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Piccadilly Gardens was once home to a huge ‘Lunatic Asylum’

Sam Ridgway - 7th January 2020

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The top 10 biggest gigs in Manchester music history

Thomas Melia

When you think of Manchester one of the first things that comes to mind obviously after ‘best city in the world’ is one word: ‘music’.

Our capital of the North West has birthed some of the world’s greatest singers of all time and welcomed some of the planet’s biggest stars.

Manchester has many live music venues to host impressive gigs including stadiums, arenas, parks and a wide variety of performance spaces.

The real reason these artists keep coming back is because of you, everyone who shows up and shows out to every single tour and performance happening in our culturally rich city.

Ahead of one of the biggest gigs in all of Manchester music history, thanks to Oasis, here’s a rundown of the most attended shows ever recorded in 0161.

The largest live gigs in Manchester music history

10. Kylie Minogue: 75,972 – AO Arena (2008)

Kylie Minogue Manchester A
rena, biggest Manchester gig to date. — Although not 2008, here is Kylie in all her grandeur at AO Arena in 2014.

With a tour titled ‘KylieX2008’, the Aussie sensation made our heads spin around in 2008 as she graced the AO Arena for six nights of pop perfection from 11 July to 18 July.

Minogue has a special connection to Manchester and this arena specifically, performing here over 30 times to a total of 400,000 people.

This marks the venue she’s played at most in the world and she will continue this legacy in 2025 with her ‘Tension’ tour.

9. Taylor Swift: 77,258 – Etihad Stadium (2018)

Taylor Swift Etihad Stadium 2018, her biggest Manchester gig to date. — Taylor Swift performing on the B-Stage at Etihad Stadium in 2018.

‘Baby let the games begin!’ Swift opened her ‘Reputation Stadium Tour’ in 2018 while standing behind a backdrop of snakes, scales and reptile-like patterns.

The legendary pop star commanded the stage even walking through the crowd to greet fans with smiles and high fives, making sure to get up close and personal even in a venue this grand.

‘Tay-Tay’s last visit to the North West saw her playing three nights of her monumental ‘The Eras Tour’ just a stone’s throw away at Anfield Stadium and who knows, maybe once the Etihad renovation is complete, she might be keen to make another appearance.

8. Oasis: 80,000 – Maine Road (1996)

Oasis biggest manchester gig to date Maine Road. — In signature Liam style, the tambourine is in hand and ready to accompany both the brother’s vocals.

The Burnage boys were always destined to be on this list in one way or another due to their incredible impact in pushing Manchester music and bands to the mainstream.

Singing hits from their well-known music catalogue, Oasis attracted 80,000 to Manchester City’s former ground in the mid-90s.

Unlike the tour taking place in 2025, tickets for this gig would’ve only set you back £17.50, you’d have been silly not to grab yourself one!

7. Harry Styles: 99,526 – Old Trafford Cricket Ground (2022)

The former One Direction star Harry Styles spent two nights in June spreading the love with his mega ‘Love On Tour’ and the feeling was definitely mutual.

On 15 and 16 June the ‘Watermelon Sugar’ singer had nearly 100,000 devotees in the palm of his hand as he belted out some of his best solo numbers.

The Cheshire-born superstar even paused his show to find his primary school teacher who he’d been informed was in the crowd, thanking her for all her help and hard work while he was in education. Adorable.

@the.manc So wholesome #harrystyles #manchester #oldtrafford ♬ original sound – The Manc

6. Foo Fighters: 100,000 – Old Trafford Cricket Ground (2024)

The Washington-formed band put on two impressive nights where Mancs witnessed ‘music royalty’ on their ‘Everything or Nothing at All Tour’ in June.

As well as ‘The Pretender’ hitmakers, the sold-out shows were spoilt with not one but four support acts split across the two dates, including Wet Leg.

On 13 June the rock champions even previewed an unreleased track ‘Unconditional’ for the first time, adding it to the setlist for the 15 June show too!

Foo Fighters tickets Manchester Old Trafford cricket ground — Old Trafford Cricket Ground was a spectacle this June.

5. Spice Girls: 150,955 – Etihad Stadium (2019)

Etihad Stadium and Spice Girls spiced up our lives three times in 2019 with three non-consecutive performances from 29 May to 1 June.

This tour was missing one key ingredient, ‘Posh Spice’, who missed out on this string of shows for the first time in her career.

In addition to these four fierce ladies, another UK household act Jess Glynne joined them on the bill as a support act. The girls were met with raptures as they made their entrance to Manchester after 11 years since their last visit.

Spice Girls biggest Manchester show at Etihad Stadium in 2019. — Just look at those iconic fits! Spice Girls performing at Wembley Stadium on the same tour that visited Manchester.

4. Coldplay: 195,874 – Etihad Stadium (2023)

Chris Martin and co. have a lot of love for the North West with their ‘Fix You’ music video even filmed at Bolton Wanderers football club, Toughsheet Community Stadium.

In 2023 they brought their Music Of The Spheres world tour to Manchester from 31 May to 4 June for four nights of dazzling lights, wowed fans and of course incredible live arrangements.

Altogether, these shows brought together almost 200,000 attendees who had the opportunity to get involved with the show’s production themselves by cycling electric bikes and kinetic dancefloor which both helped power the stage.

Coldplay biggest Manchester gig Etihad Stadium. — The Coldplay lads in all their glory.

3. Ed Sheeran: 218,639 – Etihad Stadium (2022)

Starting his musical career just over the hill busking in Hebden Bridge before becoming one of the UK’s most prominent and successful artists of all time.

In 2022, the ‘Galway Girl’ singer took to Manchester City‘s awesome stadium to play hits from his full discography titled ‘The Mathematics Tour’ in honour of his equation-themed album titles.

The one-man, one-guitar show attracted almost 55,000 people across four nights who watched the singing red-head belt out his bangers on a 360 circular stage.

Ed Sheeran biggest Manchester concert ever. — Ed Sheeran at V Festival in 2014, already a star in his own right.

2. The Stone Roses: 225,000 – Heaton Park (2012)

The Manchester rock pioneers played a three-night hometown residency as part of their reunion tour following a 17-year concert hiatus.

Fans came in abundance to pack out to Heaton Park, a notorious music-hosting site which has hosted a plethora of acts as well as this formidable band.

Spanning from 29 June to 1 July, The Stone Roses played to a whopping 75,000 fans every night across the three sold-out Manchester shows at Heaton Park in 2012.

The Stone Roses played three nights at Heaton Park. — The Stone Roses performing at Fuji Rock Festival in 2012, the same year as their Heaton Park residency.

1. Take That: 443,223 – Etihad Stadium (2011)

Boyband and pop music giants Take That took on the Etihad Stadium in full force with all members present including everyone’s favourite entertainer, Robbie Williams, who’s returning to the city next year for two huge tour dates.

In 2011, ‘The Flood’ boys put on a remarkable eight nights for nearly half a million lucky Mancs from 3 June till 12 June, making for a summer everyone could ‘Never Forget’.

However, they weren’t the only boyband gracing the Manchester City stadium as dance duo Pet Shop Boys supported them on their ‘Progress Live’ tour across the UK.

Take That - Manchester's biggest attendance ever across eight nights at Etihad Stadium. — A fan-captured moment of Take That reunited amidst their eight show run at Etihad Stadium in Manchester.

Honourable Mentions

One Love Manchester, 55,000 – Old Trafford Cricket Ground (2017)

Even though this event may not be topping the attendance records, this concert was a special and remarkable moment in Manchester’s history.

Fronted by Ariana Grande, just two weeks after the Manchester Arena attack, Old Trafford Cricket Ground saw a multitude of artists coming together to celebrate the importance of music while paying respect to those affected by the events in the month prior.

BBC reported the ‘One Love Manchester’ live show had 14.5 million viewers at its peak with an average of 10.9 million worldwide and this benefit concert has since raised more than £10 million for the ‘We Love Manchester Emergency Fund’.

Grande may be reaching height after unthinkable height as a musical artist, but she has always had a special place for Manchester in her heart, donating toys to children in Manchester hospitals at Christmastime.

Oasis Live ’25, 320,000 (Predicted) – Heaton Park (2025)

A sweet relief for some and a battle with ticketing sites for others, but when the news first broke everyone literally was ‘Half The World Away’.

Brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher are heading across the globe next year on their reunion tour of a lifetime, 16 years since their last live performance, with four Manchester dates.

Although the band might not have performed yet, Heaton Park is expected to welcome a ‘Wonderwall’ of around 80,000 fans every night.

We’re not sure we’ll ever be emotionally ready for this but bring it on. We’ve waited long enough. The question is, what do want to hear them play?

The 30 greatest Oasis songs of all time

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Featured Image – Eva Rinaldi (via Wikicommons)/The Manc Group/Lily Redman (via Wikicommons)

Feature

Carden Park – The award-winning Cheshire hotel with a stunning outdoor garden spa

Daisy Jackson Hot tubs in the outdoor garden spa at Carden Park

Carden Park has long been one of the UK’s best spa hotels – in fact, just in September it was named Spa Hotel of the Year… again.

In the last 12 months its shelves have begun to groan under the weight of all the awards it’s accumulating, with its fine dining restaurant The Vines at Carden earning a third AA Rosette, placing it within the top 10% of venues in the UK.

And now Carden Park has unveiled the first phase of its £6.5m refurbishment, boosting its status even further with smart new bedrooms decorated in soft hues of blue and gold.

Carden Park is famed for its golfing and its outdoor pursuits, as well as its outdoor garden spa (we are very much here for the latter).

The luxury spa opened back in 2020, and features staggering features like a vitality pool, heated relaxation beds, Finnish sauna, a salt steam room, an aroma steam room, aroma showers, and a beautiful bio sauna with panoramic windows overlooking the hotel’s sweeping grounds.

And that’s just the indoor spa at Carden Park – I’m just getting started.

Carden Park's indoor pool — Carden Park’s indoor pool

The Finnish sauna at Carden Park — Carden Park’s indoor pool

Its crowning glory is its outdoor garden spa, where footpaths weave between sunken hot tubs and heated thermal pods.

There’s an outdoor pool, also heated, with body massagers built in, and the sight of the steam rising from the pool over the frosty lawns is one for sore eyes and limbs.

From the all-weather Bollinger champagne bar, you can order a mulled wine or a glass of fizz, to sip around the fire pit or on a sun lounger (maybe not the latter at this time of year).

There’s also a panoramic herbal lounge, with sweeping views of the 1000 acre estate at Carden Park.

The fire pit — A panoramic herbal lounge

A current package running until the new year – the Comfort & Joy Spa Experience – includes access to this incredible spa as well as a 50 minute ‘Time to Pause’ treatment.

Here, your sore muscles are scrubbed and loosened before you flip over for an invigorating facial, using cold stones to cool, soothe and drain toxins from your face.

It’s one of the most thorough and efficient treatments I’ve had at a spa and will leave you feeling pampered, relaxed and invigorated all at once.

The Comfort and Joy Spa Experience package also includes overnight accommodation, dinner in either restaurant, breakfast, a mulled wine or hot chocolate, and loads more.

The view from the refurbished bedrooms — A refurbished bedroom at Carden Park

And back across at the main hotel, Carden Park’s 197 rooms are slowly being refurbished and crafted into luxury spaces with plenty of British details.

From the premium beds to the huge marble bathrooms, you’ll want to stay forever.

While The Vines at Carden might be the hotel’s more lavish restaurant, its Redmond’s Brasserie is also exceptional, with a menu full of British dishes including steaks, pies, and puddings.

This is also where guests head for breakfast, where there’s a full buffet of hot food, continental items and even a pancake-making machine.

Dinner at Redmond's Brasserie — The bar upstairs at the Carden Park spa

And after your breakfast, you can stroll around the hotel’s magnificent grounds, where there’s a vineyard, tennis courts, a lake, and a full sculpture park.

Director and general manager of Carden Park Hotel Hamish Ferguson said of the new
refurbishments: “The overhaul of our hotel bedrooms marks a significant chapter in Carden Park Hotel’s
journey.

“We are thrilled to embark on this exciting project to enhance our luxury accommodation, reinforcing our commitment to providing an exceptional and rejuvenating experience for our guests.

“Sustainability has been at the forefront of all previous renovations at the hotel, and we endeavour to continue this trajectory in all future transformation projects.”

The Comfort and Joy Spa Experience at Carden Park

A morning garden spa experience between 9am and 1pm (8.30am arrival)
Overnight luxury accommodation
A divine 50-minute Time-to-Pause ritual treatment; including back exfoliation and calming facial. Learn more about the treatment here.
£30 dinner allowance to be used in either Redmond’s Brasserie or The Vines (Thursday only) – Cheshire’s award-winning fine dining restaurant
Full English and Continental breakfast included in your stay
Access to the hotel state-of-the-art leisure club and 20-metre pool
Either a mulled wine or luxury hot chocolate included in your spa experience

Featured image: The Manc Group