It’s here, it’s finally here – it’s time for arguably one of the biggest gigs of the year: Sam Fender playing two utterly massive nights at Co-op Live.
Everyone’s favourite Geordie songwriter is heading to the state-of-the-art entertainment arena for the very first time this weekend for what is set to be a blockbuster double-header.
You already know the drill with these things, so let’s not waste your time.
Here’s everything you need to know about Sam Fender’s return to Manchester and Co-op Live debut.
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Sam Fender at Co-op Live – all the important info
Credit: SuppliedCredit: The Manc GroupDriving his way to the Co-op Live arena for a maiden Manchester arena show.
Tickets – all hope’s not lost
Ok, no point in tormenting ourselves with this one, we all know that tickets for the last chance to see Sam Fender this year sold out pretty much all over the country.
In fact, to put things into context, all three of his Newcastle stadium shows at St James’ Park sold out in less than half an hour. Yeah, the UK loves this man. So, it will come as no surprise for you to hear that both dates here in Manchester are virtually all but gone. Almost…
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Yes, perhaps down to some of the flak the 30-year-old has gained for the cost of these shows, there is still a decent handful of resale tickets for both the Friday (6 December) and the Saturday (7 Dec), so you don’t need to scramble around on other reseller sites. Seated starts from £54.95 but no standing.
If you have the spends before Christmas, you can grab yours HERE.
Who is supporting Sam Fender?
Now this is one we’re super excited about. If you’ve been keeping any sort of tabs on our music coverage over the past year or so, you may or may not have picked up on our very serious obsessions with a little band called Wunderhorse. Not that they’ll be staying ‘little’ for much longer, mind.
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The Cambridge-formed four-piece are up there with the best bands coming out of the UK and Ireland right now, behind the likes of Fontaines D.C. and ‘r Sam, of course. We’ve seen them multiple times this year and will be doing so again if we can grab some last-minute spares for their May shows.
We even had the pleasure of chatting with frontman Jacob Slater about the release of their sensational sophomore album, Midas, back in August. They supported Sam back in 2022 when we first saw them and they’ve only got more incredible since then; trust us, you’re in for an incredible time.
Now, as for when you can expect these two to take the stage on Friday and Saturday, respectively, doors to the Co-op Live arena will be open from 6:30pm and Wunderhorse should start around 7:45pm.
The warm-ups will be playing eight songs and finishing with ‘Teal’ and ‘July’ to get the crowd’s energy nice and high by the end of their roughly 45-minute set.
This should give you a half-hour window to nip to the loo, grab your next pint or just mentally prepare for the main event at 9pm, with Sam Fender’s performance due to conclude around 10:40pm.
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Setlist
Moving on to what you’ll be hearing on the night, we’ve heard plenty of grumbles about the length of the setlist – suppose it comes down to personal preference – but it does look like he’s at least listened to the fans and added ‘The Dying Light’ straight back into the running order after leaving it out it in Dublin.
Wise choice, Sam.
The Kitchen
Getting Started
The Borders
Wild Long Lie
All Is on My Side
Nostalgia’s Lie
Arm’s Length
Will We Talk?
People Watching
Spice
Howdon Aldi Death Queue
Get You Down
Spit of You
The Dying Light
Seventeen Going Under
What do you think, is 15 songs (less than his last headline tour) worth the money?
Encore
Hypersonic Missiles
We can also vouch for these as our Audio North delegation over at The Hoot were there in the flesh in Leeds and had an absolute blast.
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.
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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.
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.
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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.
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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.
Liam Fray says ‘yes’ to Courteeners supporting Oasis on tour amid rumoured 2027 dates
Danny Jones
Liam Fray has said that the Courteeners are ready to “answer the call” if/when it comes to supporting Oasis on their next big live tour, with rumours of dates for shows in 2027 ramping up.
The fellow Manc favourites were heavily suggested as potential support acts for the Live ’25 reunion gigs, but Cast and Richard Ashcroft were ultimately selected as the warm-ups for the world tour.
With that in mind, when asked if Courteeners would be ready to open up for Oasis on their still only hypothetical tour next year, Fray had a very quick answer:
Not to speak for the Middleton musician, but it’s a bit of a no-brainer, really.
As you can see, in a recent interview with Radio X host Johnny Vaughan promoting the indie rockers’ new single, ‘Plus One Forever’, the 41-year-old frontman made it clear that he and his bandmates would bite hands off if the other Liam and/or his brother Noel offered a slot to them.
The younger Gallagher brother definitely had plenty of fun teasing supports last time around, before making some fairly more obvious posts and then seemingly just announcing them on social media according to his own timeline.
LG does what he wants, after all.
As for the supposed ’12 nights at the Etihad Stadium’ reported recently, not to mention all the other sets across the country that would no doubt follow should they come to fruition, Fray could say little else other than simply “Yes” to the prospect.
Joking, “Well, it is from me – I don’t know if someone else has said no!”, there have been no other indications on this front, but it’s safe to say it’d be a huge booking for everyone involved and a HUGE crowd-pleaser; Liam looks to be working on one of his own, elsewhere, too…
The two lead singers have both graced the stage of the Emirates Old Trafford stadium at Lancashire County Cricket Club, as well as Heaton Park, respectively.
Liam noted that he was at Heaton Park himself for that unforgettable summer last year, and also praised Wigan’s very own Ashcroft for being “unbelievable” when he caught him at Wembley. Big shoes to fill. The question is, who would you like to see supporting Oasis on their possible tour dates in the future?
In the meantime, we’ll have to be satisfied with gearing up for the release of the highly-anticipated reunion documentary, with the title and a first trailer now revealed.
The Streets at Castlefield Bowl, Manchester – tickets, times, setlist and all you need to know
Lydia Mastrolonardo
The Streets are coming to Manchester this weekend to play their landmark album, A Grand Don’t Come For Free, on tour and in full for the first time in full since its release in 2004.
It remains one of the most influential albums of the 21st century, having had a huge impact on culture and UK music, and we couldn’t be more excited to FINALLY hear it in its entirety live and direct.
Speaking on the seminal release, frontman Mike Skinner says he “wrote it as a story from beginning to end, even studying screenwriting to shape it and without the faintest idea how people would react.”
Ahead of this bringing it back to the stage in its entirety, he said: “We’ve been looking for something bold to do with the live show, and we landed here: some tracks have never been played live, others haven’t surfaced in years.” With that in mind, we can’t wait for their 2026 Sounds of the City set. Speaking of…
The Streets at Castlefield Bowl for Sounds of the City
Are there tickets left for The Streets’ Manchester dates?
Skinner and his band are set to fill Castlefield Bowl, and we’ve been blessed with not one, but two nights at this iconic outdoor stage in the heart of the city, on Friday 10 July AND Saturday 11 July – lucky us.
While tickets for the first gig are all sold-out across the board, you can still grab general admission for the second show this Saturday; secure yours HERE.
Known for their lively stage presence, tongue-in-cheek demeanour and unwavering crowd engagement, Skinner and co’s latest visit is not one to miss lightly.
Oh, and if you too were ‘Prangin Out’ about the footy clashing, ‘Dry Your Eyes’ and fear not: you no longer have to choose, thanks to a welcome update ahead of England’s crucial World Cup quarter-final against Norway.
Saturday, August 1, 2026 – Scarborough Open Air Theatre – Scarborough
Friday, August 7, 2026 – Audley End Estate – Essex
Friday, August 21, 2026 – Earlham Park – Norwich
Saturday, August 22, 2026 – O2 Academy Birmingham – Birmingham
Friday, August 28, 2026 – Rock N Roll Circus – Sheffield
Thursday, August 5, 2026 – Depot Mayfield – Manchester
Yes, in case you weren’t aware, the gang are also playing The Warehouse Project as part of the WHP26 programme; tickets for that are also live.
Get them before they go!
Support acts and stage times for The Streets at Castlefield Bowl
For ‘Those That Don’t Know’, there are set to be some amazing support acts joining The Streets on tour. We are lucky enough to get rising Mancunian artist Antony Szmierek, as well as rap and grime MC CASISDEAD for the two days at Castlefield Bowl.
They’ve also kindly given us a very clear rundown of the stage times for each artist’s set, too:
Thankfully, bringing back an album to play start to finish means that we pretty much know almost for certain what they’re going to be playing. Here’s the tracklist as it appears on the original album:
Set 1: A Grand Don’t Come For Free in full
It Was Supposed To Be So Easy
Could Well Be In
Not Addicted
Blinded by the Lights
Wouldn’t Have It Any Other Way
Get Out of My House
Fit but You Know It
Such a Tw*t
What Is He Thinking?
Dry Your Eyes
Empty Cans
That being said, we’re almost certainly going to get a few more hits as part of the encore, be it ‘Turn the Page’, ‘Who’s Got the Bag’ and ‘Let’s Push Things Forward’, just to name a few.
What would you most like to hear from elsewhere in their discography for the Sounds of the City (SOTC) double bill? Let us know in the comments.
Transport and travel advice
Getting to Castlefield Bowl
Castlefield Bowl (M3 4JR) is on Rice Street just down Liverpool Road, which cuts off the main Deansgate strip in the city centre, and you can enter Manchester’s much-loved outdoor amphitheatre via Duke or Castle Street.
Tram
It’s just a six-minute walk from the Deansgate-Castlefield tram stop, or ever so slightly further is the St Peter’s Square tram stop, where you can find regular trams running all over Greater Manchester from both. You can check the first and last trams from the stops HERE.
Train
The nearest station to Castlefield Bowl is Deansgate train station, being a mere six-minute walk or Manchester Oxford Road, which is only 15 minutes away, with Piccadilly and Victoria being slightly further afield but still not miles away, clocking in at just a few minutes from the gig.
Whichever route you choose, none are unrealistic – just be sure to check last train timings to not get caught short.
Bus
A variety of buses stop close to Castlefield Bowl on their route, such as the 33 or 33b, which stop just a one-minute walk away from the venue.
A full list of buses and their routes can be found HERE
Getting to Castlefield Bowl by car and parking info for The Streets
If you’re driving there, Great Northern Warehouse’s (M3 4EE) car park, as well as two other NCPs near Bridgewater Hall and on Quay Street in Spinningfields.
You can also park your car for free and get the tram to the gig from one of Greater Manchester’s 24 Park and Ride sites.
Walk/cycle
If you’re that bit more climate conscious, then there are plenty of options for you too. Why not use the TfGM journey planner to find the best cycle route for you?
If you’re up for saving some pennies, the planet and want to take in your surroundings on a summer evening, then walking is a great option to beat the queues. Even walking a portion of your journey may be a wise idea!
Just make sure you save some energy for an all-night party (here’s hoping England can take it long into the early hours).
If you’re wondering what the vibes have been like at SOTC 2026 so far, here’s a taster from night two…
Safe to say @wetlegband continue to 'level up' when it comes to live shows. 🔥
Danny Jones -
5th December 2024 
