Rock duo Royal Blood are back in Manchester this Friday after smashing the AO Arena in April last year and having not long dropped their new record, Back to the Water Below, on 1 September.
In fact, with their fourth studio album now out and four consecutive number-ones to their name, not to mention charting extremely well in the US and beyond, Royal Blood remain at the forefront of modern rock music all over the world.
With that being said, regardless of what music lovers might have made of that admittedly very awkward with the crowd in Dundee, they’re rockstars at the end of the day and die-hard fans wouldn’t have cared for more than five minutes before grabbing a ticket. Speaking of which…
Are there tickets left for Royal Blood’s O2 Apollo gig?
If you were looking to hop on the gig at the last minute, you’re in luck: although the show is technically sold out, there are some standing tickets up for grabs in both the stalls and in the circle seated section of the O2 Apollo — however, they are resales.
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The Brighton boys might be going for a bit of a smaller venue this time around but believe us, this place is already packed out and if you’ve ever been to a sold-out gig, you know it can be a proper cauldron.
You can secure a spot from £53.63 on Ticketmaster and, obviously, keep an eye on other reseller sites like Twickets and TicketSwap but, as always, we urge you to stay away from ticket touts — there’s no point in getting stung on a Friday night.
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Credit: Royal Blood (via Instagram)
Who’s supporting Royal Blood in Manchester?
As for Royal Blood’s support acts for the Manchester gig, you’ve just got one this time which, in our opinion, often means two very good things: firstly, that the one act the artist has chosen gone is so good they don’t need another warm-up and secondly, the sets usually last longer. Only good news.
On this occasion, the standalone support comes from Hastings-based three-piece HotWax, who are already making a name for themselves as one of the most exciting new names in the genre that you should keep your eye on.
The trio have been around since 2020 and literally just released a brand-new EP entitled, Invite me, kindly. If you’ve never come across them before, we can promise you at three things: lots of raw rock riffs that will have no trouble filling the room, plenty of harmonised vocals and some funky basslines — no wonder Mike and Ben like them.
Now, as for when you’ll be hearing these two brilliant bands, the Apollo’s doors open at 7pm on Friday, 21 October and the curfew is expected to be around 11pm as per usual.
The venue doesn’t usually announce the specific stage times until around 2pm the day of the event but we’ll update you as soon as we know more. That being said, you can probably expect Royal Blood to take the stage around 9pm.
It goes without saying that stage times are always subject to change, so make sure to keep an eye on both the band and the Apollo’s social media channels, as well as check the event page nearer to the time.
Setlist
Having not long wrapped up their North American shows, Manchester has the honour of being the first proper date on the UK leg of their tour (because of course it does) after just playing a handful of more intimate album launch shows back at the start of last month.
With that being said, Royal Blood could have changed up things since then but if we’re going off their most recent shows over in the States, Setlist.fm has the running order looking something like this:
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Mountains at Midnight
Boilermaker
Come on Over
Lights Out
Triggers
Trouble’s Coming
Typhoons
Pull Me Through
Little Monster (followed by drum solo)
How Did We Get So Dark?
Tell Me When It’s Too Late
Loose Change
Out of the Black
Encore:
Waves
Shiner in the Dark
Figure It Out
Travel and parking for the O2 Apollo
As for those of you who haven’t been to this legendary gig location before or might be travelling into town from elsewhere, it’s very straightforward to get there.
Your main train station is, of course, Manchester Piccadilly and the same goes for your nearest Metrolink tram stop. There are also plenty of buses from the city centre on the Bee Network, with 192, 201, 203, 204 and 205 all stopping right by the Apollo. You can check the TfGM website for more info and to plan your journey.
As for parking for those of you driving to the concert, there are two official car parks immediately adjacent to the building which will both cost £10.00 to stay there — strictly cash only and obviously on a first-come-first-serve basis.
With plenty of new tracks being played for the first time as well as the hits that put these two musicians on the map, this is sure to be an absolute rager of a gig in what remains one of our favourite venues.
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We’ll tell you another thing, there’ll be nothing disappointing or “pathetic” about the crowd’s performance here in Manchester, lads — you just make sure you put on a good show and we’ll do all the rest, don’t worry.
Stevie Wonder’s 50th Anniversary Tour at the Co-op Live, Manchester – stage times, setlist, tickets and more
Lydia Mastrolonardo
No we can’t believe it either, THE Stevie Wonder is going to be performing at Manchester’s Co-op Live, on Sunday 8 November, as part of his Songs in the Key of Life – 50th Anniversary Tour.
It’s about to be One Of A Kind evening, honouring one of the most influential albums ever created, including some fan favourites like ‘Isn’t She Lovely,’ ‘Love’s In Need of Love Today,’ and ‘Sir Duke.’
This absolutely legendary singer, songwriter, musician, producer and activist, is largely regarded as one of the most influential and decorated musicians of the 20th century, having sold over 100 million records worldwide. He is one of only three artists in Grammy history to win Album Of The Year three times in his career, as well as having 25 Grammy Awards and an Academy Award in his back pocket.
Wonder is deemed a child prodigy having first got signed to Berry Gordy’s Motown’s Tamla label aged 11 and since then his career rapidly took off gaining well-deserved recognition worldwide.
This show is going to be a once in a lifetime experience for many and one you definitely do not want to miss out on or you’ll be Cryin’ Through The Night. See below for all that you need to know…
Gig Guide | Stevie Wonder at Co-op Live, Manchester
These are the only times that are confirmed, but it’s expected that Stevie will be on stage around 8:00pm.
Can you still get tickets to see Stevie Wonder in Manchester?
Put On A Happy Face – there are still tickets on sale for Manchester!
There are remaining general sale and verified resale tickets being sold on Co-op Live’s website through Ticketmaster. Click HEREto get your last minute tickets.
What songs can fans expect to hear?
The show is part of his Songs in the Key of Life 50th Anniversary Tour, where he performs the album in full, with his own backing band.
Therefore suspected set list should follow the album as follows:
Love’s in Need of Love Today
Have a Talk With God
Village Ghetto Land
Contusion
Sir Duke
I Wish
Knocks Me Off My Feet
Pastime Paradise
Summer Soft
Ordinary Pain
Saturn
Ebony Eyes
Set 2
Isn’t She Lovely
Joy Inside My Tears
Black Man
All Day Sucker
Easy Goin’ Evening (My Mama’s Call)
Ngiculela – Es Una Historia – I Am Singing
If It’s Magic
As
Another Star
Imagine (John Lennon cover)
Superstition
However, the 1976 release also contained with a four-track EP, A Something’s Extra, and it has not been announced whether those four have made it to the set list, so you could be in for a few extras.
How to get to Co-op Live
Tram
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 1am 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.
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 on 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 on 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.
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For more information on all travel options, you can check out the enhanced journey planner.
Role Model adds Manchester arena show to world tour after huge demand
Daisy Jackson
Platinum-certified singer-songwriter Role Model has just added a huge Manchester gig to his upcoming world tour.
The star – real name Tucker Pillsbury – had previously only added one single UK date to his Chuck on Tour tour, and that was down in London.
But now Role Model is officially heading north, announcing a massive gig at the AO Arena in Manchester.
The news follows a sold-out run of dates last year, which brought him to the (much smaller) O2 Apollo here.
His star really rose after the release and viral success of his 2025 single, ‘Sally, When the Wine Runs Out’.
And now with a third studio album to his name – Chuck Timely & The Hourglass – Role Model is ready to return to Manchester and London on his 2026-2027 global tour.
The tour will travel across North America before heading overseas, with dates across Europe early next year.
Keni Titus will support Role Model at all dates on the UK and European leg of the Chuck on Tour tour.
Role Model will perform at the AO Arena in Manchester on Sunday 28 February, with pre-sales available on 4 and 5 November before general release tickets go on sale at 9am on Friday 6 November – grab yours HERE.
Danny Jones -
19th October 2023 
