Paul McCartney is making Christmas come early for Manchester this weekend, bringing his two night tour to Co-op Live this weekend.
The 82-year-old The Beatles hitmaker and overall music icon is gracing the 23,500 capacity live music venue and hoping to impress the crowds of Manchester for what is set to be two of the most remarkable nights of the year.
This incredible Got Back tour will be one to remember, especially when the rocker hasn’t visited our booming city since 2011 – those 14 years without the musical legend are finally coming to an end.
Paul McCartney, The Beatles legend, Wings frontman and songwriting veteran is one of the most important musicians in history with a wealth of solo material to his name.
His most recent release was a collaborative album with Wings titled ‘One Hand Clapping’ which dropped in June this year, but the songs on it all date back to 1974.
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The living legend is performing at the biggest indoor entertainment venue right here in Manchester this weekend – here’s everything you need to know.
Paul McCartney UK tour dates
Sat 15 December – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live
Sat 16 December – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live
Wed 18 December – London, UK – The O2
Thu 19 December – London, UK – The O2
Paul McCartney tickets for Co-op Live gig
Paul McCartney will play in Manchester this weekend. Credit: MPL Communications – photographer MJ Kim
Tickets for both shows are still available on Ticketmaster, who are the official ticket seller for the Saturday and Sunday Manchester shows.
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Prices are varied due to most tickets now being resell or VIP packages, seats at the Sunday concert start at £182.95.
There’s also the opportunity to find some quick-fix tickets on fan reselling sites like Twickets but if you’re after for some last minute tickets you can try on Ticketmaster HERE.
Paul McCartney setlist
Paul McCartney is known for packing lots of songs from throughout his discography into his tours around the world, so it’s no surprise that Manchester will be hearing all the bangers.
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The UK music pioneer has shaken up his playlist a few times but the below is from his most recent show.
A Hard Day’s Night Junior’s Farm Letting Go Drive My Car Got to Get You Into My Life Come On to Me Let Me Roll It Getting Better Let ‘Em In My Valentine Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five Maybe I’m Amazed I’ve Just Seen a Face In Spite of All the Danger Love Me Do Dance Tonight Blackbird Here Today Now and Then Lady Madonna Jet Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite! Something Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da Band on the Run Get Back Let It Be Live and Let Die Hey Jude Encore: I’ve Got a Feeling Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise) Helter Skelter Golden Slumbers Carry That Weight The End
What are the stage times for Paul McCartney in Manchester?
Paul McCartney will play in Manchester this weekend. Credit: MPL Communications – photographer MJ Kim
Co-op Live has a strict curfew of 11pm meaning concertgoers can be safe knowing they won’t be pulling an all nighter to hear all the legend’s biggest tunes.
Doors will open at 6.30pm, and although the venue hasn’t yet confirmed stage times it’s expected that Paul McCartney will take to the stage in Manchester around 8.30pm.
The Manchester Derby
On the same night at Paul McCartney’s second gig, there’s also a Manchester derby – United and City will face off just across the road from Co-op Live at the Etihad Stadium.
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There’ll be a lot of footfall to the campus and increased demand on local roads and public transport.
Man City vs Man United will kick off at 4.30pm, doors to the Co-op Live will open at 6.30pm, and the football will end around 6.35pm.
The venue has advised: “For the best experience, we advise to use public transport and arrive between 17:30 and 18:30.
“Co-op Live is located on the Etihad Campus in East Manchester and you can take multiple different modes of transport to the arena. Check out our dedicated page for all your travel questions.”
How to get to Co-op Live
Tram
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For those of you heading to Co-op Live, luckily 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 and until 01:00 on Fridays and Saturdays.
Bus
If you want to take another new and improved arm of Manchester’s public transport system, not only is there a whole host of routes that drop you off close to the venue but there’ll also be a free shuttle bus from the city centre to and from events between 20 April-30 June 2024.
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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 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 obviously vary:
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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 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 through the Beryl, with riders able to locate, unlock, get to their destination and then safely lock up the boke 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.
Featured image: MPL Communications – photographer MJ Kim
Audio
Manc music legend Peter Hook is running his fourteenth Great Manchester Run for charity
Emily Sergeant
Manchester music icon Peter Hook is taking on an incredible endurance challenge for charity next month.
The Great Manchester Run is coming up next month on Sunday 18 May, with thousands of runners taking up the 10K or Half Marathon challenges either for their own personal achievements, or in the name of a number of worthy causes.
First staged in 2003 as a legacy event following the Manchester-hosted Commonwealth Games in 2002, the 10K has grown to be one of the largest in Europe, and in recent years, it has evolved to include a popular half marathon too.
35,000 runners are taking on the challenge this year, with 100,000 supporters set to line the streets… and one of those runners is none other than the legend himself, Peter Hook.
Incredibly, this is the fourteenth time the former bassist and co-founder of two of Manchester’s biggest bands, Joy Division and New Order, has taken part in the Great Manchester Run.
And it’s also the fourteenth time he’s raising money for The Christie Charity in the process.
Manc music legend Peter Hook is running his fourteenth Great Manchester Run for charity next month / Credit: Wikipedia Commons | Great Run Company
Hooky, as he’s affectionately known by friends and fans, took on his first run in 2006 and has continued over the years raising money for The Christie Charity – which supports the work of The Christie hospital in Manchester.
Peter’s relationship with The Christie and its charity started when he lived in Withington for many years and saw patients going into the hospital for treatment, and sadly things became very personal when two good friends, as well as family members were treated there – his former manager Tony Wilson, musician Dave Dee, and his aunt and father-in-law.
“I love running as it clears my head, and I can’t think of a better cause to run in support of,” Peter Hook explained ahead of the Great Manchester Run next month.
“The feeling of hope and solidarity on the day is fantastic and the sense of achievement when you finish is second to none, so I’m extremely proud to be representing The Christie Charity and supporting the wonderful work it does.”
Josh Hughff, who is the mass participation events officer at The Christie Charity, added: “Hooky is one of our longest standing event participants and we’re delighted he has chosen to support us again this year.
“He knows better than most just how important the work of The Christie is and how crucial charity fundraising is, as it allows us to fund life-changing and life-saving projects that will benefit cancer patients both now and in the future.”
You can cheer Peter Hook and all the other runners on when they take part in the Great Manchester Run on Sunday 18 May.
Featured Image – Supplied
Audio
Central Cee at Co-op Live, Manchester – tickets, times, setlist, and more for ‘Can’t Rush Greatness’ tour
Thomas Melia
Alright. UK rap act Central Cee is bringing his usual charm and witty bars to Co-op Live for a night of rap caviar, fully catered for by the Shepherd’s Bush native.
Cee, a.k.a. ‘Cench’, has been gaining traction since dropping freestyles on social media before eventually releasing his breakout hit ‘Day in the Life’ back in 2020.
This gig will be packed with everything from a stellar setlist to a powerful stage presence from the London MC, you’ll be up on your feet from the first song right through to the encore.
Don’t fret because this guide will have you covered with everything from A to B to make sure your night is nothing less than ‘5 Star’.
Central Cee at Co-op Live gig guide
Credit: Press Shot (supplied)
Central Cee UK tour dates
Fri 18 April – Birmingham, UK – Utilita Arena
Sat 19 April – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live
Thu 24 April – London, UK – The O2
Sun 27 April – Glasgow, UK – OVO Arena
Are there tickets left for Central Cee at Co-op Live in Manchester?
Tickets for this show aren’t ‘Limitless’ but there are still a handful of tickets left for this highly anticipated UK arena tour, including Cench’s Co-op Live date.
Fans can pick from a range of seating and standing options starting at £42.50 and reaching £81.95, so you’re really getting lots of value for your ‘GBP’ – I’ll stop now, I promise…
Anyone looking at grabbing a ticket or two can take a pick from their limited selection HERE.
Central Cee setlist
Limitless
5 Star
Day in the Life
6 For 6
Cold Shoulder
Ruby
Commitment Issues
Loading
St. Patrick’s
Ten
Straight Back To It
Gbp
Obsessed With You
Did It First
Me & You
Mrs
gen z luv
Now We’re Strangers
LET GO
Doja
Truth in the Lies
Overseas
Must Be
CRG
UK Rap
Sprinter
BAND4BAND
No Introduction
What are the stage times for Central Cee in Manchester?
Co-op Live has a strict curfew of 11pm, meaning concertgoers can get ‘Straight Back To It’ the following day without having to stay up all night to hear the rapper’s huge tunes.
Doors for the event will be open from 6.30pm, with those famous drill beats filling the massive Co-op Live venue from 8pm onwards.
There are currently no confirmed support acts as of yet, but with Cench appearing in the hometown of Manc rapper Aitch, who knows, maybe the pair will work it out on the remix and squash their squabble once and for all?
For those of you heading to Co-op Live, luckily, 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 and until 01:00 on Fridays and Saturdays.
Bus
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, 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 obviously vary:
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 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 through the Beryl, 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 southwest corner of the Etihad Stadium on Ashton New Road.
For more information on all travel options, you can check out the enhanced journey planner.
Thomas Melia -
13th December 2024 
