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
Legendary pop duo Erasure announces huge Manchester arena gig on 2027 UK tour
Emily Sergeant
Legendary pop duo Erasure have announced a UK arena tour next spring, and they’re set to stop off in Manchester.
Andy Bell and Vince Clarke – better known by their duo name, Erasure – have announced details of their long-awaited upcoming 20th studio album today, titled Radio!! Radio!!, alongside details of an arena tour in spring 2027 across the UK and Europe.
Described as a ‘deeply personal’ project, the BRIT and Ivor Novello award-winning duo’s first new studio album in six years sees Bell and Clarke continue to refine and deepen the pop catalogue they’ve been building over the past 40 years.
The album will be comprised of a set of songs about love, loss, and injustice that they hope speaks to our ’empathy-starved times’.
Erasure will take to the road in 2027 for an arena tour that kicks off at Cardiff’s Utilita Arena on 25 April before travelling throughout the UK, including a stop in Manchester at the AO Arena on 1 May, before finishing off in London and heading over to Europe, with more dates to follow.
Vince Clarke will be Musical Director for the tour, but will not be appearing onstage alongside Andy Bell, it has been revealed.
Bell says: “I’m so pleased that we were able to find a way for the tour to work for Vince. He’s always too modest but he’s so much more than the Musical Director, Vince is one of the great loves of my life and everything we do as Erasure we decide together.”
Erasure will be performing at the AO Arena in Manchester on 1 May 2027, and tickets go on presale this Thursday 1 October at 10am, before general sale begins a day later (2 October) also at 10am.
Sir Rod Stewart announces Manchester gig on final ever tour
Daisy Jackson
Sir Rod Stewart has announced his final ever tour, with the legendary singer set to perform in Manchester along with some of Europe’s biggest arenas in 2027.
The ‘The Final Encore’ tour will mark the end of a live career spanning more than six decades, with Stewart kicking off the run in Dublin next spring before heading across the UK and Europe.
The music icon will be heading to the Co-op Live in May next year, with support from synth-pop pioneer Howard Jones.
Announcing the tour, Rod Stewart said: “The time has come to say farewell to life on the road. After more than six decades, The Final Encore will most definitely be my last.
“I’ve been singing the music I love since I was 19 years old, and I’ve had the privilege of taking it around the world to all of you. It has given me a life beyond anything I could ever have imagined, and I hope I’ve given you some fond memories in return.
“I hope you’ll join me so I can thank you the best way I know how… with the music and one hell of a show. See you there.”
The Final Encore is expected to feature many of Stewart’s biggest songs, including Maggie May, You Wear It Well, Tonight’s the Night, Hot Legs, Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?, Young Turks, Baby Jane, Forever Young, You’re in My Heart, Rhythm of My Heart, The First Cut Is the Deepest, Sailing and Have I Told You Lately.
Credit: Denise Truscello Credit: Jonathan Kammen 2007
Stewart has sold more than 250 million records and singles worldwide and has amassed 31 UK Top 10 singles, including six number ones. His career has also seen him inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame twice and named a Grammy Living Legend.
His touring career has been just as remarkable, with Stewart having performed for an estimated 20 million fans around the world.
That includes his famous Guinness World Record-setting performance on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, where an estimated 3.5 million people watched him perform, as well as a 13-year, 200-show residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace.
Now, after more than 60 years on stage, Stewart is preparing to bring the curtain down on his touring career.
General release tickets for Rod Stewart’s The Final Encore will go on sale from 10am on Friday 2 October, with a number of presales taking place in the days prior.
Rod Stewart will perform in Manchester one last time on Thursday 6 May 2027 – tickets will go on sale HERE.
Daisy Jackson -
29th April 2022 
