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Noel Gallagher is joining Jamie Carragher for a massive fundraising gig at Old Trafford cricket ground

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 17th August 2022

Noel Gallagher will perform a headline set at a huge fundraising gala at Emirates Old Trafford cricket ground next month.

The former Oasis star will be joining Jamie Carragher, Vernon Kay, Melanie C and more at the Football for Change event.

The inaugural fundraising gala took place last year in Liverpool and raised nearly £250,000, boosted by a lunch event with Sir Rod Stewart and Tom Grennan that raised a further £100,000.

It’s hoped that the huge cricket ground gig will raise even more money for the charitable initiative Football for Change, to help people affected by poverty.

Credit: Football for Change

The initiative has already sent more than 40 disadvantaged children to the USA on sporting and educational retreats, as well as distributing grants to organisations in the most deprived areas of the country.

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Taking place on 22 September, the Football for Change gala will bring together performances from Spice Girl Mel C, Emeli Sande, and Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds.

Vernon Kay will host, while Sky Sports presenter Jamie Carragher holds a high-profile Q&A with a sporting superstar.

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A major auction will also be held, with prizes donated by Robbie Williams, Sir Rod Stewart, Manchester United, Manchester City and Formula 1.

Credit: Emirates Old Trafford Cricket Ground

Jamie Carragher said: “It is amazing to have Noel and his band supporting Football For Change by playing at our annual fundraising gala next month. He is a music icon and we’re all looking forward to it. 

“This event follows our launch in 2021 which was attended by our patron Sir Rod Stewart. It is going to be a great night.” 

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Dan Hughes, founder of the leading PR firm ThisGeneration, who launched the Football For Change initiative said: “Securing Noel Gallagher is a massive coup. This is a major homecoming for one of the world’s biggest music stars and his support will help improve the life chances of disadvantaged young people in the North West.”

Football for Change was launched by Jamie Carragher, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, and Conor Coady last year with leading PR firm ThisGeneration Communications. Sir Rod Stewart is the official patron. 

Read more: Victory for Andy Burnham’s bus reform as date for £2 price cap announced

A number of football stars including Jude Bellingham, Lionesses hero Beth Mead, Jack Harrison and Gary Neville are also involved.

Gary Lineker is an ambassador too, alongside Steven Gerrard and Brazilian international Lucas Moura. 

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Football for Change aims to lift young people from disadvantaged backgrounds out of poverty with life-changing opportunities in education and employment. 

The fundraising gala is being backed by Swinton Insurance, DAM Health, Together Money and Watches of Switzerland. 

You can find out more about how to get involved at https://footballforchange.org.uk.

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Influential indie veterans The Wedding Present to embark on 40th anniversary tour

Danny Jones Danny Jones Wedding Present Manchester gig date tickets

Influential indie band The Wedding Present are about to begin a big live tour across the UK for their 40th anniversary, and one stop is right here in Manchester.

As boundary-pushing veterans of the genre for the best part of four decades, The Wedding Present have always been one of the most pioneering auteurs of the Northern music scene, and nothing has changed even after all this time.

The Leeds-formed icons are a favourite not only of ours but even more so among our friends over at The Hoot, and with an artistic legacy as strong as Yorkshire’s, that’s saying something.

David Lewis Gedge’s long-standing project rather quietly announced its major retrospective series of live shows back in June – so quiet, in fact, that we missed it until now – but as they gear up for a handful of very special dates, we’d urge Manc gig-goers to give themselves a Wedding Present.

Gedge and co. will be coming to the O2 Ritz in Manchester for just the second show of merely half a dozen confirmed for The Wedding Present 40th Anniversary Tour, having played the venue many times.

In fact, even after visits featuring live configurations over the years, the current lineup played the Ritz as recently as May 2023; the show was met with strong reviews pretty much across the board, and it seemed to signal somewhat of a falling back in love with the crowds of the North.

For anyone unaware of the self-styled ‘semi-legendary band’ (their PR’s words, not ours), The Wedding Present are probably in similar territory to fellow underdogs and Manc natives, James, when it comes to the amount of music they’ve put out over the years, inspiring generations of those who came after.

You might assume we’d name one of their most famous tracks, ‘George Best’, as our favourite, for rather obvious reasons – but you’d be wrong: it doesn’t get much better than ‘Dreamworld’, if you ask us.

Their rich back catalogue encompasses not only so many different eras but also sounds, styles and various other eccentricities; so much so that their multi-genre-spanning music has even produced its own musical.

But before we dive any deeper down into the rabbit hole, let’s get back on track.

Set to play Manchester on Friday, 10 October, The Wedding Present will be kicking off the tour in Bristol at the start of next month.

There are other dates in the likes of Sheffield, Liverpool, Chester, Holmfirth, Buxton, Newcastle and more, but only a few are officially part of the anniversary tour.

Tickets are live as we speak, so if you fancy going along to see them, you can grab yours HERE.

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

Featured Images — Karl Kathuria (supplied)

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Lewis Capaldi at Co-op Live Manchester – tickets, setlist, support and more

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson Lewis Capaldi is performing two nights at Co-op Live in Manchester

Lewis Capaldi will be hitting the stage in Manchester this week for two huge sold-out gigs at the Co-op Live arena.

The Scottish singer-songwriter is currently on a sold-out 17-date UK arena tour after a two-year hiatus for his physical and mental health.

The much-loved performer took the decision to step out the limelight after his Glastonbury 2023 performance, where he struggled with his vocals, anxiety, and Tourette’s syndrome as the set went on – with the huge crowd stepping in to sing for him.

Lewis then made a triumphant return earlier this year with a surprise set at Glastonbury, proving he is once again back on top form.

He then released a new single, Survive, which stormed to the top of the UK singles chart, and an arena tour to go with it, adding a second Manchester date due to phenomenal demand.

His single Someone You Loved remains the most-streamed song in the UK, even seven years after its release. Us Brits love him.

Lewis Capaldi will be performing at Co-op Live on both Saturday and Sunday night this week, and we’ve rounded up all your essential info below.

And if you miss him this time, he’s just announced an outdoor summer show at Wythenshawe Park next year, tickets for which go on sale HERE on Friday 19 September.

Tickets for Lewis Capaldi at Co-op Live

Lewis Capaldi. Credit: Alexandra Gavillet

Did we mention that people really love Lewis Capaldi? So yeah, the show is fully sold out on both Ticketmaster and See Tickets.

However, you can still get through the doors by booking a VIP or hospitality package with Seat Unique, which are on sale HERE.

Your best bet at getting your hands on a pair of general admission tickets now will be to keep an eye out for resale tickets, but make sure you’re using a reputable resale site.

Face value ticket prices ranged from £32.10 up to £113.25 for seats, with standing tickets also coming in at £113.25 with fees.

Support acts

Lewis Capaldi has lined up a pair of excellent supports for his tour, including his Co-op Live shows in Manchester.

His main support act will be Skye Newman, a rising star singer-songwriter from South East London, who you probably know from her hit debut single Hairdresser and its top-five follow-up single, Family Matters.

Also warming up the crowds will be Aaron Rowe, an Irish musician with a hell of a voice who’s inspired by American soul legends as well as British bands like The Stone Roses and Oasis.

What are the stage times for Lewis Capaldi at Co-op Live?

Exact stage times haven’t been announced yet but we do know that general admission doors open at 6.30pm, and the show is set to start at 7.30pm.

That should mean Aaron Rowe will be on first, followed by Skye Newman around 8.15pm, and Lewis likely to start his show around 9pm.

If any official stage times get announced, we’ll update this article.

Lewis Capaldi setlist

The below is the setlist Lewis has been using for most of his shows so far.

  • Survive
  • Grace
  • Heavenly Kind of State of Mind
  • Forever
  • Wish You the Best
  • Love the Hell Out of You
  • Almost
  • Bruises
  • Pointless
  • Something in the Heavens
  • Leave Me Slowly
  • Forget Me
  • The Pretender
  • The Day That I Die
  • Before You Go

Encore

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  • How I’m Feeling Now
  • Hold Me While You Wait
  • Someone You Loved

How to get to Co-op Live

Tram

For those of you heading to Co-op Live, you’ll be glad to know it’s right next door to a rather famous big blue stadium and its integrated Metrolink stop.

Head along the light blue or orange lines directly to the Etihad Campus or Ashton-under-Lyne, and you can get off the tram literally spitting distance from the arena. You can find the full map HERE.

Trams run frequently on the Ashton-Eccles line to the Etihad stop, with services leaving every six minutes from the city centre until 01:00 on Fridays and Saturdays.

Bus

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You can find the full list of bus routes HERE, with the one in closest proximity to the venue being the 53 bus, which runs from Cheetham Hill through to Higher Crumpsall, Old Trafford and Pendleton, leaving just a two-minute walk to Co-op Live. You also get free Bee Network travel with any valid event ticket.

Getting there by car and parking

If you’re driving, there is limited parking available at the venue,e but this must be pre-booked ahead of time and there are designated drop-off areas.

The postcode is M11 3DU, and you can follow the signs towards the wider Etihad Campus as you get closer; directions to the adjacent drop-off points will also be signposted.

Keep in mind that congestion on the roads close to the stadium is expected to gather around two hours prior to any event, so if you are travelling on the road, these are the suggested times they provide come event day – though estimates will vary, obviously:

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  • Alan Turing Way (both directions): plan an additional 20 minutes into any journey by road.
  • Hyde Road (eastbound): expect an additional 15 minutes to be added to your journey.
  • Mancunian Way (westbound): plan for an extra 10 minutes of travel time.

There are also three park-and-ride facilities near Co-op Live, but be advised that the Velopark and Holt Town stops will be closed post-event to help safely manage crowds:

  • Ashton Moss (Ashton line) – 183 spaces and 12 disabled spaces
  • Ashton West (Ashton line) – 184 spaces and 11 disabled spaces
  • Ladywell (Ashton-Eccles line) – 332 spaces and 22 disabled spaces

Walk/cycle

Lastly, Co-op Live is only a half-hour stroll from Manchester Piccadilly, and you could even walk along the canal all the way to the front door if you fancy taking the scenic route.

Greater Manchester now also offers the option to hire bikes via the Beryl app, with riders able to locate, unlock, get to their destination and then safely lock up the bike all through an easy-to-use app. There are hire points just near the south-west corner of the Etihad Stadium on Ashton New Road.

For more information on all travel options, you can check out the enhanced journey planner.

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