If you’re asking, “Baby, where the hell is my RAYE gig guide?” – fear no more: here’s everything you need to know for her Manchester shows.
This part pop, part soul, part R’n’B champion needs no explanation with seven BRIT awards, two Ivor Novello awards and a Grammy in her collection so far, it’s safe to say RAYE has made a name for herself.
Hailing from Tooting, South London, Rachel Keen, recognised by her artist moniker RAYE, has amassed 8.5 billion streams on Spotify, with almost 15 songs receiving over 100 million streams.
Her discography is one of the most distinctive, with an endless list of hits like ‘WHERE IS MY HUSBAND!’, ‘Escapism.’, ‘Prada’, ‘Worth It.’, ‘You Don’t Know Me’ all under her belt.
Now, RAYE is gearing up to play the biggest tour of her career so far, and she’s chosen to pay Manchester a visit, not once, but twice, as she performs at the 23,500 seater Co-op Live.
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Gig guide | RAYE at Co-op Live, Manchester – all you need to know
RAYE is heading to Co-op Live Manchester on 17 & 18 February / Photo Credit: Callum Walker Hutchinson via Press Shot (supplied)
Anyone after witnessing RAYE and letting out all their ‘Oscar Winning Tears’ in front of this South London singer has two opportunities to do so with tickets for her two Manchester shows still available.
Thinking February 17 is the date you’d like to see RAYE in Manchester at Co-op Live, and maybe even take your friend? (Bonus points if their name is ‘Suzanne’) – tickets HERE.
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February 18 sounding more like your style? Take the ‘Love of Your Life’ to watch this phenomenal artist dominate Co-op Live at her second Manchester date HERE.
Or, grab your ‘Black Mascara’ while “Sipping on Chardonnay 2016” as there’s even a couple of premium seating options courtesy of Seat Unique HERE.
RAYE setlist for 2026 tour
Credit: Sebastian Kapfhammer/Callum Walker Hutchinson via Press Shots (supplied)
If you’re reading this setlist and wondering why you don’t know some tracks, that’s because they’re from RAYE’s highly-anticipated sophomore release THIS ALBUM MAY CONTAIN NEW MUSIC.
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But don’t worry, as there’s still plenty of songs from My 21st Century Blues and her decade-spanning career, too.
I Will Overcome
WHERE IS MY HUSBAND!
The Thrill Is Gone.
Skin & Bones
Suzanne
Beware the South London Lover Boy
Flip a Switch. / Decline
Five Star Hotels.
The Winter Woman
Hard Out Here
Genesis, pt. ii
Fly Me to the Moon
Worth It.
Nightingale Lane
Ice Cream Man.
I Know You’re Hurting
Oscar Winning Tears.
Click Clack Symphony
Secrets
You Don’t Know Me
Black Mascara.
Prada
Joy (with Amma and Absolutely)
Escapism.
Stage times for RAYE and her support acts at Co-op Live, Manchester
Co-op Live has a strict curfew of 11pm, meaning we can ′Buss It Down’, with this multi-talented artist and still be tucked up in bed before the early hours.
Anyone attending can expect the doors to open at 6:30pm, with a kick-off time expected to be 7:30pm, with support being a family affair as RAYE’s sisters Amma and Absolutely take to the stage.
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.
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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 1:00am 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.
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 on 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
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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 on 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.
Featured Images — AliyahOtchere/Callum Walker Hutchinson/Sebastian Kapfhammer(supplied)
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Lily Allen at AO Arena, Manchester – tickets, times, setlist and more for West End Girl UK tour
Lydia Mastrolonardo
The ‘Nonmonogamummy’ herself, Lily Allen, is visiting AO Arena in Manchester for her theatrical and unforgettable West End Girl UK tour.
After releasing one of 2025’s biggest albums West End Girl, a run of intimate gig dates up and down the country were announced including right here at Aviva Studios in Manchester in March.
The demand for this British pop star to add more dates was inevitable and that’s exactly what Allen did, as she now kicks off an arena tour across the UK.
Once wasn’t ‘Just Enough’, and we’ve been blessed with not one, but two nights of Lily Allen at the AO Arena in Manchester, on Friday 19 June and Saturday 20 June – lucky us.
Although the ‘Smile’ singer refrains from playing some of her older smash hits, this gig is still remarkable, with the Hammersmith-born singer performs the previously mentioned tongue-in-cheek LP in full.
Meet us at the ‘Pussy Palace’ (aka the AO Arena) for an evening of messy lyrics and quality vocals, fulfilling all of our nosey desires, she even provides text receipts for us to read.
Expect to feel like you’re having your friend relay the truth about their toxic relationship post-break up and then celebrating them finally leaving that loser – Lily just gets us.
Gig Guide | Lily Allen at AO Arena, Manchester
Lily Allen returns to Manchester for two gigs at AO Arena. Credit: Henry Redcliffe
Lily Allen UK tour dates
16 June – Newcastle Utilita Arena
17 June – Glasgow OVO Hydro
19 June – Manchester AO Arena
20 June– Manchester AO Arena
21 June – Leeds First Direct Bank Arena
23 June – Nottingham Motorpoint Arena
24 June – Cardiff Utilita Arena
26 June – Birmingham BP Pulse Live
27 June – London The O2
30 June – Dublin 3Arena
Are there tickets left for Lily Allen at AO Arena?
Yes and it’d be a real ‘Shame For You’ to miss out on this one.
Lily’s gone for a rather novel support act on her West End Girl tour, which is proving to be quite a laugh at arenas so far.
She’s pulled in Dallas Minor Trio to warm up the crowds, a trio of cellists who perform a setlist of Lily Allen’s biggest hits from through the years.
And if that’s not enough, they put the lyrics on screen too, so it’s like a true karaoke moment.
Lily Allen setlist for 2026 tour
The show ‘Lily Allen Performs West End Girl‘ will see the singer/songwriter play her brand-new album in its entirety, in the order the songs appear on the record:
West End Girl
Ruminating
Sleepwalking
Tennis
Madeline
Relapse
Pussy Palace
4chan Stan
Nonmonogamummy
Just Enough
Dallas Major
Beg For Me
Let You W/In
Fruityloop
Stage times for Lily Allen at AO Arena, Manchester
Lily Allen has announced a gig at the AO Arena in Manchester. Credit: Charlie Denis
These are the only times that are confirmed, but it’s expected that Lily Allen will be on stage around 9pm:
Doors open 6pm
Starts 7.50pm
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.
Drink prices for Parklife 2026 revealed, with big new discount leading to £5.04 pints
Daisy Jackson
As tens of thousands of music fans flock up to Parklife for the 2026 edition of the hit Manchester festival, the question they’ll all be asking is – what are the drink prices looking like?
Well thanks to sneak preview inside the festival site this afternoon, we can exclusively let you know exactly how much beer, wine, spirits and more will be costing you in Heaton Park this weekend.
The bars will be the same for Neil Young and The Chrome Hearts on Friday 19 June too, who’ll be performing on the main The Valley stage before Parklife kicks off.
Brand-new for this year is a cheeky trick to get a 20% discount at the bars right across Heaton Park.
That means beers could cost as little as £5.04, pre-mixed cans like White Claw could be as cheap as £6.40, and wine could be £6.80.
The new discount scheme is thanks to Parklife partnering with PayPal, so if you’re a PayPal customer you might be able to nab 20% off drink prices throughout the weekend.
To claim your discount, you’ll to sign up for a PayPal account and set up a virtual card on your phone’s wallet – then whenever you pay with that card, the discount is automatically applied.
Without it, you’re looking at between £6.30 and £7 for beers and ciders, around £12 for a spirit and mixer, and between £8 and £9 for pre-mixed cans.
Parklife 2026 drink prices
Beer and cider
Budweiser Lager – £6.70 normal / £5.36 PayPal
Corona Extra – £6.30 normal / £5.04 PayPal
Kopparberg Crisp Apple – £7 normal / £5.60 PayPal
Spirit & Mixer
Smirnoff No. 21 Vodka – £12 normal / £9.60 PayPal
Captain Morgan Original Spiced Gold – £12 normal / £9.60 PayPal
Gordon’s London Dry Gin – £12 normal / £9.60 PayPal
Johnnie Walker Black Label – £12 normal / £9.60 PayPal
Casamigos Blanco Tequila – £15 normal / £12 PayPal
*Double measures, single measures priced £8/10 for normal, £6.40/8 PayPal
Premixed cans
Smirnoff Ice – £8 normal / £6.40 PayPal
Smirnoff Miami Peach – £9 normal / £7.20 PayPal
Smirnoff Raspberry Crush – £9 normal / £7.20 PayPal
Captain Morgan & Pepsi Max – £9 normal / £7.20 PayPal
Party Punch
Beatbox Blue Razzberry – £8.50 normal / £6.80 PayPal
Beatbox Fruit Punch – £8.50 normal / £6.80 PayPal
Beatbox Juicy Mango – £8.50 normal / £6.80 PayPal
Beatbox Orange Blast – £8.50 normal / £6.80 PayPal
White Claw
White Claw Strawberry – £8 normal / £6.40 PayPal
White Claw Mango – £8 normal / £6.40 PayPal
White Claw Black Cherry – £8 normal / £6.40 PayPal
White Claw Natural Lime – £8 normal / £6.40 PayPal
Wine
Rose/white wine – £8.50 normal / £6.80 PayPal
Soft Drinks
Pepsi Max / Pepsi Max Cherry / 7UP Free – £3.50 normal / £2.80 PayPal
Rockstar Original / Tropical Guava – £4.25 normal / £3.40 PayPal
Lipton Peach – £4 normal / £3.20 PayPal
Still Water – £2.50 normal / £2 PayPal
Alcohol-free
Captain Morgan 0.0 with mixer – £9 normal / £7.20 PayPal
Corona Cero – £5.50 normal / £4.40 PayPal
Koppaberg Strawberry & Lime Zero – £5.50 normal / £4.40 PayPal