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Richard Ashcroft and special guests at Robin Park – tickets, stage times, support acts and more

What a huge moment in music history for Wigan.

Danny Jones - 20th July 2024

Mr ‘Lucky Man’ himself, Richard Ashcroft, is bringing his long-awaited Wigan homecoming to Robin Park this weekend in what is set to be one of the biggest music moments the town has ever seen.

With the likes of Noel Gallagher and The Lathums kicking off the brand-new music series at the arena this week, Wigan natives are being treated to a total of five jam-packed nights (quite literally), but none bigger than their local hero and former Verve frontman, Richard Ashcroft.

The man behind ‘Bittersweet Symphony’ and arguably the best example of the ‘Manc Walk’ ever caught on film thanks to that iconic music video, he’s one of Greater Manchester’s most legendary musicians and with a double bill of shows at the Robin Park Arena, roughly 12,000 are expected to turn up.

So, whether you’re a Wiganer merely strutting down the road for it or heading into the home of pie barms and the almighty Ashcroft for the gig from elsewhere, we’ve put together a quick guide or all the important stuff you need to know.

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Richard Ashcroft Robin Park tickets – are there any left?

If you’re looking to head to either of Richard Ashcroft’s two Wigan shows this weekend, there are still a decent amount of tickets left for both days.

General admission standing tickets will set you back £66.45 each and you can buy in groups of six maximum. VIP, meanwhile, cost £122 and includes an exclusive area, seating section, a VIP bar; unique food vendors and premium toilet facilities.

Whatever kind of experience you want, you can grab yours HERE.

Who are the special guests supporting Richard Ashcroft in Wigan?

Without a doubt, one of the best parts about the two Richard Ashcroft hometown shows is that you’ll be getting an entirely different set of support acts depending on which day you’re heading to Robin Park.

With three different warm-up acts before each headline gig, from artists all at different stages in their careers, you’re basically getting a mini-festival with each date.

Saturday’s support will come not only from rising local solo artist Maxwell Varey but two Scouse icons in long-standing veterans Cast – who supported Liam Gallagher on his Definitely Maybe tour – and Liverpool’s increasingly popular indie stars, Red Rum Club, who we interviewed not too long ago.

As for those closing out the week, you’ll be treated to another blossoming Wigan outfit in the Stanleys, who we recently named on our list of new Manchester bands to watch out for, Welsh four-piece The Royston Club and more Liverpudlian royalty in The Zutons. Talk about getting your money’s worth.

richard ashcroft special guests — Red Rum Club

who is supporting richard ashcroft at robin park? — Red Rum Club

What are the stage times for the Robin Park music series?

Set times are always subject to change, of course, but one thing we can guarantee is that doors will open from 4:30pm and the curfew for the venue is 10:30pm.

That being said, judging by the previous Robin Park live gigs, you can do some pretty decent guesswork around when the supports will start.

Second support act Red Rum Club didn’t kick off until 6:20pm on Saturday, with main warm-ups Cast playing from 7:30pm onwards and Ashcroft taking to at 9pm on night one. You expect similar timings for night two.

Keep your eyes on the bands’ socials to find out more closer to the time.

Predicted setlist

As for what you can expect the 52-year-old to play for his highly-anticipated Wigan homecoming, Ashcroft’s most recent shows have been pretty short shrift on the festival circuit and so on, but his equally huge show at Kew the Music 2024 in London gives a bit more of indication of the possible setlist.

Combining that show with the songs played during his last visit to Manchester’s AO Arena in 2022, we think this is a pretty good average setlist – even if the exact running order looks a bit different.

Space and Time (The Verve)
Sonnet (The Verve)
Surprised by the Joy
A Song for the Lovers
Break the Night With Colour
Velvet Morning (The Verve)
Music Is Power
Are You Ready?
Life’s an Ocean (The Verve)
Weeping Willow (The Verve)
The Drugs Don’t Work (The Verve)
Hold On
Lucky Man (The Verve)

Encore:

C’mon People (We’re Making It Now)
Money (That’s What I Want) (Barrett Strong cover)
Bitter Sweet Symphony (The Verve)

On a personal note, we’re also praying we get to hear ‘All My Dreams’ and it’s a severely underrated banger, in our opinion.

How to get there – travel info, parking etc.

robin park arena music series — Credit: **Wigan Warriors**/**Dan Farrimond** (via Flickr)

robin park arena wigan — Credit: **Wigan Warriors**/**Dan Farrimond** (via Flickr)

By train

Wigan Wallgate and Wigan North Western are your two main train stations and can be easily accessed from Manchester Victoria, Oxford Road and Manchester Piccadilly, with journeys taking approximately 30-45 minutes total.

Both stations are roughly a 23-minute walk to the venue via a well-lit road.

By bus

Thanks to the recently revamped Bee Network, it’s also super easy to get to Robin Park Arena via bus too – you can plan your full journey HERE.

Bus stops on the nearby Thomas Moore Road and Seven Stars Road are within just 10 mins away from the venue on foot and you can board any of the following routes to get there: 352, 375, 385, 601, 602, 603, 604, 610, 611, 640.

By car

If you’re driving, you can find a full list of directions depending on whereabouts you’re heading to the arena from on the Wigan Warriors website. You can drop people off around the front of the stadium by entering WN5 0UZ into your sat nav.

As for parking, there are spaces available in the Brick Community Stadium (WN5 0UN) car parks, which are located within a 14-minute walk away from the Arena.

Car parks 1-4 will all be open for this event and should be accessed via Stadium Way. Stewards will be on hand to direct you on approach; accessible parking will also be available in car park three and all spaces are subject to a £15 charge per vehicle (pay by card only).

However, if you’re looking to park elsewhere, Wigan town centre has plenty of other designated parking that you can pre-book in advance in order to ensure a spot. There’s also free parking at any council-owned car parks on weekends – excluding Loire Drive (Robin Park Arena) car park and roadside parking.

Richard Ashcroft says Robin Park gigs could help make Wigan ‘a focal point in music’

And that should be just about everything for this gig guide and all the important bits you need to know ahead of Richard Ashcroft’s two massive shows at Robin Park and what a weekend it’s going to be for Wigan — what a few days it’s already been, even!

For those of you heading to the arena this weekend on either Saturday or Sunday, have the best time and make sure you soak in the memories of what will be a landmark moment in music history for the town.

Last but not least, for all other info on the biggest gigs, music news, venue info, interviews and more happening around the best region in the UK, make sure to keep tuned into Audio North.