There’s a busy month of live music, comedy and entertainment ahead at the AO Arena Manchester.
The city’s leading venue will be welcoming some big names this May, with a packed schedule of events.
Expect pop perfection from Little Mix, who will perform three shows at the AO Arena this month, as well as comedy appearances from the likes of Alan Partridge and Chris Rock.
Music royalty like Blondie, Pet Shop Boys and Alice Cooper will take to the stage over the next month too.
The AO Arena has a range of hospitality packages on hand if you want to watch the show in style, from booking the best seats in the house to having a champagne reception and a waiter service.
Full details on Prime View and Prime Suites are below.
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Here’s what’s coming up at the AO Arena Manchester in May, and all you need to know about booking your hospitality packages.
Blondie – Sunday 1 May
Fronted by the iconic Debbie Harry, Blondie will be joined on this rescheduled tour date by Manchester legend Johnny Marr.
Tool – Monday 2 May
This strictly no-phones-allowed gig from art metallers Tool will be part of their arena tour of the UK, which is also taking them to London and Birmingham.
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Little Mix – Friday 6 and Saturday 7 May
Pop sensations Little Mix – aka Perrie Edwards, Jade Thirwell and Leigh-Anne Pinnock – will be doing three gigs in two days at the AO Arena on their Confetti tour, with a matinee performance on Saturday afternoon.
Gregory Porter – Sunday 8 May
Grammy Award-winning jazz soul singing sensation Gregory Porter will be in Manchester in just a few weeks, performing hits from his six studio albums.
Alan Partridge – Friday 13 and Saturday 14 May
Stratagem, a brand new live show from Alan Partridge (aka Steve Coogan) will touch down for two nights that promises to ‘inform, educate and entertain in approximately equal measure’.
Chris Rock – Sunday 15 May
Fresh from his hosting gig at the Oscars, comedic heavyweight and multi-award-winner Chris Rock is bringing his Ego Death World Tour to Manchester.
Bryan Adams – Tuesday 17 May
One of the world’s most iconic rock musicians is heading to the AO Arena – Bryan Adams’ So Happy It Hurts tour is in support of his 15th studio album – that’s quite the discography.
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Whitesnake – Wednesday 18 May
Hard rock stalwarts Whitesnake will be stopping off in Manchester on their eagerly-awaited Farewell tour, alongside Foreigner and Europe.
RuPaul’s Drag Race – Thursday 19 May
RuPaul’s massive Werq the World tour is sashaying its way to the AO Arena – the all-new production will see Michelle Visage, Asia O’Hara, Plastique Tiara and more travel back in time through several iconic eras.
Pet Shop Boys – Friday 20 May
Electronic pioneers Pet Shop Boys are back together in front of crowds on the Greatest Hits tour, working through a back catalogue that includes massive hits like West End Girls, Always On My Mind, and Go West.
The Script – Saturday 21 May
With five number one albums, six billion streams and two million ticket sales, The Script will be joined by Ella Henderson on their Greatest Hits Tour.
Alice Cooper and The Cult – Friday 27 May
Larger-than-life rock legend Alice Cooper and The Cult will come together for a very special co-headline show at the end of May.
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Years & Years – Saturday 28 May
Olly Alexander, recent star of hit series It’s A Sin and collaborator with Kylie Minogue, will be back at Years & Years in May with The Night Call tour.
AO Arena Hospitality package information
Prime View packages, designed for couples and smaller groups of friends and family, include fast-track pre-show entry to the Lounge, with a glass of champagne on arrival.
You also get a seat in the lower tier of the main auditorium (Block 103 or 114) to see the action on stage up close.
There are Prime View tickets available for all of the below shows.
There’s still some Prime Suites availability too, for Blondie, Tool and RuPaul’s Drag Race. The Prime Suites package is a full experience for up to 16 guests that includes a private suite, dedicated fast track entry, a buffet, champagne reception, private bar and waiter service, en suite toilets and cloakroom facilities.
To book either Prime View packages or Prime Suites at the AO Arena, you can email [email protected] or call 0161 9501069.
Audio
Sankeys nightclub is returning to Manchester
Danny Jones
It’s officially happening: iconic local club Sankeys is coming back to Manchester city centre almost a decade on from its gutting closure.
The iconic ‘Sankey’s Soap’ nightlife space – which started out over in Ancoats during the mid-’90s – enjoyed numerous stints during its time in the clubbing world, as well as opening multiple partnered venues in the country and even overseas.
Now, approaching nine years after the shutdown, Sankeys is returning to Manchester in the new year, and Mancs are currently losing their minds.
Whether you are one of those who ‘remember it when’, or someone who sadly missed out on the halcyon days in the old Beehive Mill, we assure you that everyone is in agreement that this is nothing short of massive news…
First teasing the comeback back in July, as our city and the world at large were gripped by ‘Britpop Mania’ 2.0, the largely dormant Instagram account posted: “This week Manchester, and the UK, has been blessed with a homecoming of our very own, Oasis.
“We think Manchester deserves another homecoming… Definitely, maybe?”
The North West corners of the internet and veteran revellers alike were understandably quick to get excited by the potential revival, but nothing else had been said for months – until now.
Confirmed on Tuesday, 25 November, the infamous and storied nightclub’s social media team began by writing, simply: “The Legend Returns” and beckoning “a new era for Sankeys”.
It is still unclear as to where exactly the new and improved club(s) will be, but we do know that the events will be in the city centre. However, we do know we’ll be getting a familiar matrix grid installation as part of the design once again.
They will also be enforcing a strict new no-phones policy, which has become increasingly popular across the scene, thanks to the likes of Amber’s right here in Manchester.
Sankeys first opened in Manchester as "Sankeys Soap" in June 1994.[3] It was so called due to its residence inside Beehive Mill, Ancoats, which once was used to manufacture soap. The basement of the mill was transformed into a club and live music venue#pub#historypic.twitter.com/cnM6Nt23uZ
Sankeys may have remained an active promoter in the days since the building on the corner of Radium and Jersey Street (M4 6JG) closed – going on to become an unsuspecting office development – this will be the first event of the aforementioned next chapter in a flagship venue.
Promising a limited capacity of no more than 500 people, Sankeys is set to make its landmark return on
“We will only be open one night a week on Saturday. There will be no VIP or phones allowed on the dancefloor — everyone is a VIP. People need to stop taking pictures and start dancing to the beat.”
Hordes of clubbers, ravers, students and more are already signing up for early access and general admission tickets for the first two nights on Friday and Saturday, 30-31 January 2026 go on sale at 9am this Friday (28 Nov).
Get ready to grab yours HERE and party like it’s, well, 1994, 2017 – take your pick.
Review | ‘Hopefully!’, you get lucky enough to see the spectacle that is Loyle Carner live
The Manc
The O2 Victoria Warehouse in Manchester has this week played host to Benjamin Gerard Coyle-Larner this week, a.k.a. Loyle Carner, as he serenaded adoring listeners with his captivating lyrics, spine-tingling bass and drumlines, as well as his ever-laid-back warmth and charisma.
His stage name is the only spoonerism you’ll ever find in this man’s craft, as every syllable is as intentional and well-placed as the last.
Accompanied by an incredibly talented band and golden production, the night lends itself to a thought-provoking performance that leaves you wanting more. Consider me listening to nothing but this setlist for the foreseeable.
As the rumble of eager, loyal/Loyle – take your pick – listeners awaited his arrival, you could sense what this artist and his poetic music mean to people.
We've seen @LoyleCarner twice this week. We might even go again tonight – yes, he really is that good. 🎤
Opening with ‘in my mind’, just like that, you saw the crowd suddenly holding each other’s hands whilst comfortably sitting in the palm of Carner’s.
Let’s not forget his brilliant band, either, who all got their time in the spotlight and wowed as a collective.
Carner and the crowd definitely gave them the recognition they deserved, with piano solos throwing a blanket of respectful silence and tentative listening over the whole audience.
Loyle’s well-loved and special lyrics were echoed throughout the venue from start to finish.
He insisted (and not for the first time) that there’s “something special about playing in Manchester” – and we couldn’t agree more.
Carner’s vulnerability onstage opens a glowing portal for his listeners to do so as well. He encourages feeling. And as an audience, this is extremely clear in the room. It was a sea of warm embraces, agreeing heads and ignited eyes.
Loyle Carner was just as good on night two at Victoria Warehouse as he was on the first. (Credit: Audio North)
As the setlist crept towards the end, the crowd were not ready to say goodbye as the customary chants of ‘one more song!’ bounced off the Victoria Warehouse walls.
We were then blessed with a solo Loyle, who shared a typically creative and reflective spoken-word Carner special with us.
Without any demand, the crowd fell sweetly silent and absorbed his every word. A poet, pure and simple.
The 31-year-old rapper and wordsmith plays one more night at the venue to round off his mini residency tonight (Tuesday, 25 November 2025); you can try and grab last-minute tickets HERE.
Daisy Jackson -
29th April 2022 
