You Give Me Something’ singer will be coming to Manchester’s grand Bridgewater Hall in September.

bridgewater hall manchester
bridgewater hall concerts
A historic and truly iconic place. (Credit: The Manc Group)

With just three other shows confirmed – Birmingham, Symphony Hall on 23 September, Glasgow, SEC Armadillo (24 Sep) and a night at the London Paladium (28 Sep) – Manchester can count itself lucky to have been chosen for these intimate evenings.

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As for the album itself, Fight Another Day is due to drop on 3 October and is available for pre-save/pre-order right now; those who do so will gain access to the pre-sale window, which opens at will open at 10am next Wednesday, 4 June.

General admission to see James Morrison in Manchester city centre goes live at the same time on the following Friday (6 June); you can get ready to grab your tickets HERE.

Meanwhile, for those unaware of the venue itself, find out more down below.

@the.manc The Bridgewater Hall is one of Manchester’s most intriguing music venues, balancing on more than 300 isolation bearings to allow in next-to-no external vibrations. Did you know about this engineering marvel? @bridgewaterhall @BBC Sounds #themanc #manchester #bridgewaterhall #mcr ♬ Nutcracker: Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairly(845241) – ogsogs

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Featured Images — Stian Schløsser Møller (via WikiCommons)/Tom Oxley (supplied)/Audio North

Audio

Pete Tong’s Ibiza Classics is returning to Manchester next year

Clementine Hall Clementine Hall

Iconic DJ and radio presenter Pete Tong MBE is making his way back to Manchester with a whole host of guests ready to help you dance the night away.

Known for his live radio shows such as the ‘Essential Mix’ on BBC Radio 1, Tong is bringing back his widely successful Ibiza Classics club night to Manchester with an equally impressive roster of guests.

The ‘Ibiza Classics’ concept originated and debuted back in 2015 with Tong and co. taking on Royal Albert Hall as part of BBC Radio 1’s Proms schedule, paying homage to the island’s infectious anthems.

Since then, the English DJ has built a music event bigger than he could have ever imagined, and after a milestone year marking the 10th anniversary of the acclaimed Ibiza Classics show, Pete Tong has announced a brand-new run of UK arena dates for 2026.

Some of Tong’s notable releases include ‘Where’s The Music Gone’ and ‘Apocolypse’, alongside some very respectable dance music artists.

Other tracks to his name include ‘You Got The Love’ and ‘Time’, both collaborations with Jules Buckley, one of the famous faces you’ll get to see on this special Ibiza Classics tour.

The seven-date arena tour kicks off in Glasgow’s before heading to Manchester’s AO Arena on Friday 4 December 2026.

He will also be playing in Leeds, Birmingham, and Nottingham, culminating the tour with two huge nights at The O2 London.

Ibiza Classics Live 2026

  • Thursday 3 December – Glasgow, OVO Hydro
  • Friday 4 December – Manchester, AO Arena
  • Saturday 5 December – Leeds, First Direct Bank Arena
  • Wednesday 9 December – Birmingham, Utilita Arena
  • Thursday 10 December – Nottingham, Motorpoint Arena
  • Friday 11 and Saturday 12 December – London, The O2

He will be joined by long-standing collaborators Jules Buckley and The Essential Orchestra.

This night is expected to be filled with pure dance hits, and based on recent shows, there might even be appearances from even more musical talents and special guests.

Pete Tong, Jules Buckley, and The Essential Orchestra are bringing Ibiza Classics to AO Arena on Friday 4 December 2026.

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Tickets go on sale next Monday 15 December, and you can get them here.

Featured Image – Supplied

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Indiana Jones, live in concert, is coming to Manchester

Danny Jones Danny Jones Indiana Jones live in concert Manchester tickets

An all-time Hollywood favourite is being brought to Manchester audiences like never before, as a special showing of the first Indiana Jones film is coming to the city centre in concert.

Steven Spielberg and George Lucas’ action-adventure series is one we all know and love – and if you haven’t seen it before, what are you playing at?

Having said that, the original beloved blockbuster still stands up as the most fondly remembered of the series to this day; put simply, the ‘best’ film in the ‘Indy’ franchise is Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Whether you agree with us or not, you can’t deny that the idea of hearing a live concert version of that iconic Indiana Jones score being played in the flesh by a proper orchestra sounds mega. Case in point:

The legendary John Williams score has been played in some of the most prestigious rooms in the world.

Now, how about hearing those incredible trumpets and French horns over the audio of the film itself, soundtracking each scene as it plays on the big screen in front of you?

Yes, we are nerding out, and so should you be.

After a globe-trotting trek that Indy himself would be proud of, the Disney Concerts production is now gearing up for its UK tour, with just a handful of lucky cities selected for the privilege.

You can see the full list of tour dates down below (we’ve highlighted other Northern shows for you, too):

Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark: Live In Concert – UK tour dates | 2026

Sunday 31 May – Manchester Bridgewater Hall
Monday 1 June – Glasgow Royal Concert Hall
Tuesday 2 June – Edinburgh Usher Hall
Wednesday 3 June – Liverpool Philharmonic Hall
Thursday 4 June – Birmingham Symphony Hall
Friday 5 June – Sheffield City Hall
Sunday 7 June – London Eventim Apollo

As you can see, not only will the run of live shows be kicking off on home turf, but they have selected the one and only Bridgewater Hall for the movie concert experience – a more than fitting venue.

Released back in 1981, it’s unbelievable how timeless and instantly recognisable the iconic Indy theme and film score still is to this day.

Disney’s early access window and the presale via the venue both open from 10am this Thursday, 11 December, with general admission going live at the same time the following Friday (12 Dec).

You can get ready to grab your tickets to the Manchester screening and live orchestral performance next May right HERE.

Be it movies, TV or even games, we’re loving how many of these kinds of shows are coming to our city now, from all-time classics like Indiana Jones to cult favourite bits of British kids’ telly…

The first-ever Horrible Histories live concert is coming to Manchester
‘Naughty wackus bonkus’

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Featured Images — Disney (supplied)/Audio North

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