UK reggae icons UB40 have just announced a massive run of domestic arena dates, including a huge show at an equally legendary venue here in Manchester.
The Brummy veterans of the British reggae and ska scene have been going for more than four decades now, blending both pop and rocksteady styles, as well as other Caribbean influences into their music.
A cult favourite group since their inception, whose lineup has always remained fluid – sometimes featuring more than nine different musicians on stage – they’re known for their brilliant live sets just as much as their studio material.
Started by the Campbell family, the current roster still includes four of the six founding members, and with singer Matt Doyle now serving as the modern lead singer since 2021, there’s still plenty of energy, youth and experience to their spirited gigs.
Revealing a return to Manchester and yet another trip to the AO Arena on Monday morning, 3 November, UB40, this isn’t the first time they’ve played these hallowed halls.
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They will also be joined by R’n’B/reggae-fusion artist Maxi Priest, as well as fellow contemporaries, Aswad – another seasoned act who have been making music in the genre and performing live since way back in 1975.
Speaking on the comeback, co-founder Robin Campbell said: “For more than 40 years, we’ve been one of the hardest working touring bands in pop music.
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“We aim to have a party every show. As much as we enjoyed our Zoom chats [about more shows] during lockdown, there’s no substitute for the relationship and synergy we have with our live audiences.”
Dropping a definitive UB45 compilation featuring their greatest hits back in April 2024 – and celebrating as many years in their recording career – UB40 are also set to release another new album next year, in line with the fresh UK tour dates.
We’re pleased to announce our June, 2026 UK Arena Tour with special guests @MaxiPriest & @aswadband! Sign up to our newsletter via the link below for more info on how to access the ticket pre-sale and to find out more about how to pre-order our new studio album coming in 2026.
Gig Review | The ‘West End Girl’ heads up North – Lily Allen at Aviva Studios in Manchester
Lonnie Bowes
Last night at Aviva Studios, the home of Factory International, Lily Allen performed the first of two intimate theatre shows in Manchester – here’s our review…
As part of her ‘West End Girl Tour’, Allen is performing in more considered spaces up and down the country alongside the bigger sold-out venues you might normally expect.
It’s a refreshing change of pace. Seeing a pop star slow things down and lean fully into theatre, something that perfectly aligns with the drama that’s surrounded her in recent years.
Supporting the show was a special ‘Dallas Minor Trio’: an orchestral string group that elegantly warmed up the crowd, taking on instrumental Allen classics, including ‘F**K You’ and ‘LDN’ to set the tone nicely, with a screen behind them as the patient Manchester crowd settled in and enjoyed an early singalong.
When the lights dimmed, Allen emerged through the curtains and opened with the tour’s namesake, ‘West End Girl’. From the moment she stepped onto the stage, she asserted herself firmly in the space – a set designed to resemble her own small apartment.
This is when the real show began. As Allen moved through the performance, the set behind her transformed from song to song, adding to the theatrical feel of the evening.
During ‘Madeline’, she appeared armed with a feather duster, fully committing to the domestic setting, while for ‘Relapse’, she dramatically spills the contents of her handbag across Factory International‘s adjustable floor.
Anyone who has listened to Allen’s recent material will know she’s been keeping all the receipts on her ex (can’t remember his name).
Credit: Henry Redcliffe (supplied via Factory International)
Elsewhere in the set, Allen delivered standout performances of ‘Pussy Palace’, ‘Nonmonogamummy’ and ‘Beg for Me’, songs that leaned fully into the confessional tone of the evening.
Each track landed with a mix of sharp humour and raw honesty, with Allen balancing moments of biting lyricism with the kind of self-aware storytelling that has long defined her songwriting.
By the end of the night, the performance felt less like a traditional pop concert and more like a piece of confessional theatre.
In the intimate surroundings of the Aviva Studios space, Lily Allen proved that sometimes scaling things down can make a story feel much bigger – and that her ability to turn personal chaos into compelling performance remains as sharp as ever.
Manchester rock and blues veterans Proud Mary announce handful of reunion shows in 2026
Danny Jones
Veteran Manchester rock and blues band Proud Mary recently announced a limited run of UK reunion shows, including a fairly intimate hometown show.
The seasoned Northern outfit may have seen plenty of lineup changes and a long hiatus of sorts, but now they’re returning for just a small handful of comeback gigs across the country.
Ahead of their seminal debut album turning 25 years old this year, 2026 also seems them steadily creeping up on the best part of three decades as a group in some form or another.
For anyone uninitiated, the native 90s and early noughties name was the first band signed to Noel Gallagher’s Sour Mash Records in 2001.
Their first-ever LP, The Same Old Blues, still remains their most revered work to this day.
Dubbed by the older Burnage brother and legendary Manc musician as “a lesson in songwriting” in an interview with the NME way back when, they started out as long-time friends and turned into fellow studio peers.
As well as supporting the likes of Oasis, Neil Young, The Stereophonics, Paul Weller, Ocean Colour Scene, Ryan Adams, Noel’s High Flying Birds and more on various tours over the years, they also famously headlined Isle of Wight Festival in 2004.
Having collaborated with the likes of another Britpop legend, Gem Archer, as well as The Smiths’ Andy Rourke, not to mention gaining plaudits from so many other contemporaries, they’re likely one of your favourite bands’ old faithful bands.
It still sits as one of the biggest live highlights.
Moreover, in regional terms, rising local indie rock quintet Rosellas are also joining them on the road for all but one of the shows.
Unfortunately for us, it is their date at Manchester Academy 3 (sigh)…
However, we’re still getting a fairly nearby name, with fellow long-running Crewe icons The Train Set joining them here in 0161 on 16 May. You can grab your tickets HERE.
Both of the Manc bands have also featured in our artists of the month, by the way, in case you wanted to see who else was listed alongside them.
Danny Jones -
3rd November 2025 
