With the Co-op Live finally open (we can hardly believe it either), it feels like the action-packed live season in Manchester this summer is starting to ramp up and with blues rock heavyweights The Black Keys set to follow Manc music royalty as the brand-new arena’s second night, we can’t wait.
The Manc Audio had the pleasure of reviewing their incredible show at the AO Arena last year and it only served as a reminder of just how polished these guys are when it comes to bringing the last 23 years of studio material to life on stage, so it was little surprise when they were confirmed for the Co-op.
Ok, yes, they might have been on the unfortunate end of the venue’s early setbacks, but the fans haven’t gone anywhere and, fortunately, their rescheduled show is now set to go off without a hitch this Wednesday, 15 May.
That being said, unless you happened to be at Elbow last night as well, this will be your first time at Co-op Live so, as always, we thought we’d put together a useful gig guide with all the important information you need to know ahead of The Black Keys’ highly-anticipated headline slot.
They put on quite the show, we’ll tell you that for nothing. Read our full review from last time out.
Are there tickets left for The Black Keys at Co-op Live?
If you’re hoping to swindle a last-minute ticket for Co-op Live’s sophomore show, you’re in luck. Given the rescheduled date, there are quite a few tickets left for The Black Keys‘ Manchester gig – it just depends on how much you’re willing to pay.
ADVERTISEMENT
With standing and resale tickets on the floor starting from £42.50 (before fees), there are also plenty of seats available all around the arena’s lower bowl; all of these spots are nice and close to the stage too, with tier-one seating ranging anywhere from £75.95 to £88.06 depending on your view.
You can grab yours HERE and, of course, we strongly urge you to avoid illegal ticket touts. No gig is worth the risk of being stung over.
ADVERTISEMENT
Who’s supporting The Black Keys in Manchester?
Arguably one of the most exciting parts about The Black Keys’ return to Manchester is who they’ve picked as the support act for this UK tour, as they’ve kept things fittingly North West because, you know, all the best music is from ’round here, isn’t it?
They might not be Mancs but Liverpool-based Circa Waves have become favourites amongst the indie scene over the past decade or so, not only playing huge festival slots but selling out their own headline tours all over the UK for years now.
We’d pay good money to see Circa on their own – in fact, we have and will continue to – so folding them in as part of Wednesday’s night performance makes this an insanely good value-for-money show as far as we’re concerned.
As for when you’ll get to see both of these incredible acts, doors Co-op Live open from 6:30pm and, according to the website, Circa Waves are due to start the gig at 7:30pm.
There will be an interval between sets and we can estimate that The Black Keys themselves won’t take the stage until 9pm, meaning that you’re in for a roughly two-hour action-packed headline show before the curfew at 11pm.
As always with gigs, these times are always subject to change, so make sure to keep an eye on the artists and the venue’s socials for all the latest information.
Setlist
The Ohio rockers kicked off the UK leg of their massive European tour with three nights at London’s Brixton Academy – where they also brought out Manc music legend and recent collaborator, Noel Gallagher – before nipping for a couple of shows in Paris before flying back here to Manchester.
Going entirely off the songs they played across those shows, we think we have a pretty good idea of the setlist, and there are plenty of tunes off the new album too. Here’s what you can expect (we think):
ADVERTISEMENT
I Got Mine
Gold on the Ceiling
Your Touch
Tighten Up
Have Love Will Travel (Richard Berry & The Pharaohs cover)
Everlasting Light
Next Girl
Lo/Hi
This Is Nowhere
Heavy Soul
Weight of Love
Howlin’ for You
Beautiful People (Stay High)
Only Love Matters
Fever
On the Game
Wild Child
I Heard It Through the Grapevine (Gladys Knight and The Pips cover)
Is The Black Keys’ ‘record hang’ party still happening in Manchester?
Now, The Black Keys tours have become famous for their ‘record hang’ parties at local venues all over the globe, with their last visit to Manchester ending in the YES. I know, imagine bumping into Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney in Pink Room (we literally did).
Obviously, their April show had to be ultimately rescheduled the venue they did have earmarked for after their Co-op Live gig was cult favourite nightclub, Hidden, over in Cheetham Hill.
Although there has been no update from the band as to whether or not their afterparty is still happening, we thought it only right to give you a heads-up in case they decide to follow through with their original plan and go play a semi-secret DJ set – and again, keep an eye out for any announcements.
Travel info – how to get there, parking etc.
Tram
ADVERTISEMENT
Now, as for how you’ll get to shows at 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.
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.
ADVERTISEMENT
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.
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.
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:
ADVERTISEMENT
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.
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.
That should be just about everything you need to know if you’re heading to see The Black Keys at the Co-op Live in Manchester tonight and we sincerely hope you have a belter.
Better still, we hope the venue lives up to your expectations and we must admit, now we’ve seen inside and it truly is Live, it is pretty darn impressive.
There are pairs of tickets to a load of events up for grabs as part of ‘The Great Christmas Giveaway’
Danny Jones
International ticketing platform See Tickets is gifting selected pairs of tickets to a lucky bunch this winter as part of ‘The Great Christmas Giveaway’.
After all, they do call it the ‘season of giving’.
Teaming up with promotion partners, music artists and other organisers, See Tickets has decided to give out a bunch of passes, ranging from gigs and sporting events to theatre and comedy.
We wouldn’t be doing our jobs properly if we didn’t at least try to let you in on the possibility of winning some live entertainment freebies.
Thankfully, there are plenty of them; there are over a dozen tickets up for grabs in total, split across the six different dates running into next year.
Here’s a quick rundown of what’s on offer:
See Tickets Great Christmas Giveaway – the full list of events
Fancy seeing a Disney classic brought to life on stage? There are a possible four tickets to see Herclues: The Musical to be won, not to mention drinks vouchers and a bonus goodie bag.
All you need to do is follow @seetickets and @eventimuk on Instagram, like and share the post below to your story; tag a friend and tell your best Christmas joke by 00:01am this Monday, 8 December 2025. You can see a trailer from the highly praised performances down in the capital down below.
Two tickets to see Greg Davies
Yes, the second event revealed by See Tickets as part of this year’s Great Christmas Giveaway is the latest live stand-up tour show by the quite literally massive funny man, Greg Davies.
Playing at the Hammersmith Apollo down in London, this time you need to like, follow, share and tag a friend naming your favourite character by Tuesday, 9 December 2025 – again, before 00:01.
In case you somehow missed it, Take That are heading back out on the road for the 10th anniversary of The Circus album and tour – this time, you can pick the show of your choosing.
Same idea again: follow both pages, like and share, tag a friend, and this time, tell them your favourite album by the band. You enter by 00:01 this Thursday, 11 December.
This one is for all the rock fans. Slam Dunk Festival celebrates 20 years next summer, and what better way to toast the milestone than to be there not only in the flesh but in VIP?
You can pick either North or South, but let’s be honest – Leeds is the only place to be. Follow the same terms as above, and then just tell the comments which artist you’re most excited to see. Again, entry closes at 00:01 on Thursday (11 Dec).
Never giving up on a Rick Astley gig
Up next, how about seeing a living music legend of the North West on his upcoming arena tour? The one and only Rick Astley isn’t just back on the up, but if confirmed as the winner, you can select the date of your choice.
Once again, meet the usual requirements listed previously, plus leave your favourite Rick Astley song in the comments. Yes, you can pick that one – just make sure you do it by a minute after midnight on Wednesday, 10 December…
Last but not least, if you’re partial to a bit of pugilism and/or bloodsport, you can watch cult favourite combat sport Cage Warriors at your preferred venue AND win a signed pair of official Cage Warrior gloves too.
With the winner due to be announced just after midnight on Friday, 12 December, make sure you’ve met all the standard entry requirements and let other fans know which fighter you’re most looking forward to seeing. Simple as that!
Best of luck to everyone throwing names into the hat for their event of choice, and let us know in the comments if any of you win!
We’re not done there either; there are plenty of other free tickets coming up in Greater Manchester ahead of the new year, too.
Featured Images — Press shots (supplied)/Audio North
Audio
Ed Sheeran at Co-op Live, Manchester – tickets, times, setlist and more for ‘intimate’ UK tour
Thomas Melia
The red-headed, guitar-strumming, lyrical genius, also known as Ed Sheeran, is back, and he’s heading to Co-op Live for one night only as part of his current UK tour.
‘Bad Habits’, ‘Shape of You’, ‘Thinking Out Loud’, Sheeran has built quite an impressive music catalogue over the years and amassed a whopping 60 billion streams while doing so.
The UK music heavyweight scored his ninth number one album with Play, all while adding two more top ten hits to his discography with ‘Azizam’ and ‘Sapphire’, driving his overall top ten singles total to 43 – that’s ‘Perfect’.
Last week, Sheeran dropped his latest musical addition, Play (Deluxe), which features 14 brand new tracks, and lucky fans who have tickets to these upcoming shows will be eager to see which ones he adds to his setlist.
Ed Sheeran at Co-op Live, Manchester – all the key info you need to know
Ed Sheeran is performing a run of ‘intimate’ shows in the UK (Credit: Press Shots via Petros Studio)
Now he’s bringing his huge hits to Manchester’s biggest indoor entertainment venue, Co-op Live, just across from the ‘Castle on the Hill’, Etihad Stadium, which Sheeran has performed at on eight occasions.
If you’re patiently trying not to get your hopes up, thinking about tickets for Sheeran’s latest gig while simultaneously saying ‘I Don’t Care’, think again.
All you ‘Beautiful People’ after tickets to go see Ed Sheeran when he plays out at Co-op Live on 7 December, you’re in luck as there’s a handful waiting to get snapped up HERE.
Ed Sheeran setlist
Prepare yourself, but with 43 top ten hits next to his name, it’s no surprise Sheeran’s setlist is quite a lengthy one; here’s what he performed at his Paris show earlier this month:
Give Me Love
Castle on the Hill
Shivers
Sapphire
The A Team
Don’t
Boat / Life Goes On
Galway Girl
Nancy Mulligan
Old Phone
Celestial
One / Photograph
Thinking Out Loud
Eastside / 2002 / Cold Water / Little Things / Love Yourself
I See Fire
River / Peru / Beautiful People / I Don’t Care
Camera
Slowly
Perfect
Symmetry
Bloodstream
You Need Me, I Don’t Need You
Shape of You
Azizam
Bad Habits
Afterglow
Merry Christmas
What are the stage times for Ed Sheeran in Manchester?
Co-op Live has a strict curfew of 11pm, meaning you can ‘2step’ to this chart-topping superstar’s tracks and get tucked up in bed before the early hours of the morning.
Anyone attending can expect the doors to open from 6pm, and not one but two very special guests as the support acts: contemporary Irish band, Biird, and folk duo, Nizlopi, who Ed Sheeran has been a big fan of for a long time now.
You can hear more about his connection with the group down below.
For those of you heading to Co-op Live, you’ll be glad to know 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 1:00am on Fridays and Saturdays.
Bus
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.
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.
Greater Manchester now also offers the option to hire bikes through the Beryl app, with riders able to locate, unlock, get to their destination and then safely lock up the bike 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.
Danny Jones -
15th May 2024 
