Conan Gray has just announced a UK leg to his upcoming tour, and he’ll be stopping off in Manchester for a huge arena gig.
In just a few short years, Conan Gray has become a star… and his star is only rising higher.
The 26-year-old singer-songwriter, born in California but raised in Texas, got his start on YouTube, where he began uploading vlogs, covers, and original songs as a teenager, hoping to get his start in the entertainment industry.
He first garnered critical and fan acclaim from the release of his commercially successful singles ‘Maniac’ and ‘Heather’ before he went on to put out his debut studio album, Kid Krow, in 2020 – which placed at number five on the US charts, announcing his talent to the world and making it the biggest US artist debut of the year.
Conan Gray has announced a huge Manchester arena show next year / Credit: Supplied | Angelica Whitney (Wikimedia Commons)
After gaining millions of streams and developing a truly a faithful fanbase, Gray went on to release his second studio album, Superache, in 2022, and his third album, Found Heaven, a couple of years later in 2024.
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If three albums in four years wasn’t impressive enough as it is, Gray released his fourth studio album, Wishbone, back in August and it’s catapulted him to a new level of fame, especially with the TikTok success of the single ‘Vodka Cranberry’.
Now Gray is embarking on a major world tour to celebrate his latest album, following the unforgettable Wishbone Pajama Show tour in the US, where he sold out legendary venues like Madison Square Garden, and the Kia Forum.
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Manchester! @conangray brings the Wishbone World Tour to the @AOArena – Save the date: Sat 9th May 2026!
The UK arm of the Wishbone World Tour sees Gray pay a visit to us here in Manchester, as he takes to the iconic AO Arena stage next year in May.
Birmingham, Glasgow, and London are the other cities Gray will be stopping off at on his UK tour.
Conan Gray will be playing a huge gig at the AO Arena in Manchester on Saturday 6 May 2026 as part of the Wishbone World Tour, and tickets officially go on sale this week – with both pre-sales and general sale available.
The Three+ presale will begin on Wednesday 22 October at 9am, and the AO Arena presale will start on Thursday 23 October, again at 9am, before general sale launches on Friday 24 October at 9am.
Featured Image – Dillon Matthew Photography (Publicity Picture – Supplied)
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One giant house party – Ne-Yo and Akon at Co-op Live, Manchester
Hollie Wells
‘So Sick’ of seeing pilates and matcha; when all you need is a messy naughties night out? Iconic duo Ne-Yo and Akon can, apparently, take you there.
Imagine the best house party of the 2010s with 20,000 of your favourite guests on perfect form, and you know what Co-op Live has been like for the last two nights for R&B royalty Ne-Yo and Akon.
Hosting a collaborative catalogue of bangers from both the stars, the atmosphere was buzzing with nostalgia and a readiness to have the ‘Time of Our Lives.’
Not only were we treated to two icons, they shared the stage with amazingly talented dancers, performing on the ground and in the sky, and perfectly embodying the showmanship of Ne-Yo and AKON and amplifying the party atmosphere.
It feels like there are endless group numbers, and if that wasn’t enough, these dancers start hanging on aerial silks from the rafters of Co-op Live by one foot and dropping into the splits on Ne-Yo’s lap. Casual.
This is a night for screaming timeless heartbreak anthems like ‘Angel’ and ‘Lonely’, throwing some ‘Dangerous’ dance moves, and throwing your arms around your best pal while copious amounts of confetti fall over you.
Not only did we get the classics, the packed audience of party people were presented with a dance-battle style compilation of tunes that the singer-songwriters were involved with.
And of course, they had a plethora of perfect numbers, including Rhianna’s ‘Hate that I Love You’, Gwen Stefani’s ‘The Sweet Escape’ and Beyoncé’s ‘Irreplaceable.’ A triad of divas, and these songs never get old.
With a running time of two hours and forty minutes, it is clear that these two are not short on hits.
Needing an interval at a gig is a flex and I would confidently say this Manchester crowd would have parted all night long, particularly the three lucky ladies who were called on stage to two-step with Ne-Yo. The office wont believe that on Monday.
If you’re craving a time-hop to 2010 and a setlist with zero flops, you’re in safe hands with Ne-Yo and Akon.
Rare picture of David Bowie’s legendary one-off gig in Stockport unearthed
Danny Jones
A rare picture taken from the night of the late, great David Bowie’s legendary one-off gig in Stockport has been unearthed by a local whilst digging through his loft.
Imagine having that kind of history just squirrelled away in an attic…
As revealed by Stockport Music Story, after being supplied with the image by David Maynard, the snap was shared more than half a century on from the much-mythologised moment in Greater Manchester music history.
In fact, it was put on display and posted on social media quite literally 56 years to the day since Bowie played his only Stopfordian set on 27 April, 1970.
Maynard himself is featured in the newly discovered photograph (second from the left) and was one of the select and lucky few who were in the room for that very special show.
Organised by a group of teens on behalf of the Stockport Schools’ Students’ Union, the performance took place at the long-gone Poco a Poco music venue and club over in Heaton Chapel.
The storied space hosted many big names over the years – Gerry Marsden, Freddie Starr, Hank Marvin and more – but sadly closed in May of 1987 following a fire.
It went on to become the popular Hinds Head pub, which still serves punters to this day, but once had the honour of hosting a true artistic great and British icon.
For anyone wondering, this is indeed the same night on which David Robert Jones (yes, that’s Bowie‘s full birth name) missed his train home and had to sleep on the railway platform.
Here’s a BBC segment covering the tale back on its 55th anniversary in April 2025.
It may be a small and somewhat curious claim to fame, but native love the legend of it all nonetheless.
As for the other individuals pictured alongside him, Stockport Music Story (SMS) said: “The names of the people we know are David Maynard (2nd left), Roz Wood (3rd left), David Bowie, Bill Frost (2nd right), Stewart Rigby (right).”
They go on to add: “It would be amazing to find out who the other people in the photograph are and what they remember from that night.” We sincerely hope they do.
You can now see the plaque up close and personal at Stockport Station for yourselves and as for SMS’s growing archive of the region’s creative culture, you can find out tonnes more about other pieces of SK heritage right HERE.
Emily Sergeant -
20th October 2025 
