SZA is soon set to touch-down on UK soil, and she’s coming to visit us here in Manchester for the first stop on her major tour.
It’s been a good few years since SZA’s hit the road, but 2023 is the year that sees the powerhouse US singer-songwriter – real name Solána Imani Rowe – head out on tour to celebrate her second studio album, SOS, which was released to critical acclaim last December, and shot to the top of the albums chart in America and reached number two here in the UK.
It came five years after the release of her debut album Ctrl, which went on to sell over five million copies worldwide.
As well as selling millions of records, and claiming her first number one single with ‘Kill Bill’ earlier this year, SZA has also scooped up masses of awards – including a Grammy, two MTV VMAs, and two Billboard Music Awards, as well as an Oscar nomination for ‘All The Stars’ with Kendrick Lamar.
Not only is SZA one of the most respected artists among her peers, and one of the most loved by critics within the music industry, but she also has a loyal fan base supporting her every step of the way, and tens of thousands of those fans will get to see her sing the hits live as she takes to the stage here in Manchester.
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Heading to see SZA at the AO Arena? Here’s everything you need to know.
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When is SZA playing in Manchester?
Manchester is just one of three UK cities that SZA has chosen for the European leg of her S.O.S tour – with the singer also set to perform up in the Scottish capital of Glasgow later this week, before performing two night’s at London’s O2 Arena shortly after.
She will take to the stage here in Manchester on Tuesday 13 June.
With the AO Arena having a maximum gig capacity of 21,000, fans in their thousands are expected to travel to our city from far and wide to see SZA in a rare live UK appearance.
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Are there any tickets still available?
Given that SZA isn’t known for heading out on tour very often, especially not here in the UK, tickets to see her in Manchester were in pretty high demand when they first went on sale back in April – but now, it does seem like there are some still available if you’re looking to grab yourself one.
At the time of writing, a quick search on Ticketmaster shows both standing and seating tickets available, however they are a little pricer than when they first went on sale – with seated tickets starting at £98, and floor standing at £181.
As always, if you try to buy tickets second-hand, please make sure you’re using a reputable resale site so you don’t get caught out by scammers.
Who is supporting SZA in Manchester?
If getting to see SZA live wasn’t enough, fans who head to the AO Arena a little earlier are also in for a real treat when it comes to the support act, as one of the UK’s fastest-rising music names is also taking to the stage in Manchester.
Raye will be supporting SZA in Manchester / Credit: Publicity picture
Raye
Raye – real name Rachael Keen – is a British singer-songwriter who initially rose to prominence after being featured on a number of commercially-successful singles, including ‘By Your Side’, ‘You Don’t Know Me’, ‘Secrets’, and ‘Bed’ – but in 2022, she decided to step out on her own to properly make a name for herself.
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The 25-year-old received further recognition as a solo artist after her single ‘Escapism’ reached the top of the UK Singles Chart, and also became her first song to chart in the US.
She released her debut studio album, My 21st Century Blues, to critical acclaim back in February.
What’s the potential setlist?
We all know artists tend to switch up their setlists from gig to gig and throw in a few surprises here and there, depending on the energy of the crowd and what they’re feeling that night, but it does seem like SZA has roughly been following a particular order of songs since her 2023 European tour began earlier this month.
SZA released her second album, SOS, in December 2022 / Credit: Publicity picture
Stage Times
Although everything is subject to change, and it’s always best to keep your eye on the venue’s official messaging on the day of the event to get the latest stage times, the AO Arena has confirmed that doors will be opening at 6pm for the SZA gig on Tuesday 13 June.
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Raye is expected to perform from 7:30pm, before a short interval follows, and SZA then takes to the stage any time before 9pm.
Manc music legends James announced MASSIVE hometown show
Danny Jones
Greater Manchester music legends James have just revealed a massive hometown show here in the city centre as part of a landmark domestic arena tour.
Daisy bucket hats at the ready.
James is arguably the epitome of what it is to be the understated, underdog British band; they’ve gone about the business of making quality music somewhat quietly for several decades now, but they’ve had a fresh wave of interest over the past year or so
Having opened up for the likes of Catfish and the Bottlemen’s comeback shows, not to mention playing multiple big festival slots in recent months alone, they’ve now announced a huge run of UK arena shows – and nowhere does a James crowd quite like us Mancs.
Details have been announced for our 2026 UK arena tour, and we’re delighted to be joined by very special guests @dovesmusicblog with tickets going on general sale this Friday at 9:30am. Access the ticket pre-sale on Wednesday via our official store: https://t.co/DwpGrAUESZ NBL x pic.twitter.com/A4CWVpCooL
Announced as part of the celebrations around their Nothing But Love ‘best of’ LP, which pulls tracks from James’ whopping 18 studio albums, the new run of UK arena shows in 2026 follows on from numerous noteworthy shows this calendar year.
In addition to the aforementioned outdoor gigs, like their stunning sold-out night at The Piece Hall in Halifax – not too far from frontman Tim Booth’s hometown in Yorkshire – the indie veterans also celebrated a huge landmark in 2025.
Surpassing the milestone of 40 years as a band, with a lineup that’s remained largely intact and only really grown in terms of live session players and touring bandmates.
The new “definitive” greatest hits record also includes two brand-new songs in ‘Wake Up Superman’ and ‘Hallelujah Anyhow’, both of which are produced by Leo Abrahams, who worked with the band on their long-awaited number one album Yummy in 2024 – a feat loooong overdue if you ask us.
As evidenced by the sheer amount of new material they continue to put out and the almost non-stop touring, they remain one of the most prolific artists in the country. FACT.
You can see the rest of James’ upcoming tour dates, including a healthy number of Northern stops in the likes of Liverpool, Leeds and more.
James UK arena tour dates 2026
Fri 2 Birmingham Utilita Arena
Sat 4 Leeds First Direct Bank Arena
Tues 7 Aberdeen P&J Live
Wed 8 Glasgow OVO Hydro
Fri 10 Newcastle Utilita Arena
Sat 11 Liverpool M&S Bank Arena
Mon 13 Cardiff Utilita Arena
Tues 14 Nottingham Motorpoint Arena
Fri 17 London The O2
Sat 18 Manchester Co-op Live
With James returning to Manchester for their Co-op Live arena debut next April, along with a sensational support slot from fellow local legends, Doves (I know, how lucky are you lot?!), you can bank on this one selling out quickly.
General admission goes on sale this Friday, 10 October at 9:30am, so you’d better be ready to grab yours in a flash.
You can find the ticket link HERE, and we’ll see you in the crowd for a good ol’ singalong.
Featured Images — Ehud Lazin/Press shots (supplied)
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Electronic icons Kraftwerk announce first Manchester gig since 2017
Danny Jones
Pioneering German band Kraftwerk have announced their first UK tour since 2017, with fans having to wait almost a decade for another Manchester gig.
Thankfully, they’ll be heading back down the Autobahn and across the channel for a return to our shores soon enough with a long-awaited list of British and Irish live dates.
Kraftwerk remains one of the most groundbreaking groups in the electronic scene to this day, having paved the way for generations of new artists to keep experimenting with the genre in the 50+ years since their formation.
Heading back to Manchester early next year, die-hards will no doubt snap these tickets faster than you can say ‘Das Model’.
For anyone unaware of these veritable legends of electronica and the world of alternative/Euro-synth pop, Kraftwerk formed all the way back in 1970 and went on to shape the modern music industry, bridging the gap between music and the digital age.
Best known for tracks like ‘Computer Love’, ‘The Robots’, ‘Pocket Calculator’ and the aforementioned on named after the national motorway network, they spearheaded futurism in the musical landscape from the outset.
It seems only fitting, therefore, that their upcoming highly anticipated return to the UK comes as part of their ‘Multimedia’ tour.
While they have played a number of live shows all over the globe this year, including an extensive run in the US, next spring will be our domestic visit from Kraftwerk in nine long years.
Credit: Press shot (supplied)
You can see the full list of UK and Ireland tour dates – including a handful of Northern gigs – down below:
Spanning a total of 15 UK dates, as you can see, there will also be tickets to see Kraftwerk nearby in the likes of Liverpool and with our mates over in Sheffield.
Kraftwerk legend Ralf Hütter famously played a set inside our city’s velodrome at the National Cycling Centre for Manchester International Festival (MIF) back in 2009, and has collaborated with the event on multiple ocassions.
In fact, that very performance was seen as a turning point for MIF, so the Manc Kraftwerk connection speaks for itself; O2 members can obviously get pre-sale, but general admission tickets go live from 9am this Friday, 10 October.
Emily Sergeant -
11th June 2023 
