In case you somehow missed the countless videos on TikTok and people’s Instagram stories, Paramore are well and truly back and have been delighting fans with their world tour since October.
Arriving for the UK and Ireland leg of their ‘This Is Why Tour’ earlier this month, pop-punk turned alt-rock outfit are playing top tracks from their latest album of the same name — as well all the hits, of course — and judging by what we’ve seen online, they’ve been absolutely smashing it.
Now stripped to just three of the original four founding members, it looks like they really are back to doing what they do best: making music, playing massive shows and having fun.
With that in mind, Paramore arrive at Manchester’s AO Arena this Tuesday, 18 April, and for those of you going along to relive your noughties emo days or simply watch Hayley Williams be Hayley Williams, here’s all you need to know.
First things first, if you were still hoping to grab yourself some tickets, we’re sorry to be the bearer of bad news but pretty much every one of these puppies sold out in the blink of an eye — even we couldn’t even bag ourselves any, try as we might.
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That’s at least in terms of standing anyway; it looks like are a few seated tickets floating about on sites like Twickets and TicketSwap but they’re pretty pricey and, as always, we’d urge you to be super cautious when it comes to buying from resellers.
However, plans always change and someone always drops out, so we sincerely hope you get a miracle and bag yourself some standings in time for the gig.
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Support acts — what a billing!
As if getting to see the band back on stage with new music wasn’t enough, Mancs will be treated to some serious talent when it comes to Paramore’s support acts for the AO Arena gig.
In addition to bringing rising Winchester-born and London-based artist Rozi Plain (‘Help’, ‘Friend City’, ‘Inner Circle’) along for the UK and Ireland leg, those who grabbed tickets have also somehow managed to land themselves the legendary Bloc Party as ‘warm-ups’. You jammy so-and-sos…
The indie and alt-rock veterans, known for the likes of ‘Helicopter’, ‘Flux’ and ‘This Modern Love’, have been around since 1999 if you can believe it, but are still one of this country’s best exports and it seems the Tennessee trio know it.
There are special guests and then there’s having literal headliners as your ‘warm-ups’, come on, guys.
Paramore stage times for Manchester AO Arena gig
According to the Arena, doors will open to the event at 6pm. The gig itself should start shortly after with Rozi Plain due to play around 6:30pm before lead supports and special guests Bloc Party starting around 7:30pm.
If you even have any energy left after watching Kele Okereke and co. do their thing, Paramore are likely to take the stage at around 9pm for what we can only assume will be two hours of bangers, Riot! era headbanging and pure partying.
Last but not least, judging by what’s been played at the shows on the tour so far — with Dublin kicking off the first date on this current leg — the core ‘This Is Why‘ Tour setlist hasn’t been switched up too much from night to night.
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That being said, there has been some flexible around the middle section of these and coming to such a massive music city like Manchester, they’re sure to pull something big out of the bag.
With help from setlist.fm, here’s what we think it’s going to look like:
Note To Self (spoken word intro)
You First
The News
Playing God
That’s What You Get
Running Out of Time
Caught in the Middle
Ain’t It Fun
Liar
Crystal Clear (Hayley Williams song)
Still Into You
Rose-Colored Boy
Cover 1 (they’ve done everything from The Cranberries to Fleetwood Mac in the past)
Cover 2 (we’re going to assume some Manc anthem — just please not ‘Wonderwall’, guys)
This is the first time Paramore have been back to Manchester’s AO Arena since 2018 when the band were touring the After Laughter album and the lineup was different, so this feels like somewhat of a homecoming for the band as we first knew them.
Now six albums and nearly two whole decades into their career, we think it’s fair to call Paramore veritable rock and pop royalty — I mean, you don’t get the honour of playing the Arena if you aren’t worth the entry fee.
So, if you were wondering exactly why people are so buzzing for this gig, well, this is why:
Data reveals Manchester hotel prices have ALREADY surged by 462% on rumoured Oasis tour dates
Emily Sergeant
Manchester hotel prices have apparently already surged by 462% on rumoured Oasis tour dates, some new data has revealed.
Of course, absolutely nothing is set in stone yet and we are still yet to receive any form of announcement.
But with rumours having been swirling for months now that Oasis will be touring again in 2027, and several videos shared on the band’s social media platforms this week also hinting at that, it’s been revealed that searches for ‘when are Oasis tickets going on sale?’ have soared by 5,000% in the last seven days alone.
After recent data has pointed towards soaring searches for tickets, the experts at SeatPick decided to analyse the average cost of accommodation in Manchester on the suspected concert nights in June 2027 to uncover if prices have surged along with the searches.
Data reveals that Manchester hotel prices have already surged by 462% on rumoured Oasis tour dates / Credit: The Manc Group | Simon Emmett (Press Picture)
And lo and behold, it appears that they have.
The ticketing platform has revealed that hotel prices have surged by up to 462% during Oasis’ rumoured concert nights in Manchester.
The rumoured weekend date of 19 and 20 June has experienced the most noticeable price surge – with a two-star hotel costing an average of £216 for just one overnight stay.
The data also reveals that the rumoured finale on the 27 June has just a £95 difference between two-star hotels (£200) and five-star hotels (£295).
“Our analysis uncovered an enormous markup for local accommodation on nights that Oasis is rumoured to perform in Manchester,” explained Gilad Zilberman, who is the CEO at ticket platform SeatPick.
“Being aware of these accommodation costs and additional expenses can help fans plan and avoid being caught off guard by inflated prices on concert nights.
“To find the best deals on hotels, concertgoers should scan budget chains in the city or look slightly outside of the centre in hotspots served by local bus routes or regional trains, such as Salford and Trafford.
“Booking early might also be beneficial for fans dedicated to seeing the band perform.
“You can opt for free cancellation options, in case rumoured dates change, or you’re no longer able to attend.”
Featured Image – Point3D (via Unsplash)
Audio
Jane McDonald at AO Arena, Manchester – tickets, times and more for UK tour
Thomas Melia
The lovely people of Manchester are ‘Living The Dream’ because Wakefield wonder-woman Jane McDonald is bringing her tour to AO Arena.
Making her British TV screen debut nearly 30 years ago on The Cruise, before joining the Loose Women panel and going on to present a whole host of travel shows including Cruising with Jane McDonald, now this Wakefield legend returns to AO Arena.
This latest tour, named after her 2026 LP Living The Dream, will see Jane singing hits from both past and present including a couple of covers too.
Earlier this year, Jane’s Mighty Hoopla performance went viral online after she commanded the stage in a red leather jacket, donning a singular rainbow hair extension while belting out RAYE’s ‘Where Is My Husband!’
Audio North even got the opportunity to interview this legendary lady when she visited her hometown HMV store in Wakefield for an exclusive album signing – Oh look, it’s me!
The Wakefield wonder-woman’s latest album Living The Dream was released in March and considering the tour is named after this impressive LP, we’re sure fans can expect to hear quite a few tracks from this album.
Living The Dream
I’ll Not Be Beaten
You Don’t Know What You Got
Don’t Mind If I Do
The Hand That Leads Me
Ain’t Gonna Beg
I Will Always Love You
Islands in the Stream
Jolene
9 to 5
You’re My World
Where Is My Husband!
Let the Light In
Cake by the Ocean
Jai Ho!
APT.
Right Where I Belong
How Do I Move On
Beautiful Soul
All By Myself
You Still Lead Me
Of course, Jane also loves to cover a tune or two, and we’ll never forget her renditions of ‘Cake By The Ocean’, ‘Jai Ho’ or ‘APT.’.
What are the stage times for Jane McDonald in Manchester?
The doors for Jane McDonald’s Living The Dream Tour in Manchester are set for 6.30pm with the event set to start at 7.30pm.
AO Arena has a curfew of 11pm meaning you have enough time to dash home and eat ‘Cake by the (Sofa)’ before ringing in the new day.
Getting to AO Arena
Tram
For those of you heading to AO Arena, luckily, it’s connected to Manchester Victoria Station, and it has an integrated Metrolink stop to make your life even easier.
Head along the pink, light blue or yellow lines directly to the Victoria stop, and you can get off the tram literally spitting distance from the arena. You can find the full map HERE.
Train
Considering this live entertainment venue is situated right in the middle of one of Manchester’s most frequented stations, concertgoers should find no problem getting to the arena, wherever they are.
Bus
A variety of buses cover AO Arena andVictoria Station on their route, such as the 2 bus, which stops just a one-minute walk away from the venue.
A full list of buses and their routes can be found HERE.
The Arena has its own official CitiPark, with 958 car parking spaces, including 40 Blue Badge parking bays, which can be booked in advance.
Alternatively, anyone attending a gig can park at their nearest train station and jump on a train service or the various Metrolink park and ride facilities.
Walk/cycle
Greater Manchester now also offers the option to hire bikes through 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.
Danny Jones -
17th April 2023 
