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The Darkness announce huge arena tour, with a Manchester date
I Believe In A Thing Called Tickets
The Darkness have announced their largest headline tour in 20 years, and they’re heading straight to Manchester.
The British glam rockers will be performing seven nights across the UK, including the AO Arena.
The Darkness Band of Brothers Tour will include support from the Grammy Award-winning American country rockets Brothers Osborne, as well as UK rock band A.
Earlier this year, the band released their eighth studio album, Dreams On Toast, which has become their most successful album since their debut Permission to Land.
Permission To Land, which spawned the single I Believe in a Thing Called Love, has been revealed as the most successful British rock album of the 21st centiry.
They’ve been touring across Europe, Australia and the USA with their new music, and soon it’ll be time for their gargantuan headline tour.
The Darkness will be performing at Knebworth Park in support of Iron Maiden next summer, before The Band of Brothers Tour kicks off in winter 2026.
Frontman Justin Hawkins said: “Powerful rock was designed to be played in huge rectangular buildings. Huge rectangular buildings were designed to house powerful rock bands.
“The Darkness are a powerful rock band and the arenas listed below are huge rectangular buildings. Except for the exception which proves the rule. Thank you O2 Arena…
“In December 2026 this elegantly logical proposition will become a reality, driven by three bands consisting of seven brothers.
“Three of them are Perrys, from Lowestoft’s A. Two of them are Osbornes, from the Brothers Osborne. And two of them are my brother Dan and I.
“The Darkness, Brothers Osborne and A, veritable Bands of Brothers, rocking in a huge rectangular (or domed) building – what could be more powerful than that?”
The Darkness will play the AO Arena in Manchester on 11 December 2026, with tickets on sale from 10am on Friday 28 November HERE.
The Darkness 2026 UK tour dates
- 11 July – Knebworth Park (with Iron Maiden)
- 8 Dec – Glasgow, OVO Hydro
- 9 Dec – Leeds, FD Arena
- 11 Dec – Manchester, AO Arena
- 12 Dec – Birmingham, Utilita Arena
- 13 Dec – Cardiff, Utilita Arena
- 15 Dec – Brighton, Brighton Centre
- 16 Dec – London, The O2
Featured image: Simon Emmett
Audio
James Blunt announces huge Manchester gig on new European arena tour
Daisy Jackson
Singer-songwriter James Blunt is heading back out on tour next year, and has announced a massive Manchester gig as part of his run of arena shows.
The singer, perhaps best-known for his iconic 2005 pop ballad ‘You’re Beautiful’, is hitting the road again in 2027.
The newly-announced European tour is in celebration of his new album Airplane Mode, which is set for release this autumn.
James Blunt will kick off his tour in Leeds next spring, before heading over for a night at the almighty Co-op Live in Manchester.
Then he’ll head to more cities including Newcastle, Birmingham and London.
His new album, Airplane Mode, is being released on 6 November and will, according to his press release, be ‘exhilarating’.
James has already released the first single, ‘Tastes Like Summer’, and ‘Weight Of It All’, with 10 more songs to come on the record.
Airplane Mode was recorded with James’ brilliant long-standing live band, who’ll be back on tour with him next year.
Speaking of the new album, and recording in Pig Music Studios, he said: “Somewhere back there, I lost my way, but found it again in a studio in Banbury.”
James Blunt will be at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester on 3 April, 2027. Tickets go on sale from 10am on 9 September.
James Blunt UK and Ireland 2027 tour dates
- 26 March – Leeds
- 27 March – Birmingham
- 28 March – Newcastle
- 30 March – Dublin
- 31 March – Belfast
- 2 April – Glasgow
- 3 April – Manchester
- 4 April – London
- 6 April – Cardiff
- 7 April – Bournemouth
- 8 April – Brighton
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Featured image: Supplied
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Major pop star crowns humble rice and three cafe as ‘Jewel of Manchester’ ahead of sold-out gig
Thomas Melia
A beloved city centre takeaway has been given the title of ‘Jewel of Manchester’ by chart-topping UK singer Sam Smith.
Known for hits like ‘Stay With Me’, ‘I’m Not The Only One’ and more recently ‘Unholy’, UK pop-ballad act Sam Smith also likes to drop a food review every once in a while.
Currently on the road with a run of shows in Manchester and London for their ‘To Be Free’ live shows, Sam Smith is stopping off at some of our city’s much-loved spots.
On their food-reviewing account titled ‘Sam Served’, where they adopt the aptly-fitting nickname ‘Ham Smith’, Sam has visited restaurants across the globe – and most recently turned their attention to Manchester’s own This & That.
Smith decided to pop in and grab a cheeky rice and three from long-standing backstreet food business This & That, and it certainly went down a treat.
After sampling their amazing selection of meat, vegetable and vegan curries, the musician crowned this family-run Indian takeaway a ‘Jewel of Manchester’.
The hitmaker described this Northern Quarter Indian eatery as ‘Everything food should be’ and definitely enjoyed all the curries on offer ‘leaving belly and heart full’.
This & That prides itself on affordable and comforting food with its ‘Rice and Three Curries’ starting from just £6 – not bad for a city centre foodie spot.
Sam has racked up an impressive 490k followers via their ‘Sam Served’ profile, with famous faces like Lily Allen, Denise Welch and CMAT all wanting to know the superstar’s foodie thoughts.
After enjoying a curry or three, Sam Smith also made sure to feed their soul to by venturing down to Afflecks and getting lost in the music at Mars Tapes.
Recognised as one of the UK’s only cassette and tape shops, Mars Tapes lets you flick through their crates of physical media and even preview tracks before you buy with its dedicated listening areas.
It’s safe to say that Smith has ‘Latched’ onto Manchester’s independent business scene and we’re here for it.
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The London-born artist has just released their latest album Hazel Eyes and is currently amid a UK residency tour with two dates in Manchester’s Albert Hall and eight shows set for London Coliseum.
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Featured Image: @samserved (via Instagram)
Daisy Jackson -
20th November 2025 
