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Sam Fender under fire following outrage over ticket prices for his upcoming tour

He's been accused of going against his image as a working class artist. (this article contains affiliate links)

Thomas Melia Thomas Melia - 23rd October 2024

North East superstar Sam Fender is no stranger to visiting our bustling city but this time fans of the singer are upset with the prices of tickets for his upcoming tour.

The Seventeen Going Under hitmaker has come under fire the past few days due to the ‘excessive’ and ‘hypocritical’ pricing of tickets for his upcoming tour.

Earlier this month, the Geordie rock singer started teasing his tour through visuals displayed around suspected venues for his upcoming tour, with one appearing just outside of Co-op Live.

Simply titled the ‘People Watching Tour’, Fender has announced dates and tickets for his 2024 Winter tour with prices reaching £80 and above.

The Newcastle musician is known for having a high majority of working-class fans and these are the very people criticising these ticket prices.

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Another big demographic for Fender fanatics is students. They too play a huge factor in the star’s career, making up a large proportion of the rock singer’s fanbase.

Fender has been vocal throughout his career about giving back to charities and organisations with two 2020 singles raising money for separate causes.

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He joined the Foo Fighters ‘Times Like These’ celebrity cover recording as part of BBC Radio One’s Live Lounge Allstars project during the pandemic to raise money for both Children In Need and Comic Relief.

In November of the same year, he also distributed ‘Winter Song’ with the single being used to raise money for The Big Issue, a charity known for creating opportunities for people experiencing homelessness across the UK.

Some have come out to defend the 30-year-old by arguing that tour pricing has more to do with management, promoters and venues than it does with the artists themselves.

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Nevertheless, lots of fans have still taken issue with Fender over the ticket prices, especially given the working-class nature of not only his background but the content of his music, insisting instead that Sam and plenty of other artists do have a say over costs.

Announcing shows in Leeds, Birmingham, Glasgow and one right here in Manchester at the already world-leading Co-op Live arena this winter, this is the ‘Hypersonic Missiles’ singer’s most high-profile UK tour to date.

With the scramble for pre-sale codes already having caused plenty of panic online and with the increasingly popular Wunderhorse once again set to serve as the main support act on his first tour since Spring 2022, tickets are set to be in serious demand.

The Newquay-founded band have seen acclaim and accolades this year with their latest project, Midas, even gaining the title of ‘greatest gig of my life’ by one member of our very own Audio North team.

With dates throughout the festive period this year, Fender is set to begin his tour on 2 December with the Newcastle date on 20 December undergoing balloted tickets due to demand to watch him play the massive gig in his hometown.

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The ‘People Watching Tour’ to Manchester on Friday, 6 December with general admission going live this Friday, HERE – it’s just up to you whether you’re willing to pay those prices.

What do you make of the Sam Fender ticket prices – will you be going for them or is between £60 and £90+ for seated and standing simply too much in your opinion?

Featured Images – Niall Lea/Press Image (supplied)

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Rising US star Conan Gray announces huge Manchester arena show as part of UK tour

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant Conan Gray press picture

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 on stage
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.

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.

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.

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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.

Get your tickets when they go on sale here.

Featured Image – Dillon Matthew Photography (Publicity Picture – Supplied)

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Wu-Tang Clan announce final farewell shows in UK, including a massive Manc arena gig

Danny Jones Danny Jones

The one and only Wu-Tang Clan and their music may be ‘forever’, but they’re coming together for one more global run with their final live gigs here in the UK, including one huge Manchester arena gig that is sure to sell out.

Arguably the most legendary and influential hip-hop groups ever, Wu-Tang saw their farewell tour across America wrap up this past summer, and now, after having gone from state to state, the Clan will be heading to mainland Europe and beyond for one last ride.

The scenes from the aptly-titled ‘Final Chamber’ have been nothing short of incredible in their home nation, but with a truly worldwide following, you can expect us Mancs and the overseas crowds to provide the same energy.

Narrated by British comedian and renowned lover of rap music, Romesh Ranganathan, the Wu-Tang Clan have announced a handful of additional dates, giving fans one last chance to see them live.

If you haven’t heard about the Final Chamber tour up until now, it’s seen all 10 members of the iconic collective – yes, including Cappadonna – get the show back on the road for what are undoubtedly Wu-Tang‘s biggest shows to date.

After all, if you’re going to call it a day, you might as well go out on the biggest high possible and play to the largest audiences ever.

Following three decades’ worth of music, these farewell shows broke ticket-sale records for the band, selling out 36 shows across North America with Killer Mike and producer El-P’s duo Run The Jewels as the main support act.

Now THAT is some lineup.

Confirmed to play their final ever Manchester show early next year, Wu-Tang Clan will be saying goodbye to their Northern following with a Co-op Live debut.

What makes this even more special is that this is just one of two shows they are currently scheduled to play in the UK – the only other being The O2 in London.

You could keep your fingers crossed for extra dates being added for what we can only imagine will be huge demand, but this could very well be the only other chance you get to see Wu-Tang Clan live in Manchester before they hang up the mic.

Co-op Member presale access for their March 2026 show will be available from 10am on Wednesday, 22 October, with general admission tickets going live at the same time this coming Friday (24 Oct). You can get ready to grab ours HERE.

Until then, you can see more from Wu-Tang’s ‘Final Chamber’ tour so far down below.

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For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — Matty Fest (via Flickr)/Press shot (supplied)/Miloš Krstić (via Flickr)

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