England’s next World Cup match will take place this Saturday – but clashes with some huge gigs taking place in Manchester.
Thankfully, fans with tickets for either Blossoms or Paul Heaton and Jacqui Abbott will now be able to watch the game in a massive setting.
Arrangements have been made to show the quarter final game at theAO Arena and at the O2 Apollo – and Paul Heaton’s even gone a step further for fans who don’t actually like football.
He’s said that the group have arranged to have some live entertainment in the arena concourse, and are hoping to serve free mulled wine to those who don’t want to watch England vs France.
Kick off is around 7pm on Saturday, leaving many fans facing missing the start of the gigs to go and watch the action in nearby pubs and bars.
And it’s full steam ahead, with a statement confirming a new running order for Paul Heaton and Jacqui Abbott at the AO Arena.
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He wrote in a statement: “Following some lengthy thought and discussion, we have decided that we will now be showing the England v France match on the screens at AO Arena Manchester on Saturday evening.
“The venue have kindly agreed to open doors from 5pm so that you can all get in on time to see the fantastic Billy Bragg who has also shown great sportsmanship by agreeing to take to the stage at the earlier time of 6:15pm. This means the match can then be shown on the screens from 7pm.
“We are mindful that there will be people that won’t be keen on watching the match (we did, unsuccessfully, look at alternative entertainment within the arena itself) and also worried about transport home, but we assure you that Paul & Jacqui will still take to the stage by 9pm, meaning the show will finish around 10:40/45pm.
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Following some lengthy thought and discussion, we have decided that we will now be showing the England v France match on the screens at the @AOArena Manchester on Saturday evening. For full information please read the attached statement… pic.twitter.com/rg6T00hCF5
“This does mean we won’t be showing any extra time if that occurs, but if it does Paul and Jacqui will be very keen to keep you updated from the stage. With the right result this could be a great night!
“Times for the evening are as follows: 5pm Doors open, 6:15pm Billy Bragg, 7pm England v France game on the Arena screens, 9pm Paul Heaton & Jacqui Abbott.”
Blossoms have made similar moves, and will be showing England vs France over at the O2 Apollo.
An email circulated to ticket-holders said: “The England v France FIFA World Cup quarter final match will be shown live on the big screen prior to Blossoms’ performance at O2 Apollo Manchester on Saturday 10th December.
“Doors: 17:00. Brooke Combe: 18:10. England v France: 19:00 kick off Blossoms: 21:15*
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“*In the event of extra time/penalties, times will be adjusted accordingly.”
One person tweeted Paul Heaton to say: “I’m unfortunately not going but I think what you have done is brilliant – ensuring that given the occasion people can still watch the match and watch you at the agreed time as well. As usual, you put the fans first.”
Featured image: Publicity pictures
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There’s a big 90s rave happening in Manchester this summer
Thomas Melia
A music-oriented event is taking place in Manchester later this year dedicated to everything about the unforgettable 90s rave scene.
Relive the ‘Madchester‘ glory days all over again as you and your mates can now get tickets to the 90’s rave of the summer happening right here in Manchester.
This event is going big or going home with a runtime of 10 hours and with the amount of acts that have been announced, you’ll wish you had 24 hours.
Presented by the same team that put together ‘Sanctuary Forever’, ravers are at the heart of everything they do, and with a turnout of 8,500 attendees, you certainly won’t be dancing alone.
There are four different ‘arenas’ at this rave all catering to different soundscapes of the 90s rave scene, from hardcore to classic DnB, no music genre has been forgotten.
We all know Manchester was the cultural epicentre for electronic music and with the help of iconic music venues including The Hacienda.
Now, the capital of the North is back in its prime with this event featuring much-adored DJs such as Fabio and Grooverider, Ratpack, Danny Rampling and more.
Acts like Scott Brown, Hype and Slipmatt who were instrumental in shaping rave culture in the 90’s will also be playing sets on this very night.
Rave culture is nothing but praised for around these quarters with The Prodigy playing two very special gigs in the current club highlight, The Warehouse Project back in December.
Taking place at Bowlers Exhibition Centre, this 84,000 square foot space is deeply rooted in the rave scene too, with shows like Helter Skelter, Life, Asylum and Fantasia happening here once upon a time.
You can see the lineup in full HERE get a quick rundown of the setup down below:
With a lineup this stellar, while making sure to look back on Manchester’s musical history and 90s rave culture, in particular, there’s a reason why this event is titled ‘Manchester Forever’.
‘Manchester Forever’ is coming to Bowlers Exhibition Centre in Manchester on 3 May 2025 and tickets are already on sale.
Boney M and more join star-studded concert lineup at Arley Hall
Thomas Melia
Disco legends Boney M are just one of the many famous acts joining an impressive lineup of gigs at well-known site Arley Hall.
This historic building and its grounds are situated in Cheshire and have been the filming spot for some mega TV and on-demand streaming shows including Fool Me Once and Peaky Blinders.
Now, Arley Hall is transforming into a gig hotspot this summer welcoming impressive acts like Odyssey and The Real Thing keeping disco frontiers Boney M in good company.
Known for hits like ‘Rivers of Babylon’, ‘Rasputin’, ‘Daddy Cool’ and everyone’s guilty pleasure Christmas song ‘Mary’s Boy Child’, the Boney M gang sure knew how to write a hit or two. Still do, in fact.
Music you can’t help but dance to.
The same can be said for Odyssey, who have some catchy numbers like ‘Native New Yorker’, ‘Inside Out’, while The Real Thing have their number one single ‘You To Me Are Everything’ among many others.
And it’s not just disco that’s getting a spotlight, superstar vocalist Russell Watson is bringing a Proms spectacular to this live music weekend event too.
Watson will be partying just as much as the crowd, celebrating a landmark 25 years since the release of his debut album, it’s guaranteed to be a show-stopping and absolutely wonderful night for all.
You can dance the night away for another reason as ‘Live at Arley’ isn’t only for good times, it’s for good causes too, they’re supporting The GEM Appeal which funds genetic research for Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital.
Guests are invited to bring their own picnics to the event but there will be a handful of food vendors with goodies throughout the venue.
Arley Hall is also offering a Premium Experience, which is available for those concertgoers who want to live the high life, these tickets include ‘Premium Toilets’. Yes, please!
Don’t worry about the kids either as they can come with you as children and under 4’s go free to the event, just make sure you don’t tell the grandparents that!
‘Live at Arley’ featuring all of these phenomenal acts is taking place across two nights Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 May 2025 with all ticket packages available HERE.
Daisy Jackson -
8th December 2022 
