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Lorde to play massive Manchester gig later this year as part of world tour

What was that? A tour announcement, that's what.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 8th May 2025

Lorde has announced she’s heading out on a massive world tour later this year, and of course she’s stopping off in Manchester.

The New Zealand-born singer-songwriter undeniably burst onto the music scene at the tender age of 16 with her runaway number one hit ‘Royals’ all the way back in 2013, and has been successfully cementing herself as a household name ever since.

Following her debut single, she has gone on to break several records with the releases of her first three studio albums.

She has also scooped up a handful of GRAMMYs and BRIT awards along the way.

Lorde is set to play a massive Manchester gig at the AO Arena later this year / Credit: Supplied

The 28-year-old – who is known and loved for her unconventional style of pop music and introspective songwriting – has recently delighted fans by confirming that she’ll be releasing her fourth studio album, titled Virgin, towards the end of next month, and not long after that highly-anticipated release is when you’ll be able to catch her taking to one of Manchester‘s biggest stages.

Fans of the critically-acclaimed pop star will be able to grab tickets to see Lorde when she performs at Manchester’s AO Arena on Saturday 15 November 2025 as part of the Ultrasound Tour.

Other major UK cities she’ll be stopping off at include London, Birmingham, and Glasgow – making this a somewhat exclusive ticket to get your hands on.

Lorde Ultrasound 2025 UK Tour Dates

  • Saturday 15 November – AO Arena (Manchester)
  • Sunday 16 November – O2 Arena (London)
  • Wednesday 19 November – OVO Hydro (Glasgow)
  • Thursday 20 November – Utilita Arena (Birmingham)

Tickets are set to go on general sale next week, following several pre-sales in the days leading up to it.

Support for Lorde’s Manchester gig is to come from equally-revered singer-songwriter and record producer, Dev Hynes – better known by his stage name, Blood Orange – who is believed to have lent several co-production credits to Lorde’s upcoming fourth studio album.

Fellow producer Jim-E Stack will also provide support in Manchester.

Lorde will be taking to the AO Arena stage here in Manchester on Saturday 15 November, and tickets officially go on general sale next Friday 16 May at 10am.

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General sale follows two pre-sales – a Three+ Presale on Wednesday 14 May, followed by an AO Arena-specific Presale on Thursday 15 May, both going on sale again at 10am.

Find out more and get tickets when they go on sale here.

Featured Image – Thistle Brown (Supplied)

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Manchester Pride announces Nelly Furtado as surprise headliner

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson Nelly Furtado has been announced as an extra Manchester Pride headliner

Manchester Pride has just dropped another huge headliner for this year’s festival – and it’s only global pop superstar Nelly Furtado.

The huge LGBTQ+ festival, celebration and protest had kept its final headliner under wraps for months, but has today announced the Maneater star will be joining the line-up for 2025.

Nelly Furtado will co-headline Manchester Pride alongside Olly Alexander, with tickets for both the Gay Village Party and Mardi Gras already on sale.

Also announced on the line-up today are DJ Paulette and Moonchild Sanelly.

Manchester Pride 2025 will take place from Friday 22 to Monday 25 August, with four days of live music, celebrations, the parade, parties, and the candlelit vigil.

Already-announced headliners include Olly Alexander, Leigh-Anne, Billy Porter, and Tulisa, alongside loads more queer artists.

Nelly Furtado is known for her anthems like Maneater, Promiscuous and I’m Like A Bird, and will bring Mardi Gras to an uplifting, powerful end on Sunday 24 August.

Homegrown legend DJ Paulette will also join the Sunday Mardi Gras line-up, along with South African trailblazer Moonchild Sanelly on Friday at the Gay Village Party.

Mark Fletcher, CEO of Manchester Pride, said: “Welcoming an Icon like Nelly Furtado alongside DJ Paulette and Moonchild Sanelly further showcases the diversity of musical tastes that we’re catering for. They’re each sure to create some unforgettable moments.

“Manchester Pride 2025 will be bold, brilliant, and bursting with Pride energy, but it’s at a tipping point.

“Pride can only thrive if our community shows up: by attending events, joining the Parade, and buying supporter bands.

“We’ve seen what happens when we don’t rally together, and we cannot let that happen in our City. This is the moment to stand up, come together, party as a protest and ensure Pride continues to shine long into the future.”

For full-day line-ups and more information on Manchester Pride 2025, download the Manchester Pride app.

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Featured image: Supplied

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Sam Fender – Live From Wythenshawe Park, Manchester: tickets, times, supports and more

Thomas Melia Thomas Melia

North Shields indie rocker Sam Fender is making his way to Manchester to play a massive summer date at Wythenshawe Park.

UK singer-songwriter Sam Fender is ready to hear the roars of the Manchester crowd as he heads to one of the city’s biggest outdoor gig venues ahead of the ‘Live From Wythenshawe Park‘ summer series.

The BRT award-winning artist released his third studio album, People Watching, back in February, and you can expect to hear quite a few of this LP’s staple singles like ‘Arm’s Length’ and ‘Rein Me In’.

It wasn’t too long ago that Fender last paid a visit to the music capital of the North with his performance being described as ‘one of the world’s greatest live acts’ (by us, in fairness…) last December.

Gig guide – Sam Fender at Wythenshawe Park: all you need to know

Now, get your ‘Seventeen Going Under’ “Oh woah oh ohs” ready as Mr. Fender is set to play out to a crowd of 30,000 this weekend as he takes on the mighty feat that is Wythenshawe Park.

Sam Fender is playing Wythenshawe Park in Manchester on Saturday 16 August / Credit: Mac Scott
Sam Fender is playing Wythenshawe Park in Manchester on Saturday, 16 August (Credit: Supplied via Mac Scott)

Sam Fender tickets for Wythenshawe Park gig

As you would expect, ‘You’re Not The Only One’ who wants to see this Geordie musical mastermind in action as they’re completely sold out.

However, if you want to ‘Play God’, you can try your best on verified fan ticket reselling platform, Twickets, right HERE. Ok, we’ll calm it with the puns now, promise – we’re just very excited.

As always with second-hand tickets, proceed with caution; it’s never worth getting stung by the touts.

Sam Fender setlist

Although the setlist isn’t confirmed, at recent festivals and events, he’s performed a more condensed collection of the hits and tracks from his newest album.

However, this is his biggest show in Manchester to date – a fair few thousand more than Co-op Live, in fact – so you can expect something closer to a full-blown headline set. Here’s what we’re expecting based on what was played at Newcastle United’s St James’ Park stadium in his hometown:

  1. Going Home: Theme of the Local Hero (Mark Knopfler cover)
  2. UEFA Champions League Anthem
  3. Getting Started
  4. Will We Talk?
  5. Arm’s Length
  6. The Borders
  7. Howdon Aldi Death Queue
  8. Crumbling Empire
  9. Tyrants
  10. Rein Me In (with Olivia Dean)
  11. People Watching
  12. Get You Down
  13. Spit of You
  14. Seventeen Going Under

Encore:

  • Remember My Name (with Easington Colliery Brass Band)
  • The Dying Light
  • Something Heavy (with CMAT, Liam Fender and Niles Krieger)
  • Hypersonic Missiles

One very stunning solo support act for Sam Fender at Wythenshawe Park

Olivia Dean is supporting Sam Fender amid his 'Live From Wythenshawe Park' gig this weekend / Credit: Supplied
Olivia Dean is supporting Sam Fender amid his ‘Live From Wythenshawe Park’ gig this weekend / Credit: Supplied

You might have noticed one rather big name among the setlist there, and you’d be right to have paid attention because she makes this a truly great value-for-money live music billing.

Opening up for Mr. Fender is no easy feat, but this rising soul singer and incredibly talented ‘Lady Lady’ will no doubt take it in her stride.

London-based Olivia Dean is travelling up North to kick things off with her neo soul prowess, airy vocals and lovestruck tracks like ‘Nice to Each Other’, ‘It Isn’t Perfect But It Might Be’, ‘Carmen’ and more.

But that’s not all…

Sam Fender has two more support slots, which are confirmed to be indie/punk artist Bugman and folk singer-songwriter Charlie Noordewier.

It really is shaping up to be one of the biggest and best nights of the year, and we’re quite literally counting down to the moment Olivia Dean joins Sam on stage for ‘Rein Me In’.

What are the stage times for Sam Fender at Wythenshawe Park?

Gates for this gig are opening from 4pm, with Bugman ‘Getting Started’ at 5:15pm and Charlie Noordewier slowly after at 6:25pm.

Olivia Dean takes to the stage at 7:35pm, with the main man himself gracing us with his presence from 9pm onwards.

With a curfew of 11pm, this should give you plenty of time to get back home and tucked in bed – though we’re sure there’ll be little room for sleep as you replay the night over and over again.

Here’s a little taster of one of the warm-ups, Bugman.

How to get there

Last but not least, there’s just the small matter of getting there. While we’d always recommend travelling as green as possible/using public transport where you can, there are still some car park tickets that you can buy online from the Live From Wythenshawe website.

As for those of you catching a ride, there is yellow signage to the north of the site, which will lead you to the pick-up/drop-off point on Wythenshawe Road, M23 0AB.

There are also three tram stops to choose from: Wythenshawe Park, Moor Road and Baguley. However, it’s worth noting that both Wythenshawe Park and Baguley will be closed from 9pm, so you won’t be able to get back home this way.

Big Green Coaches travelling to the gigs will also be available from various locations.

Finally, you can always catch one of the shuttle buses back into the city centre. The service will be operating in a loop from Sale and the city centre, running from 1pm-8pm on the way to Wythenshawe Park and then from 8pm-1:30am when heading home.

For more information, you can find all the up-to-date travel stuff HERE, or check out (TfGM) Transport for Greater Manchester’s full guidance via the Bee Network app.

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For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images – Niall Lea/Sarah Louise Bennett/Press shots (Supplied)/ Raph_PH (via Flickr)

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