The 1975 are back in Manchester once again this weekend with two massive dates at the AO Arena and, if Matty Healy and the name of the tour are to be believed, they are ‘still at their verrrrrry best’.
The pop, indie and alternative chart-toppers are currently on their biggest world tour ever and finally touched back down in the UK this month, having already played the likes of Glasgow and London, with their Manc gigs up next.
They might be from just outside of Greater Manchester but they came up through our legendary live music scene and have always considered this their de-facto town of origin, with legions of local fans more than happy to welcome that label.
With that in mind, their pair of homecoming performances are absolutely going to go off and if you’re lucky enough to be going, we’ve got the info you need. Here’s everything you need to know about The 1975‘s return to Manchester.
If you were wondering if there are tickets left for The 1975’s Manchester gigs whatsoever, we were fully ready to say, ‘fat chance this time, mate’. However, it turns out there are still tickets left for 17 and 18 February at the AO Arena.
They sold out faster than you can say ‘smells like Chocolate’ last time the Wilmslow lads visited back in January 2023 but, presumably since there’s now less of a gap since their previous show and they put on a double bill of shows last year too, it’s meant that the scramble for tickets hasn’t been quite as hectic.
They’ve added an extra Manc date due to demand this time too, which should make sure as many people as possible stand a chance of grabbing a ticket; if you still fancy springing for one, standing has sadly gone but seated spots are still available for both Saturday and Sunday from £47.05 upwards HERE.
Their previous show at The O2 in London — Credit: Tahiya Brewin (supplied)
Support acts
Better still, you’ve got an unreal support act in store as well, with fellow Dirty Hit label-mates The Japanese House also joining them on this tour and set to get things warmed up at the AO Arena.
The stage name of fellow indie pop talent Amber Bain who recently released her second album and is only getting more popular year after year, the singer-songwriter and her band played a sold-out show at New Century Hall in October last year and is set to return for another solo show this May.
But before then, they’re set to play their biggest Manchester crowd to date and we’re sure we’ll see Matty hopping on stage to help sing cult favourite single ‘Sunshine Baby’ before their headline slot.
Stage times for The 1975’s Manchester show
Doors to The 1975 gig at AO Arena will be open from 6pm and The Japanese House aren’t expected to start playing until 7:30pm, giving you day-ones and die-hard fans plenty of time to get as close to the barrier as you can manage.
Playing a roughly half-hour set, you’ll get a decent interval to empty your bladders and re-stock drinks before the party gets in full swing at 8:30pm. It’s a long old set with more than 25 tracks due to be wheeled out, so best to be prepared.
Speaking of which, we’ve got you covered on that front as well, don’t worry.
Setlist
While the last tour obviously leant heavily towards playing tracks from their most recent release, Being Funny in a Foreign Language, this current show has allowed them to dip back into other beloved tracks from previous albums, especially after seeing what surprises worked on the night in 2023.
Here’s the average setlist for the ‘Still… At Their Very Best’ tour, according to Setlist.fm…
Credit: The 1975 (via IG)
The 1975 (BFIAFL)
Looking for Somebody (to Love)
Happiness
Part of the Band
Sincerity Is Scary
Oh Caroline
I’m in Love With You
A Change of Heart
An Encounter
Robbers
fallingforyou
About You
Consumption
Be My Mistake
If You’re Too Shy (Let Me Know)
Jesus Christ 2005 God Bless America
TOOTIMETOOTIMETOOTIME
Heart Out
It’s Not Living (If It’s Not With You)
The Sound
I Always Wanna Die (Sometimes)
Somebody Else
Love It If We Made It
Sex
Give Yourself a Try
People
All that being said, these lot always like to chuck in a few surprises depending on what city they’re in, so don’t be shocked if they mix things up a little bit for us Mancunians.
Travel and parking for AO Arena
If you’re driving in for the show, there’s a large multi-storey car park based right next to the AO Arena, with access through the car park to the main entrance of the venue.
Trinity Way will be closed southbound between Great Ducie Street and Cheetham Hill Road for up to an hour as guests leave following larger shows like this, but if you’re parking at the Arena itself you’ll still be allowed to exit during this time — just turn right and follow the diversions.
As for getting there via public transport, your nearest stop is Manchester Victoria, with trains and trams going directly into the station where you can then walk directly up the steps and straight into the attached Arena entrance, with plenty of bus stops and taxi bays right outside too.
We never quite know what to expect from Healy and co. when it comes to live shows, but you can expect high production value, the same gorgeous set they’ve been rocking for well over a year now; most likely a new hairstyle or look from the charismatic frontman, not to mention plenty of banter and on-stage antics.
This particular music fan won’t pretend to be anything less than a massive 1975 fan, so if you’re wondering what The Manc Audio has made of their live performances in the past, you can read our review from their Manchester show last Jan HERE.
If not, you can always watch us dancing to every track like a bunch of prats down below, instead:
Featured Images — Tahiya Brewin (Supplied)/The 1975 (via IG)
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Manchester crowned one of the world’s best cities for music lovers
Emily Sergeant
Manchester has been crowned one of the world’s best cities for music lovers, even beating out New York along the way.
If there’s one thing Manchester is known and loved for over anything else, it’s music.
From Oasis and Joy Division, to Happy Mondays, The Smiths, The Stone Roses, The 1975, and even more modern-day acts, there’s no end to the amount of talented artists this city has produced or been home to over the years, all contributing to Manchester being one of the most prestigious music cities there is.
The city’s live music scene has always been thriving, and that continues right through to this very day, as you’ll see big-name musicians including Manchester as a destination in their UK tour schedules more often than not.
This summer is all set to be a sensational celebration of sound, as not only is an immersive art trail, Music for the Senses, taking over the city from this week, but this year’s annual Manchester Day will be music-themed too, marking one of the biggest years for Manchester music in a long time.
Manchester has been named one of the best cities in the world for music lovers / Credit: Manchester City Council | Eldhose Kuryian (via Unsplash)
Oh, and there’s also the small matter of Oasis reforming for a UK tour, including a run of gigs at Heaton Park this month.
So it’s no surprise that Manchester has been named one of the best cities in the world for music lovers, especially as the IFPI Global Music Report has revealed that the UK has the third largest music market globally – with the music industry’s contribution to the UK economy being £6.7 billion on average.
Taking this recent report into consideration, the experts over at SeatPick have collated data to uncover the best UK cities for music lovers, analysing factors such as the number of concerts, homegrown talents, music businesses, and the total number of music venues, to reveal each city’s overall music score out of 10.
Coming in at second place with a music scene score of 8.97/10 is Manchester.
2025 is all set to be a sensational summer of sound in our city / Credit: Supplied
“Manchester remains one of the UK’s most iconic music cities and with 1,204 concerts between 2025-2026, 116 live music venues, and 380 homegrown acts, the city’s live music offering is as strong as ever,” SeatPick said of its findings.
“2025 is shaping up to be a historic year for Manchester, with Oasis reuniting for the first time in over a decade, with a massive comeback show at Heaton Park – the very spot where they played their last hometown gig in 2009.”
While Manchester may have missed out on the UK’s top spot, with that title going to London, in the global rankings, our city has claimed an impressive sixth place, beating out New York’s influential music scene.
Liverpool and Leeds are two of the other northern cities in the UK’s top 10, taking fifth and sixth place respectively.
“Cities which have a larger number of music businesses are key in creating the perfect city for music fans, as this impacts the city’s cultural, economic, and social vibrancy,” explained Gilad Zilberman, who is the CEO of SeatPick.
“A thriving music scene within a city means it can provide more artistic expression, support a wider range of genres, and enrich the cultural landscape, as well as attracting creative talent.”
Featured Image – Alex Bracken (via Unsplash)
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British rock and mod icon Paul Weller stars in advert for new Oasis x Bohemians football kit
Danny Jones
The music and football shirt crossovers just keep coming thick and fast – and that’s just Oasis alone, as Bohemians FC have released a new collaboration with the legendary Britpop band, looping in none other than Paul Weller for the grand unveiling.
Bohemians share a strong connection with the Gallagher brothers due to their Irish roots, as do Manchester and the ‘Emerald Isle’ in general.
However, it doesn’t get much bigger than Oasis and with the Live ’25 reunion shows now just days away (we can hardly believe it either), Bohemians have decided to hop on the bandwagon too and steal some of that ‘band with the three stripes’ buzz for themselves.
Not to be too keen, but can we have 10 of them, please?…
Is this another instant hit? We’d say so, yeah.
Shot by Jamie Goldrick to the sound of cult favourite Definitely Maybe track, ‘Married with Children’, the Oasis x Bohemians kit reveal video was filmed at Cross Guns Snooker Hall: the oldest snooker club in Dublin City, which still remains an important community cornerstone.
As well as starring UK rock and mod culture icon, Paul Weller, perhaps the best bit about the FAI Cup shirt and this whole partnership is the charitable element behind it.
Just like with their Fontaines shirt, which helped supply medical aid across Palestine, the limited edition jersey will help generate crucial money for two key causes.
The first of which is the domestic non-profit organisation, Music Generation Ireland, the country’s national music education programme, which helps children and young people access vocal and instrumental tuition locally.
Secondly, funds will also be diverted to the Irish Community Care Manchester, located along Stockport Road in Levenshulme – further strengthening the mutual support between us Mancs and our cousins across the water.
You can get a close look at the Oasis x Bohemians kit design down below.
A closer look at our 2025 FAI Cup Shirt, a very special partnership with Oasis.
— Bohemian Football Club (@bfcdublin) July 1, 2025
The special edition and highly exclusive shirt is already available, with stock already disappearing rapidly thanks to Bohs die-hards, Oasis fans and footy kit connosieurs alike.
With the Burnage boys getting their seismic comeback shows underway with two nights at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff this Friday and Saturday (4-5 July), before heading for a double bill at Croke Park in Dublin this August, the excitement across the globe is already palpable.
Every single teaser trailer and social media post sends fans bananas, and god knows what the scenes are going to be like when they finally head to Heaton Park for the run of five homecoming nights.
Danny Jones -
13th February 2024 
